Category Buyer (All Genders)

Are you passionate about creating product ranges that delight consumers and set new standards in the market? As our Category Buyer (All Genders) at ahead, you’ll take the lead in shaping and growing our product categories from concept to phase-out. You’ll collaborate closely with Product Development, Operations, Finance, and the Campaigns team to guide the entire product lifecycle. Your mission: to build a product range that excites customers, drives strong business performance, and makes “low sugar” the new standard.
Join #teamahead and help craft products that consumers love, making a tangible impact on the business and the future of our brand!

YOUR TASKS

• Category Strategy and Expansion
  • Develop and implement category strategies with a focus on growth, margin and differentiation
  • Identify consumer trends and market opportunities and develop business cases for new formats
  • Manage the assortment structure and pack-price architecture
• Supplier Discovery and Management
  • Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers for ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing
  • Conduct structured RFQs and RFPs and ensure quality, delivery reliability and compliance
  • Build a resilient supplier network with primary and secondary sources
• Co‑lead the NPD process from idea to launch including timeline‑, cost‑ and stakeholder management
• Translate consumer insights into marketable product briefs
• Select suitable raw materials and packaging with regard to quality, cost and sustainability
• Product Lifecycle Management
  • Track and analyse category performance including sell‑in, sell‑through, margin and contribution margin
  • Implement optimisation measures such as reformulations and packaging updates
  • Make data‑based decisions and actively manage complexity
• Commercial Excellence and Cost Optimisation
  • Conduct market and sourcing analyses to identify cost savings and efficiency potentials
  • Collaborate with Finance on margin models, pricing strategies and scenario planning
  • Support promotional planning and assortment optimisation
• Governance and Compliance
  • Ensure suppliers meet legal, ethical and quality standards
  • Maintain master data and follow structured stage‑gate processes
  • Manage risks and plan proactively for bottlenecks, lead times and minimum order quantities

YOUR PROFILE

• At least three years of professional experience in category management, procurement or sourcing in the food or FMCG sector
• Solid experience in supplier selection, negotiation and margin optimisation
• Experience in NPD processes and cross‑functional project management
• Strong analytical skills and confident working with market, cost and performance data
• Structured working style, responsible and highly team‑oriented
• Fluent in English spoken and written and German at least at a basic conversational level

Benefits

• Career Growth: Develop through cross‑functional projects, structured feedback cycles, and a steep learning curve in a dynamic, high growth environment. We offer a fair, attractive salary with role‑dependent bonus opportunities
• Great Benefits: Fuel yourself with ahead snacks, drinks, and merch – we’ve got you covered. On top: a €50 monthly allowance to spend as you like – Urban Sports Club, mobility options, or vouchers from your favourite brands (IKEA, MediaMarkt, Lego and more)
• Vacation Days: Enjoy 28 vacation days plus two extra days off on December 24 (Christmas Eve) and December 31 (New Year’s Eve)
• Events & Offsites: Regular after‑work hangouts and legendary annual team offsites you won’t forget

This role is based in Hamburg, with the flexibility of up to 2 home‑office days per week and the option to work from abroad for agreed upon periods.

Disclaimer

ahead GmbH is an equal opportunity workplace and is devoted to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity.