Category Manager - Fixed term contract to June 2026

Oddbox; London; Hybrid; GBP 125,000 - 150,000

Job description

Location: London/Hybrid (minimum 2 days per week on an Oddbox site, including our office in Vauxhall, supplier sites or our co-packing facility in Birmingham)

Working Pattern: Full-time – 5 days per week

Role term: fixed term contract to June 2026

We're Oddbox. We're a fruit and veg subscription company with big plans to change how people cook and eat, starting with incredible fresh produce. We've been rescuing fruit and veg at risk of going to waste for over 8 years (49M kilograms to date), but we know that there is more we can do to create tasty veg-centred meals.

The Role:

As our category manager, you'll provide Oddbox customers with a fantastic experience every week by ensuring we are sourcing the best produce from the best suppliers. You'll delight our customers with innovative and seasonal products, as well as ensuring a customer-led approach to providing a range of produce that fits with our customers’ lifestyles.

You will be directly responsible for sourcing and buying fruit and will be responsible for the overall fresh produce sourcing strategy at Oddbox.

Primary responsibilities:

1. Source fresh produce and negotiate prices across all fruit categories.
2. Create a number of exciting weekly boxes for our customers based on available products from our supply base.
3. Set the strategic direction of the product range and drive the sourcing of customer-centric core, seasonal and innovative produce lines all year round which delight customers and maximise additional product sales.
4. Evolve the Oddbox supply base to keep up with the changing produce landscape, securing supply through adversity and ensuring that Oddbox is the number one destination for food that could have gone to waste.
5. Lead the conduction of regular supplier reviews and manage the performance of our supply base to ensure we are working with the right suppliers and receiving fantastic produce at all times.
6. Grow Oddbox’s brand presence within the industry by attending and participating in relevant industry events, having a continuous supplier dialogue and working closely with our Brand team to bring Oddbox into the spotlight.
7. Manage our cost base, ensuring our buyers are securing the best prices for the best quality produce. Review our sourcing models, negotiating techniques and cost benchmarking to ensure Oddbox delivers balanced, relevant boxes within budget.
8. Nurture talent within the Sourcing team, providing guidance, coaching and support to your team.

What we’re looking for:

1. Plenty of experience working as a fruit buyer in the fresh produce industry, sourcing produce via various models and from different countries of origin.
2. Strong understanding of local and international fresh produce supply chains.
3. Background of analysing market and customer trends to drive change.
4. Supplier or customer management experience.
5. A real love for the fresh produce industry.
6. Positive and entrepreneurial – solutions-driven approach to problems.

This role probably won't be right for you if:

1. You prefer a static role with minimal supplier interaction.
2. You don't have experience with a wide variety of fresh fruit categories.
3. You're not interested in data analysis and market trends.
4. You're not able to maintain the balance between supplier relationships and the various technologies needed to manage our supply chain and boxes.
5. You're only interested in buying set fruit categories, not the creative aspects of curating our boxes and a selection of additional products.

Interview Process:

1. Introductory call with the Technical team – 30 minutes.
2. Scenario-based task to assess your strategic thinking regarding fresh produce – preparation time of about 90 minutes.
3. In-depth interview with our Sourcing Manager and Head of Sourcing.
4. Meet and greet with the wider team.
5. Offer.

Looking after you: We won't waste your time telling you annual leave is a benefit—it's your right. But we'll give you five extra days of annual leave (33 days including bank holidays), four "not-sick" days, and two volunteering days each year. We provide a £300 self-service L&D budget, alongside generous peer-to-peer learning opportunities. You'll have access to well-being support through YuLife and receive discounts on Oddbox products.

Are you the fresh produce specialist we're searching for? Apply now to join our forward-thinking team!