Buyer (Finished Goods)

About Ella’s Kitchen

Part of the Hain Celestial Group family of brands, Ella's Kitchen’s mission is to help little ones grow up happy, healthy, and never hungry. Set up in 2006 by Ella's Dad Paul Lindley, the company prioritises health and nutritional value, but never at the expense of taste or convenience. Ella’s Kitchen strives to be good in every sense, offering healthy, handy, and fun food that doesn’t cost the earth. In 2016, Ella’s Kitchen certified as a B Corporation, a global movement of pioneering companies that are using their business as a force for good. By certifying as a B Corp, it reinforces that the business is meeting rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. 

We are looking for someone brilliant who believes in our mission and can live and breathe our values of winning together, owning it, fostering inclusion and being curious. 

At Ella’s Kitchen, we are guided by our values; they set the tone of our culture and we look out for newbies who will be a natural fit to our values and complement and contribute to our business.

About The Hain Celestial Group

Hain Celestial Group is a leading health and wellness company whose purpose is to inspire healthier living for people, communities and the planet through better-for-you brands. For more than 30 years, our portfolio of beloved brands has intentionally focused on delivering nutrition and well-being that positively impacts today and tomorrow. Headquartered in Hoboken, N.J., Hain Celestial’s products across snacks, baby/kids, beverages, meal preparation, and personal care, are marketed and sold in over 75 countries around the world. Our leading brands include Garden Veggie snacks, Terra chips, Garden of Eatin’ snacks, Earth’s Best and Ella’s Kitchen baby and kids foods, Celestial Seasonings teas, Joya and Natumi plant-based beverages, Greek Gods yogurt, Cully & Sully, Imagine and New Covent Garden soups, Yves and Linda McCartney’s (under license) meat-free, and Alba Botanica natural sun care, among others. 

Our Commitment To Equality, Diversity And Inclusion

At Ella’s Kitchen, we are committed to promoting and enabling a positive culture where everyone can be themselves and diversity of thought is welcomed.

We give a full and fair consideration to all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy and maternity.

If you need reasonable adjustments made to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can support you in the right way.

Location: Near Henley-on-Thames – you’ll be able to work flexibly between home and our lovely Barns (minimum of 2 days per week).

Reports to: Procurement Manager (Runs Buying it like Clockwork)

Contract: Full time, Permanent, Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm

Purpose: 

To be the commercial expert in Co Manufactured finished Products. Source and set up contracts for supply manufacturing capacity at the right cost and in the most efficient and sustainable supply chain possible. The portfolio will include all manufacturing categories and regions and may extend to other raw materials and packaging as required. The role is responsible for Co-manufacturers supplying both Ella’s Kitchen and Hain UK Businesses. 

Role activities / responsibilities: 

Category Market Expert (10%)

• Carry out market research to understand the drivers of manufacturing costs.
• Understand the capabilities and capacities of Co Manufacturers in the market, develop relationships and build supplier profiles and contingency options.
• Set budget pricing for Co Manufacturer costs. Review and revise appropriately on a quarterly basis. 
• Work with Raw Material and Packaging Buyers to understand component costs and price trends
• Develop short medium and long term Procurement strategies across Contract Manufacturing
• Share expertise with Ella’s teams.
• Build a network of contacts to improve knowledge and share ideas.

Sourcing, contracts and Relationship Management (40%)

• Lead the review and set up of new Co Manufacturers as appropriate
• Own, manage, negotiate, renew contracts with all co-manufacturers ensuring all parameters are covered including cost model, quality service capacity stock innovation and sustainability.
• Negotiate cost changes with all co-manufacturers
• Be an expert when it comes to all things legal, from co-manufacturing agreements, IP ownership to exclusivity agreements.
• Ownership of Manufacturing , sundry and depending on cost model some Ingredient and packaging costs 
• Work closely with the ‘Rightly’ (Technical + Quality) team , Supply team and our Co Manufacturers to proactively drive efficiencies, contingencies and collaborative plans 
• Lead commercial sections of regular Co Manufacturer review meetings involving all relevant teams across Ella’s as appropriate
• Own, manage and review as appropriate cost sheets for each co manufacturer
• Make other teams aware of current and future cost risks.

Savings Champion (20%)

• Identify a rolling cost savings plan with Co Manufacturers
• Collaborate with co-manufacturers to drive cost improvement projects
• Lead cross-team projects to deliver value and savings
• Work Closely with ‘Sums’ (Finance) to develop savings calculations, cost models and reporting. 

Innovation & NPD (30%)

• Proactively contribute to Innovation strategy searching for Co Manufacturing capability, capacity and onboarding new partners.
• Support the NPD project teams with costs and supply capability.
• Develop an agenda where our Co Manufacturers proactively share NPD/Innovation ideas

You will need:

• Embrace, embody and exude all that is special and unique about Ella’s
• Ability and willingness to communicate effectively at all levels and provide support in a range of activities and tasks
• Real strength in using MS Excel, with top-notch numeracy skills and attention to detail
• Ability to build strong collaborative relationships, getting things done and resolving issues across the business and with suppliers 
• Passion and determination to succeed 
• Proactive and driven attitude with a natural aptitude for problem solving (and able to think differently when finding solutions)
• Excellent organisational and time management skills
• Ability to think logically and calmly especially when it’s really busy.
• Demonstrate a calm and resourceful response when issues arise
• Manage a varied workload through prioritising and communicating to the team
• Demonstrable ability to live and breathe our values: Win Together, Be Curious, Foster Inclusion, Own It and Childlike
• Be passionate (and help others to be) about what Ella’s stands for – improving children’s lives through healthy relationships with food.
• Have a commercial mindset with proven negotiation skills
• Experience of Procurement ideally within a food / FMCG environment

And what you’ll get in return:

• Bucket loads of training and development, supporting your career pathway
• Competitive salary
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• A Box of Treats, including private medical, dental, pension, life assurance, 25 days holiday and the ability to buy more, high street discounts, amazing wellbeing events, Give It A Go days… to name but a few!
• A really awesome place to come to work … our beautiful Barns in the Oxfordshire countryside, but the flexibility to achieve a good work/life blend