Mi Hub clothes over 13% of the UK working population which makes us number one in our market. Trading as Dimensions, Alexandra, Yaffy, Mi Hub Canada and Affinity, we work with many of the worlds largest organisations to design and deliver their uniforms.
Working within the Supply Chain team, the Category Buyer is responsible for providing day-to-day operational procurement support controlling the end-to-end production process. The role supports the consolidation of garment buying across the business and helps to manage and enhance supplier relationships with suppliers. Occasional international travel will be required.
Job Purpose
The purpose of this role is to provide operational procurement support to ensure cost-effective, timely, and accurate purchasing across assigned categories. The Category Buyer strengthens supplier relationships, supports price negotiation, manages purchasing data, and contributes to critical path delivery. By coordinating information between suppliers, technical teams, and internal stakeholders, the role helps ensure consolidated garment buying, consistent pricing, and reliable supply to meet business and customer requirements.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
Supplier Relationships & Negotiation:
- Develop and maintain strong working relationships with suppliers.
- Analyse purchase requisitions and ensure timely order placement.
- Ensure purchase orders maximise any volume/price matrix opportunities.
- Manage all aspects of garment purchasing for assigned customer accounts/categories, including critical path management from PO creation through to receipt of goods.
- Work closely with suppliers and internal teams to ensure all key dates are adhered to in line with agreed critical paths.
- Contact manufacturers and stockists to obtain costs and negotiate pricing.
- Liaise with the Technical team to ensure suppliers receive sealed samples, patterns, and garment specifications on time.
- Complete the monthly fabric stock reconciliation.
Data Management, Analysis & Reporting:
- Compile style-level garment costs and conduct comparison analysis as required.
- Prepare and review weekly reports and monthly KPIs, including PO status updates and supplier performance.
- Maintain the central supplier cost database.
- Present costing scenarios based on project briefs, including alternative sourcing options.
Project Meetings & Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Attend relevant project meetings and update stakeholders on progress.
- Understand and manage assigned tasks as part of the wider critical path.
- Demonstrate awareness of the role’s importance to project timelines and overall team deliverables.
Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required
Essential:
- Experience communicating effectively with an international supplier base, particularly in the Far East.
- Confidence and ability to obtain accurate information in a timely manner.
- A proven record of providing excellent service to internal customers.
- Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- High competence in Microsoft Excel.
- Excellent organisational and time-management skills.
Desirable:
- Knowledge of the corporate wear industry.
- Understanding of industry-specific systems such as PLM and ERP.
Life Working at Mi Hub
Our people are at the heart of our business. At Mi Hub, we know how hard our people work to achieve our business goals and keep our customers at the heart of our work.
- Mi Time Policy (after training is complete)– hybrid working policy; 3 days in the office, 2 at home, finish early on a Friday (3pm!) and flexi your time and building up an extra half days annual leave per month. Also, grab a free tea and coffees whenever you are in the office!
- Annual leave - 25 days holiday plus Bank Holidays increasing to 27 days plus bank holidays when you get to 5 years’ service. If this isn’t enough, we provide the ability once a year for employee to buy extra annual leave.
- 3x death in service life insurance scheme should the worst happen in your employment with us.
- Celebrating Service, we offer long service awards to celebrate continued employment.
- EAP covering support for mental health and well-being.
- Employee Engagement (survey or Mi Forum) – We care for your opinions.
- Social calendar driven by our desire to raise funds for local and national charities, supporting a number each year.
- We take huge pride in our ESG policy which includes our impact on the environment and ensuring our company is ‘a great place to work’.
Mi Hub is an inclusive employer that values diversity in its workforce. We encourage applications from all individuals without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age.
If you wish to contact our in-house recruitment team you can contact them, via:
Email: recruitment @mi-hub.co.uk
Applications will also be accepted by email.
Mi Hub will keep your details for 13 months in accordance with our privacy policy, in case any other roles crop up that we think you'd be suitable for. If you'd like us to remove your details at any point, please contact the recruitment team on recruitment @mi-hub.co.uk
Mi Hub operates a Preferred Supplier List for recruitment agencies and only accept candidate introductions from agencies we have specifically engaged in writing for a particular role. Any unsolicited CVs or contact from agencies not formally instructed on the role, will not be recognised and no fees will be payable. Should we engage with a candidate whose details were submitted speculatively in this manner, it will not constitute acceptance of terms, and no agency fees will be owed.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £30,000.00-£32,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company events
- Cycle to work scheme
- Enhanced maternity leave
- Enhanced paternity leave
- Flexitime
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Paid volunteer time
- Sick pay
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Derby DE74 2UG: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Purchasing: 1 year (required)
Work authorisation:
- United Kingdom (required)
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Derby DE74 2UG
