Senior Buyer - Fresh Food

Team: Food
Store: London Support Office
Location: London, Greater London
Contract type: Permanent
Position type: Full Time
Salary: Competitive + Benefits; Closing date: 5th May 2026

How We Hire

Everyone is welcome at M&S. No exceptions. It’s your background, abilities and differences that make you, uniquely you. And when you’re part of M&S, that individuality has the potential to make waves.

About the role

This section tells you all you need to know about the position and its responsibilities, outlining everything we hope to see in a successful candidate.

To stay close to our customers and colleagues, our support teams are in the office for at least three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected.

All the details

As a Senior Buyer – Fresh Food, you’ll play a key role in shaping our fresh food offer, working at the heart of a fast-paced, customer-led business. You’ll lead category strategy across fresh food, balancing quality, value, innovation and sustainability, while building strong partnerships with suppliers and internal teams. This is a senior, influential trading role for a commercially astute buyer who thrives in a high-volume, agile environment and is passionate about delivering brilliant products for customers.

Due to high interest, this role may close earlier than advertised. We recommend applying as soon as possible.

What you’ll do

Your key accountabilities will include:

Owning and delivering category strategies across fresh food, aligned to customer needs and commercial goals
Leading end-to-end supplier management, including sourcing, negotiation, performance and long-term partnership development
Driving sales growth, margin improvement and cost efficiency through effective trading decisions
Shaping ranges, promotions and innovation, using insight, data and market trends
Working cross-functionally to ensure strong availability, quality, sustainability and food safety outcomes

Who you are

Your skills and experience will include:

Proven experience as a Buyer or Senior Buyer within fresh food retail, wholesale or foodservice
Strong commercial judgement, with a track record of delivering sales, margin and cost improvements
Confidence leading supplier negotiations and influencing at a senior level
Sound understanding of fresh food supply chains, seasonality and waste management
A collaborative approach, with the ability to thrive in a fast-moving, change-driven environment

What’s in it for you?

Working at M&S means being part of something bigger – helping to deliver quality, value and service to millions of customers every day. We’re inclusive, fast‑moving and always evolving, with a strong sense of purpose and a focus on doing the right thing.

Here are just a few of the benefits that make working here even more rewarding:

20% colleague discount on all M&S products and many third‑party brands for you and someone in your household (post‑probation)
Competitive holiday allowance with the option to buy more
Discretionary bonus scheme linked to your performance and ours
Strong pension and life assurance to help plan for the future
Tailored induction and training to support your development from day one
Exclusive perks and savings through our M&S Choices portal
Market‑leading family policies, including parental, adoption and neonatal leave
24/7 wellbeing support, including virtual GP access and mental health services
One paid volunteer day a year to support a cause that matters to you

Everyone’s welcome

We are ambitious about the future of retail. We’re disrupting, innovating and leading the industry into a more conscientious, inspiring digital era. We’re transforming how we work together and offering our most exciting opportunities yet.

Marks & Spencer strives to be an inclusive organisation, trusted and admired by our colleagues, customers and suppliers. Join us and make change happen. We’re committed to building diverse and representative teams, where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and be at their best.

If you feel you’d benefit from any support or reasonable adjustments during any stage of the recruitment process, please don’t hesitate to let us know when completing your application.

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A group of colleagues gathered around a table, smiling and discussing work with laptops open in a modern office setting.

Being an in-person business

We're at our best when we're close to customers, and for many of us at M&S, that means working in store every day.

To stay close to customers, our support teams are in the office three days a week as we believe that skills are developed through collaboration, and that spending time together makes us more creative and connected. It also means we can solve problems as soon as they arise, learn and grow as a team, build trust, and get closer to our colleagues.

We want to succeed by earning and deserving the trust of consumers. We try to do the right thing for customers, whether it’s creating healthy everyday food or delivering the small moments of joy in their lives. People rely on M&S and that’s what makes it such a privilege to work here.

Beth (She / Her) | Own Brand Lead Read full story

What motivates me is getting to learn something new, and the best thing about buying is that you can go into any area, and you’ll become an expert in it. I started in food – ambient snacking and soft drinks – then moved into homecare, buying pet food and household products. Now I’ve been promoted to a Senior Buyer role within our Bakery team.

Hetal (She / Her) | Buyer Read full story

Make Your Mark

Opportunities to be heard

Your voice matters here. You can share your ideas ‘Straight to Stuart’, our CEO, or get involved in our BIG (Business involvement Group). Our colleague networks are also great places to find support, listen to each other and encourage debate.

Experience the business

We’re passionate about our customers and colleagues. To get closer to our customers we work in our stores 7 days per year. That way we can see how operations run and look for ways to do better each day.

Colleague Networks

We want you to feel supported, no matter what.

Health and Wellbeing Network

Providing a safe space for colleagues with all types of health conditions or disabilities and supporting with business initiatives to ensure our stores are truly accessible for our customers.

Gender Equality Network

Addressing gender-related challenges, raising awareness, and driving action to ensure equal opportunities for all.

Menopause Network

Initiating and encouraging open conversations about menopause by offering support and sharing experiences.

LGBTQ+ Network

Proactively representing LGBTQ+ issues and opportunities to deliver a truly inclusive place to work and shop for our colleagues and customers.

Cancer Network

Fostering a supportive and inclusive workplace culture, addressing stigma, providing guidance and raising awareness to empower and assist colleagues affected by cancer.

Culture and Heritage Network

Raising awareness of various religions and cultures through events and comms, to educate others and better represent our M&S colleagues and customers.

Forces Community Network

Supporting colleagues connected to the Armed Forces, aiding their transition to civilian life, and ensuring that they thrive in the workplace.

Family & Carers Network

A support network for parents and carers, offering a space for colleagues to share experiences, exchange ideas, and access useful resources.

Benefits

Wellbeing hub

Get access to resources to support your wellbeing, including a free virtual GP service.
Giving back

Support your favourite charities by donating through your pay or even volunteering for them.
Pay

Earn a competitive salary.
Colleague discount

After completing your probation period, you'll receive 20% colleague discount across all M&S products and many of our third-party brands for you and a member of your household.

Please note only contracts of more than 12 weeks are eligible for this benefit.
Time off

Competitive holiday entitlement with the potential to buy extra holiday days.
Bonus

We have discretionary bonus schemes depending on your role and our business performance.
Life assurance

Get cover for twice your salary up to age 70 (double with our Pension Plan).
Workplace savings

We’ll help you save through our Pension Savings Plan, Share Buy and Sharesave schemes.
My Choices

Save on everyday costs through discounts and offers and get access to great health benefits.
Cycle to work

Bike/accessory hire with Cycle to Work and save on tax and national insurance.
Smart tech

Buy the latest technology with interest-free financing directly from your salary.
Family friendly policy

Industry-leading maternity, paternity, adoption and neo-natal policies, providing support and flexibility for you and your family.

How to Apply

Here’s what to expect at each stage of the application process. This can change depending on the role you’ve applied to. If you need any reasonable adjustments made at any stage, let us know and we can help.

Send us your application

Fill in our short application form and hit submit.

Online assessment

We’ll invite you to take part in an online assessment. This could be before or after your interview.

In-person assessment centre

We’ll invite you to an in-person assessment centre for an interview. This process may differ depending on the role you’ve applied to.

Decision

After we’ve decided, we’ll be in touch. If you’ve been successful, we’ll officially invite you to join the team and let you know the next steps.