Sourcing Director

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Job Introduction
Strategic Sourcing Director

Location: London
Business Area: Foodbuy Group
Salary: Competitive + benefits

About Foodbuy Group

Foodbuy Group is the UK's largest food procurement organisation, managing over £2bn of spend across food, non-food and retail-adjacent categories. Proudly part of Compass Group UK & Ireland, we work directly with manufacturers and growers to deliver commercial value, supply resilience and responsible sourcing for a diverse portfolio of clients.

At Foodbuy, commercial rigour, clarity of thinking and disciplined execution matter. We are building a sourcing function that is strategic, insight-led and uncompromising on delivery.
The Role

The Strategic Sourcing Director sets the direction for Foodbuy's sourcing strategy and leads a high-performing team delivering meaningful, measurable value across a multi-hundred-million-pound spend.

This is a senior leadership role requiring strong commercial judgement, exceptional negotiation capability and the ability to bring structure and pace to complex environments. You will ensure sourcing is a proactive, results-driven partner to the business-driving cost leadership, supply resilience, innovation and long-term value creation.

You will operate at pace, lead from the front on critical negotiations, and raise the overall sophistication of sourcing across strategy, governance, tools and capability.
Key Responsibilities

• Own and lead Foodbuy's sourcing strategy across all major categories, ensuring clear priorities and strong commercial foundations
• Deliver best-in-class sourcing execution, embedding consistent, transparent and compliant processes
• Lead high-value, complex sourcing programmes delivering improvements across cost, quality, service, innovation and risk
• Personally lead and support major supplier negotiations, ensuring Foodbuy's scale and standards are fully realised
• Strengthen alignment across Category Development, Clients, Supply Chain, Sustainability and Operations
• Enhance sourcing sophistication through SKU optimisation, risk mitigation, supplier-led innovation and data-driven decision-making
• Champion modern sourcing tools, systems and methodologies, including e-sourcing platforms
• Build, lead and develop a high-performing sourcing team, strengthening capability in negotiation, governance and commercial judgement

What We're Looking For
Essential

• Senior leadership experience in sourcing, procurement or commercial strategy
• Proven delivery of significant, measurable commercial results
• Outstanding negotiation capability with major, complex suppliers (non-negotiable)
• Strong analytical capability with the ability to use insight to shape strategy
• Experience leading multiple high-value sourcing initiatives concurrently
• Strong governance, risk management and process discipline

Desirable

• Experience within GPOs, buying groups or multi-client environments
• Exposure to responsible sourcing, ESG and supply-risk management
• Familiarity with modern e-sourcing tools and procurement technologies

Leadership Style & Attributes

• Commercially driven and outcomes-focused
• Structured, decisive and calm under pressure
• Credible senior-level stakeholder influencer
• Low ego, high integrity, and comfortable leading in ambiguity
• Strategic thinker with a hands-on delivery mindset

Why Join Foodbuy

• Influence procurement strategy at national scale
• Operate in a commercially serious, delivery-focused environment
• Work with senior stakeholders across Compass Group UK & Ireland
• Lead a function with real opportunity to raise standards and shape the future

#REED