Buying Manager

The Buying Manager / Head leads the procurement and buying function across all assigned categories. This role is responsible for strategic sourcing, supplier management, inventory optimization, category profitability, and overall performance of assigned categories. The Buying Head ensures timely submission of purchase, sales, and profit reports to the Divisional Director and drives growth, margin improvement, cost efficiency, and other income generation through supplier incentives, trade deals, and promotional support while maintaining compliance with legal and ethical sourcing standards. The role also involves managing Business Development Agreements (BDA), handling local and international purchases, conducting market surveys, store visits, and coordinating with store managers and store buyers. The role leverages tools like Power BI for data-driven decision-making. Key Roles and Responsibilities: Category & Product Management • Manage all assigned categories, ensuring competitive pricing, optimal product assortment, and alignment with market trends. • Monitor category GP and NP and implement corrective actions to improve profitability. • Track category growth and de-growth trends and provide actionable insights. • Analyze inventory movement, including ageing, slow-moving, damaged, and nil-sale items; recommend markdowns or delisting. • Ensure stock levels are optimized to reduce stockouts while avoiding overstock situations. • Monitor GMROI for categories and adjust sourcing strategies to maximize returns. Supplier & Sourcing Management • Lead supplier negotiations for pricing, margins, trade discounts, credit period extensions, and other income-generating agreements. • Develop and maintain strong relationships with local, regional, and international suppliers. • Evaluate supplier performance in terms of product quality, on-time delivery, promotional support, and display commitments. • Manage Business Development Agreements (BDA) and ensure supplier commitments, rebates, and trade funds are tracked and utilized effectively. • Coordinate supplier displays, promotional setups, and other value-added activities to enhance category visibility, sales, and additional revenue. • Ensure timely creation and processing of Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) for both local and international purchases and follow-up with suppliers. Market Surveys, Store Visits & Store Coordination • Conduct regular market surveys to track competitor pricing, product range, promotions, and emerging trends. • Plan and conduct store visits to evaluate product placement, display execution, stock levels, and promotional activities. • Coordinate closely with store managers and store buyers to gather customer feedback, monitor category performance, and implement corrective actions. • Ensure best practices in merchandising and planogram compliance across all stores. Promotions, Marketing & Other Income Generation • Plan and execute promotional campaigns in collaboration with Marketing and Retail Operations. • Monitor post-promotion performance and ROI for supplier-funded campaigns. • Identify opportunities for additional revenue through supplier rebates, trade deals, marketing funds, and other incentives. • Ensure timely procurement and availability of products for promotional activities. Reporting & Analytics • Submit detailed category reports to the Divisional Director covering purchase, sales, GP, NP, ageing, nil-sale, stock turnover, growth/de-growth analysis, supplier performance, and other income generated. • Track and report BDA utilization, supplier contributions, rebates, and trade funding efficiency. • Monitor category budgets and ensure financial objectives are met. • Leverage Power BI and other analytics tools for performance tracking, dashboards, and data-driven decision-making. Team Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration • Lead, mentor, and develop the buying team to ensure high performance and retention. • Collaborate with Inventory, Finance, Marketing, Store Operations, and store buyers to achieve category objectives. • Implement strategies to enhance coordination across functions for seamless category execution. Compliance & Ethical Standards • Ensure all procurement activities comply with legal standards, internal policies, and ethical sourcing practices. • Stay updated on relevant compliance requirements, industry best practices, and ethical procurement guidelines. • Proven experience 8 to 12 years in buying, procurement, or sourcing in retail or wholesale organizations. • Strong negotiation skills with a record of achieving cost savings, favorable supplier terms, and other income generation. • In-depth knowledge of category management, inventory control, stock turnover, and product assortment. • Excellent understanding of category GP, NP, GMROI, and profitability metrics. • Knowledge of BDA management, local and international purchasing, supplier negotiation, and trade deals. • Ability to analyze growth/de-growth trends, ageing reports, nil-sale, and category performance. • Experience conducting market surveys, store visits, and coordinating with store managers and buyers. • Proficiency in Power BI and Microsoft Office for reporting and analytics. • Strong leadership, team development, and retention skills. • Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving abilities • Candidates with retail supermarket experience in both the GCC and India are encouraged to apply.