BUYING MANAGER
Location: Waterlooville, Hampshire (Office Based)
Salary: £45,000 - £55,000 DOE
THIS IS A COMMERCIAL BUYING ROLE — NOT PURCHASING ADMINISTRATION
We are looking for an experienced buying professional who is comfortable:
- Negotiating with suppliers
- Managing product ranges and stock investment
- Making commercial decisions that drive profit
- Building long-term supplier relationships
If you are looking for a purely administrative purchasing role focused on raising purchase orders, this will not be the right fit.
ABOUT US
John Rothery Wholesale is a 53-year established, award-winning B2B distributor supplying trade customers across the UK.
We operate in a fast-paced wholesale environment, supplying the shooting, country sports and outdoor trade through a portfolio of leading brands and over 6,000 products.
As the business continues to grow, we are creating a new leadership role to take ownership of our buying function and help shape our future product strategy.
THE ROLE
You will take responsibility for our purchasing and supplier management activities and will be responsible for:
- Managing supplier relationships across multiple product categories
- Negotiating pricing, rebates and commercial agreements
- Reviewing sales and stock data to make informed buying decisions
- Optimising stock availability whilst controlling inventory investment
- Identifying new product and supplier opportunities
- Working closely with Sales, Marketing and Operations teams
- Driving margin improvement across the product portfolio
- Developing and implementing category and buying strategies
This is not a transactional purchasing role. You will be expected to make commercially driven decisions that contribute directly to company growth and profitability.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE
- Strong supplier relationships and effective negotiations
- Improved margins across key product categories
- Healthy stock availability with controlled inventory levels
- Successful introduction of profitable new products and ranges
- Accurate demand forecasting and purchasing decisions
- Delivering measurable commercial value to the business
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Must have:
- Previous buying or purchasing management experience
- Strong negotiation and supplier management skills
- Commercial awareness and strong analytical ability
- Experience managing stock, purchasing budgets or product categories
- Confidence making decisions using sales and inventory data
- Excellent organisation and stakeholder management skills
Ideal (but not essential):
- Experience within wholesale, distribution or retail environments
- Experience managing a team or buying department
- Knowledge of outdoor, country sports, hardware, tools or related product sectors
Not suitable for:
- Pure administrative purchasing backgrounds
- Roles focused solely on order processing
- Candidates without supplier negotiation or commercial buying experience
PACKAGE & BENEFITS
- £45,000 - £55,000 salary DOE
- Newly created role with significant influence and autonomy
- Opportunity to shape the future buying strategy of the business
- 22 days holiday + bank holidays + birthday off
- Staff discounts
- Team events & away days
- Free on-site parking
HOURS
Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 5:00pm
Office-based in Waterlooville, Hampshire
FINAL WORD
If you are a commercially minded buying professional who enjoys negotiating, building supplier relationships and making decisions that directly impact business performance, we'd like to hear from you.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: £45,000.00-£55,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Cycle to work scheme
- Employee discount
- On-site parking
Work Location: In person
