Senior Buying Manager

Permanent employee, Full-time · Mindful Chef London HQ

More Than Just A Job
We make healthy eating easy. We supply incredible, mindfully sourced ingredients to empower people to live healthier lives, whilst using our expertise to educate and reduce our impact on the environment.

If you would like to join one of the UK’s fastest growing B-corp and make a positive impact on people's lives, we would love to hear from you.
You are
  • Experienced in Procurement: You have a proven track record of managing food buying teams and are an excellent negotiator.
  • Research-Oriented: You are driven to deeply understand and map supply chains, interrogating cost structures and quality to find opportunities for value creation.
  • Commercially Savvy: You have strong commercial acumen and a delivery-focused mindset.
  • Customer-Focused: You obsess over providing the best quality for the end customer.
  • A Team Player: You have excellent collaboration skills and emotional intelligence to support and guide your team.
  • Organized: You excel at structured communication and planning in a fast-paced environment.
  • Technically Knowledgeable: You have a good working understanding of food safety regulations.
  • A Creative Problem-Solver: You are a proactive and positive thinker who approaches challenges with unconventional solutions and challenges established norms.


You will
  • Procurement:
    • You will be responsible for delivering COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) targets on all ingredients, Ready to Go products, GNFR (Goods Not For Resale), and packaging.
    • You will drive cost-effective sourcing plans, always balancing cost, quality, brand, and customer experience.
    • You will manage your own category and coach your team of buyers to design their own sourcing strategies. You will take overall responsibility for the execution of these plans.
  • Collaboration:
    • You will work closely with the Technical, Kitchen, Supply Chain, Ops, and Finance teams to bring new products and propositions to market efficiently.
    • You will communicate effectively with other Heads of Departments to ensure alignment and smooth product development and launches.
  • Supplier Relationships:
    • You will build and nurture strong relationships with suppliers in your category.
    • You will act as the escalation point for suppliers in other categories, ensuring issues are handled effectively and efficiently.
  • Innovation:
    • You will drive innovation by continuously searching for new ingredients and opportunities to enhance the customer offering.
    • You will inspire your team to think creatively and collaborate with the Kitchen and Technical teams to introduce new products and exciting propositions to customers.
  • Sustainability:
    • You will actively seek out alternatives to plastic packaging and reduce Mindful Chef's overall environmental impact.
    • You will deliver sustainable solutions that not only meet customer expectations but also align with the company’s sustainability goals.
  • Risk Management:
    • You will ensure your team works closely with the Technical team to implement robust risk management processes, particularly around supplier governance and ingredient quality, to protect the company's value proposition.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

  • COGS Delivery: You will be accountable for delivering COGS targets on ingredients, Ready to Go products, and GNFR.
  • CPTU Reduction: You will drive year-over-year reduction in Cost Per Transaction Unit (CPTU).
  • Sustainability Impact: You will reduce the percentage of non-recyclable plastic in overall packaging.
Why us?
  • A competitive salary
  • Hybrid/ Remote Working - typically employees are in the office twice a week however we are happy to discuss remote (UK based only) if travel to Wandsworth / London is tricky for your personal circumstances.
  • We are a rapidly growing profitable B-Corp, this means you will be working for a purpose led company. Using your best skills, you will make a positive impact to the 3 “Ps”: profit, people and planet.
  • We've built one of the most admired startups in the UK and won a whole bunch of awards.
  • We have the backing of the largest food and beverage company in the world.
  • Our lovely office in Wandsworth is meant to feel like home: you will have free breakfast, lunch and snacks, a gym with Peloton bikes, a vertical farm and if you have a furry friend at home, they are welcome too.
  • We also take your well-being seriously with free Vitality health insurance, discounted Calm and FIIT apps, lots of mental health first-aiders, daily sunshine hour, and a structured mental health calendar for the whole year.
  • Holidays: you will have a total of 38 days’ holidays per year, where 5 days can be rolled over each year. It is important to switch off.
  • Who doesn’t love a discount? You will get a 50% discount on all Mindful Chef products: recipe boxes, frozen meals, smoothies, soups, breakfast and desserts.
  • Your newborn is special: 6 months full pay primary parental leave, 6 weeks full pay secondary parental leave.
The process
  • Meet the talent team - 30 mins informative chat via google meet
  • Meet the CPO - 45 mins technical interview with our Chief Procurement Officer via google meet
  • Meet key stakeholders - 45 mins coffee chat interview with key stakeholders in our buzzing London HQ
About us
We are MINDFUL. This is intrinsic to everything we do. From the healthy recipes we design, to the local, expert and caring suppliers we select and the way we treat each other, our customers and our environment.

We are PERSONAL. We started Mindful Chef with our friends and families as customers and those are the kind of relationships we want to maintain however big we grow. Being real and true to ourselves and each other.

We are UNAFRAID. We want to be the best – to challenge conventions, to think differently and be imaginative in how we solve problems. Brave enough to take on the big players and to do what’s right even when it’s difficult.

Equal Opportunities

At Mindful Chef, we embrace diversity and inclusion as a foundation that enriches our culture and fuels the success of our business. We are mindful of everyone’s differences and we take pride in the unique perspectives, experiences, and talents that each individual brings to our team.

We are unafraid to tackle biases and challenge stereotypes, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute their personal strengths. Our commitment to diversity is not just a policy; it's a personal and collective responsibility that we take to heart.

We believe that by being mindful of our differences, unafraid to confront barriers, and embracing the personal stories and journeys of our team members, we can achieve greater innovation, creativity, and harmony in the workplace. Together we celebrate diversity, and together, we are better.

We are looking forward to hearing from you!
We're so pleased you are excited about Mindful Chef. Please fill out the following short form. Should you have difficulties with the upload of your data, please send an email to jobs@mindfulchef.com
Uploading document. Please wait.
Please add all mandatory information with a * to send your application.