Tesco
Buying Manager - Prepared Fruit - 12 month Parental Leave
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Buying Manager for Prepared Fruit
About the Role
As Buying Manager for Prepared Fruit, you will lead the top-growing FMCG category through insight, innovation, product development, raw material sourcing, supplier capabilities, and trade driving, competing with both supermarkets and on-the-go food outlets.
Accountable for a £190m business across all fruit types, this is a high-priority, must-win role blending fast-paced commercial execution with long-term strategic leadership. You will:
- Manage and develop a summer intern (June-Aug), focusing on emerging trends in healthy snacking across both category and front-of-store meal deals.
- Ensure Tesco remains the customer’s first choice in quality, value, and innovation.
Key Responsibilities
- Sales, profit, and outperformance ownership, including budget delivery.
- Competitor analysis (across physical, online, and beyond-retail formats) to develop short- and long-term market-winning plans that drive customer loyalty, quality, and innovation.
- Use insight tools to diagnose performance issues and opportunities in collaboration with supplier expertise.
- Develop and execute the category strategy, delivering a winning market plan.
- Cross-functional collaboration with Product Development, Technical, and Supplier Sourcing teams to create and maintain a profitable, high-quality Tesco brand.
- Lead joint supplier plans via BMGs, reducing costs and supply chain complexities, aligned with Tesco’s Profit Growth & Return (PGR) targets.
- Work with other Buying Managers and cross-category teams to identify emerging trends and opportunities.
- Identify and assess new/current suppliers to deliver market-leading innovation, quality, availability, and performance.
- Forecast trends and update profit models, guiding cost negotiations and PGR delivery.
- Compliance adherence:
- Follow Tesco policies, storage protocols, and handover procedures.
- Zero Gross Selling and Compliance Offences (GSCOP) breaches.
- Report GSCOP breaches to Legal within 48 hours and lead a culture of compliance.
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Requirements
- Strong negotiation, supplier management, and relationship-building skills, with experience in grower and supplier partnerships.
- Preferred: Previous buying experience (ideal for an experienced Buying Manager seeking broader category exposure or career acceleration).
- Proven category and cross-category management/leadership experience.
- First-class communication, leadership, and stakeholder management.
- End-to-end New Product Development (NPD) experience, including raw material sourcing.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office (particularly Excel and PowerPoint).
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Benefits
We’re dedicated to supporting colleague well-being with:
- Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary
- Holiday entitlement: 25 days + 1 personal day (plus Bank Holidays)
- Private medical insurance
- Parental leave:
- 26 weeks paid maternity/adoption leave (after 12 months’ service)
- 13 weeks Statutory Maternity/Adoption Pay
- 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
- 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and mental wellbeing support
Full details available in Tesco policies.
About Us
Beyond being a supermarket or technology company, we’re much more. Our mission: improving every day for customers, colleagues, and communities worldwide. We celebrate diversity—whether you’re starting your career, navigating life changes, or growing professionally. Flexible working is welcome: discuss needs early, and we’ll find a support plan that works for you.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we ensure a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Still curious? Apply even if unqualified—we’d love to hear from you.
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