Junior Category Buyer (All Genders)

As Junior Category Buyer, you will take full commercial and operational ownership of defined categories and the suppliers within your scope. In close alignment with the Team Lead Procurement, you will manage your categories independently, develop supplier relationships and ensure reliable, competitive and efficient procurement for ahead's product portfolio. The role offers responsibility from day one, with a clearly defined scope and the opportunity to grow with the business.

If you like making things happen, getting into the details and improving how a fast-growing food business operates, we would love to get to know you!

YOUR TASKS

Category Strategy and Expansion

Own defined categories and develop their assortment, supplier setup and commercial roadmap in line with ahead's growth, margin and differentiation goals

Analyse markets, competitors and consumer trends and translate relevant insights into category actions and sourcing opportunities

Own the relationships with suppliers within your scope across ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing

Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers, conduct RFQs and support negotiations on prices, terms, capacities, lead times and minimum order quantities

Manage supplier performance across quality, service, delivery reliability and cost and take action when requirements are not met

Product Lifecycle Management

Monitor product and category performance, including sell-in, sell-through, margin and contribution margin, and derive appropriate actions

Own defined lifecycle measures such as reformulations, packaging updates, supplier changes and assortment adjustments in collaboration with relevant stakeholders

Commercial Excellence, Governance and Risk Management

Conduct market, cost and sourcing analyses and implement measures that improve cost, margin and efficiency within your categories

Maintain reliable supplier, product and master data and ensure decisions follow defined approval and stage-gate processes

Identify and manage supply risks within your scope, including bottlenecks, lead times, minimum order quantities, capacity constraints and single-source dependencies

YOUR PROFILE

First professional experience in strategic procurement, category management or sourcing, ideally in the food or FMCG sector

Completed degree in business administration, economics or a comparable field

Analytical and commercially minded, with the ability to evaluate market, supplier, cost, margin and performance data and derive clear actions

Negotiation skills and the confidence to communicate with suppliers on prices, terms, capacities, lead times and minimum order quantities

Project management skills for organising category initiatives, coordinating stakeholders and delivering agreed actions on time

Ability to build supplier relationships and work effectively with Procurement, Product, Quality, Supply Chain and Finance

Organised and reliable working style with a clear focus on ownership, execution and continuous improvement

Based in Hamburg or willing to relocate to Hamburg after successfully completing the probationary period

Fluent in written and spoken English; German at least at C1 level

AND WHY AHEAD?

• Hypergrowth Environment: If you're looking for greenfield, creative freedom, and real impact, you're in the right place. We're a team that is scaling fast - with purpose
• Great Workspace: A central office in the heart of Hamburg near the Alster, top equipment (MacBook), snacks, drinks, plenty of ahead products - and yes, a ping-pong table. We’re also pet-friendly, so you can always bring your furry friend along
• Amazing Team: Young, international, ambitious - inspiring colleagues who collaborate, support each other, and genuinely enjoy working together
• 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 favorite 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, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, or gender identity.