Job Introduction
Retail Procurement & Growth Director
Location: London/Chertsey/Hybrid
Salary: Competitive
Business Area: Foodbuy
Reporting to: Chief Commercial Officer
About Foodbuy Group
Foodbuy Group is the UK’s leading food procurement organisation, managing over £2bn of spend across foodservice and hospitality. Part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, a FTSE 100 business, Foodbuy works with a diverse client base to deliver expert procurement, commercial insight and responsible growth across food and non‑food categories.
Our people and partners are at the heart of what we do. Our scale, data and supplier relationships give us a unique opportunity to shape markets, drive innovation and create long‑term value for our clients.
The Role
We are seeking an experienced Retail Procurement & Growth Director to lead Foodbuy’s retail commercial strategy across impulse‑led categories including cold and hot beverages, confectionery, beers, wines & spirits, and food‑to‑go.
This is a senior, high‑impact leadership role that blends retail commercial expertise with strategic procurement capability. Rather than a traditional category management position, the role exists to create competitive advantage through insight, innovation, partnership and value creation.
Operating with significant autonomy and executive‑level influence, the Retail Procurement & Growth Director will play a visible and pivotal role in shaping Foodbuy’s future growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and deliver Foodbuy’s retail commercial and procurement strategy
- Translate scale, data and supplier capability into meaningful commercial outcomes for clients
- Shape and deliver a market‑leading retail proposition across impulse categories
- Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with major FMCG brands and wholesale partners
- Drive responsible sourcing, innovation and insight‑led category development
- Collaborate across internal teams to maximise Foodbuy’s full commercial capability
- Represent Foodbuy credibly with senior stakeholders, clients and suppliers
- Build, mentor and develop a high‑performing retail commercial team
About You
You are a senior commercial leader with deep retail and procurement expertise, able to look beyond price to total value — margin, availability, innovation, sustainability and long‑term growth.
Essential experience includes:
- Senior commercial leadership within retail, impulse or food‑to‑go environments
- Strong background in procurement, buying or category management
- Proven success negotiating with major FMCG manufacturers and wholesalers
- Deep understanding of pricing, promotions, range optimisation and retail execution
- Strong strategic judgement, analytical capability and commercial acumen
- A track record of building and leading high‑performing teams
Desirable experience:
- Exposure to GPOs, buying groups or multi‑client environments
- Experience across hospitality, convenience or workplace retail
- Understanding of sustainability, ESG and evolving consumer trends
Why Join Foodbuy?
This is a rare opportunity to step into a highly influential leadership role within a market‑leading organisation. You will shape the future of Foodbuy’s retail proposition, strengthen strategic supplier relationships and directly impact client success, all within the scale and stability of a FTSE 100 group.
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