Trainee Category Buyer

About the role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and commercially minded Trainee Category Buyer to join our team. This is an exciting opportunity to learn all aspects of category management, supplier relationship management, and procurement within a successful and growing business. Working closely with the Category Manager, you'll gain valuable experience in managing products from initial sourcing through to sales, helping to ensure we have the right products available for our customers at the right price and in the right locations.

This role offers excellent career development opportunities and would suit someone with strong analytical skills, a commercial mindset, and a desire to build a long-term career in buying and supply chain management.

Responsibilities

• Supporting the Category Manager with the day-to-day management of product categories.
• Maintaining supplier, product and purchasing master data.
• Assisting with purchasing forecasts and stock planning activities.
• Supporting supplier communications and relationship management.
• Monitoring pricing, sales, and margin performance.
• Assisting with supplier compliance, quality, and product documentation.
• Helping to identify opportunities to improve sales, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
• Supporting range reviews and product performance analysis.
• Working closely with branches, sales teams, suppliers, and stock control teams.
• Assisting with promotional activity, product launches, and category development projects.
• Producing reports and analysing data to support business decisions.
• Learning negotiation and supplier management skills from experienced colleagues.

Requirements

Essential

• Strong organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• A proactive and enthusiastic approach to learning.
• Good numerical and analytical ability.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to build effective working relationships.
• Good Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
• Ability to prioritise workload and manage multiple tasks.

Desirable

• Experience in an administrative, customer service, sales, supply chain or purchasing environment.
• Knowledge of the civils, drainage, or construction sector.
• Experience using SAP, Phocas or similar business systems.

What you'll gain

• Structured training and mentoring from experienced Category Manager.
• Exposure to procurement, supplier management, forecasting, and commercial analysis.
• Opportunities to develop negotiation and category management skills.
• Career progression opportunities within JDP's Supply Chain and Commercial teams.
• Flexible/hybrid working following successful completion of probation.

Benefits

• Competitive Salary
• Contributory Pension Scheme
• Staff Discounts/Perkbox

Location: Carlisle, United Kingdom