Food Buyer | Retail | Marks & Spencer

Food Buyer | Retail | Marks & Spencer at Al-Futtaim Automotive

Job Requisition : 174500

The role of the Food Buyer involves purchasing a variety of food products and materials to ensure availability across MENA stores and cafes. The Food Buyer is responsible for planning and achieving net margins, managing wastage and markdowns, and collaborating with UK teams to align with M&S strategy and sustainability goals. They also focus on category management, store layout, and stock management to maximize market share and profitability.

• Plan, forecast, and order relevant product categories.
• Ensure all sourced products meet M&S and/or country quality standards.
• Achieve KPI targets for sales, margin, and market share.
• Ensure stock availability in all stores and maintain catalogue count and trends.

• Research market trends, analyze prices, and review competitors to identify pricing opportunities.
• Create annual category plans for promotions, events, and new product ranges to boost sales and market share.
• Plan and lead product category reviews and benchmarking.
• Support delivery of shared targets across the wider team.
• Optimize sourcing trends and conduct physical store visits for opportunities.

• Work closely with the Digital team to update the online platform catalogue and maintain stock availability.
• Supervise Food Category Assistants and liaise with the UK team to manage incoming shipments and avoid stock shortages.
• Coordinate with Marketing, Food Operations, and Stores teams for new product launches and events.
• Collaborate with Logistics to improve supply chain efficiency, reduce lead times, and enhance stock availability in non-UAE markets.

• Build strong relationships with colleagues within M&S MENA and the UK team.
• Collaborate with AFG Operations, VM, Marketing, Digital, and Store teams to foster effective partnerships.
• Gather 360 feedback to improve interpersonal relationships.

• Provide regular feedback and recognition to team members.
• Engage and communicate effectively through regular updates and team briefs.
• Define objectives and KPIs for the Category Assistant and manage their development.
• Build a strong training, recruitment, succession, and engagement plan for the team.
• Understand and act on Employee Engagement Survey scores to drive improvement.
• Implement HR policies fairly and consistently.

• Financial and market analysis skills to identify opportunities.
• Contract negotiation expertise.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and SAP solutions.

• Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration or related field.
• At least 5 years of experience in Food Buying within FMCG companies.
• Experience in food technical and supply chain management.
• Proficient in analyzing financial, market, and customer data.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills with strong negotiation abilities.
• Knowledgeable in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SAP.
• Capable of identifying opportunities, mitigating risks, and working under pressure.
• Results‑driven personality with a focus on teamwork.

Al-Futtaim Retail has established itself as one of the leaders in Retail across the Middle East, Africa & Asia over the past 30 years. We have developed partnerships with some of the biggest and most respected Brands in the world including IKEA, ACE and Toys R Us in the Middle East and the Inditex Group of Brands (Zara, Mango, Bershka and P&B) across Asia.

We are also one of the largest Global partners of Marks & Spencer’s in both regions with over 75 stores offering both fashion & food options. Most recently we have been responsible for bringing brands to the Middle East for the first time with the exciting launches of Watsons and B&Q and we aim to continue to be agile and adaptive to our markets with new launches and further development.

For this to be possible we aim to recruit the best talent from all backgrounds who will continue to challenge and develop our diverse workforce which includes over 100 nationalities across 12 countries.