Category Buyer

Location : Milton Keynes

Would you like to discover how our diverse, hardworking people are leading the way in making energy cleaner and better – and how you can play your part in our team?
At bp, we’re seeking to meet the growing global demand for safe, sustainable and affordable energy. That means crafting a more efficient business that makes the best possible use of all its resources, reimagines energy and reinvents who we are on our mission of net zero!

About the role:
The category buyer is responsible for the purchasing, ranging and ongoing category management (i.e. price and promotion) of branded goods for resale in the company owned estate. Key outputs in this role are driving category sales, optimising / growing margin and maximising central income (CI) – all delivered through building and maintaining strong relationships, with a strong bias towards customer

What you’ll be supporting:
Ensure all plans and decisions are truly customer-led
Manage specified key categories with the branded trading team
Develop and implement category plans to ensure delivery of sales, margin and CI targets
Build, manage and maintain supplier relationships to source products, negotiate cost prices and optimise CI to maximise category profitability
Analyse category performance, customer data / insight and market trends to plan and implement ongoing range reviews to drive sales and profit
Complete regular store visits to our own stores, and relevant / emerging competition
Maximise the opportunity new and emerging channels (i.e. digital) present
Work with suppliers and lead buyer / marketing to develop shop promotions which drive incremental sales and margin, and acquire new customers
Work with P&P to ensure price book is optimised and accurate
Work closely with supply chain to support supplier management of stock availability and optimised working capital, coupled with robust forecasting to ensure strong store availability
In conjunction with space planning; identify, develop and implement range, layout and equipment opportunities (macro and micro) to maximise sales and customer impact
Work closely with retail operations to ensure there is a strong understanding of category plans to drive appropriate field and store focus / implementation
Support and align with wider team stakeholders (i.e. trading analyst and insights manager / strategic relationships manager) to ensure strategy and performance goals are met

Key Relationships:
External:
Suppliers, wholesale partner, supply chain partner, strategic partners
Internal:
Wider trading team, marketing, CoE, retail operations, PPM, assets as required (i.e. if managing car wash)

Your experience might include:
Experience and a proven ability to manage third party relationships to deliver outstanding performance
Experience as a retail buyer, or directly relevant experience within a trading environment
Experience of remaining highly motivated whilst managing pressures associated with high intensity / profile role
Expert and proven negotiation skills
Strong team-working skills with the ability to work with others across the retail business
Highly numerate with strong analytical and MS Office skills
Strong communicator with the ability to tailor language and style dependent on audience

Qualifications & Certifications
Preferably educated to degree level, but not essential

We operate a 60/40% hybrid model encompassing office, remote home working and a flexible working policy to offer that work life balance.

Whilst office-based, regular travel is required to meet suppliers and visit stores / competitors. As such, a company car is provided

Customers & Products

Retail Group

No

Yes - up to 25%

United Kingdom

CUSTOMER AND PRODUCTS

We’re gearing up for the future. At bp our goal for C&P is to deliver the future of mobility, energy and services for our customers by innovating with new business models and service platforms.

C&P will become a hub, housing our midstream, lubricants, aviation, sale of chemicals, mobility and ‎convenience, marketing and our next-generation businesses, making it a highly integrated and ‎interconnected organisation. And with safety being our core value, our commitment to safe and reliable operations will never change.

Want to join the team? This means:

• being customer-centric, agile and responsive to changing customer needs and dynamic markets
• focusing on growth and development of customer offers
• optimising the chemicals and fuels value chains to maximise integrated value
• contributing to the reduction of carbon intensity of the products we create, and sell, by 50% by 2050 or sooner
• creating strategic partnerships that drive long-term value for C&P
• being digitally enabled and empowered by customer insights and data to deliver solutions.

Intermediate

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, socioeconomic background, neurodiversity/neurocognitive functioning, veteran status or disability status. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodations.