YOU & AHEAD
Own and further develop selected categories and supplier portfolios across ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing. As Senior Category Buyer, you will combine commercial responsibility with hands-on ownership of supplier relationships, procurement processes and continuous improvement. You will work closely with C-level, Product, Quality, Supply Chain, Marketing and our sales channels to create reliable, commercially strong solutions for ahead's growing product portfolio.YOUR TASKS
Category Strategy and Expansion- Develop and implement category strategies focused on growth, margin, resilience and differentiation
- Own category roadmaps, assortment structure and pack-price architecture, and identify market and sourcing opportunities for new formats
- Design and implement clear, scalable procurement processes from sourcing and supplier onboarding through to ongoing supplier management
- Improve workflows, tools and decision-making routines, and drive their adoption across Procurement and relevant interfaces
- Identify bottlenecks and unnecessary complexity and establish practical standards that improve speed, quality and execution
- Own and develop strategic supplier relationships across ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing
- Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers, lead negotiations and ensure a resilient network with suitable primary and secondary sources
- Manage supplier performance across quality, service, delivery reliability and cost, and lead improvement initiatives where needed
- Analyse product and category performance, including sell-in, sell-through, margin and contribution margin, and turn insights into clear actions
- Lead lifecycle reviews and optimisation measures such as reformulations, packaging updates, supplier changes and assortment adjustments
- Commercial Excellence, Governance and Risk Management
- Conduct market, cost and sourcing analyses, identify savings opportunities and implement measures that improve cost, margin and efficiency
- Collaborate with Finance and relevant stakeholders on margin models, pricing strategies, scenario planning and target selling price calculations
- Ensure reliable supplier, product and master data as well as compliance with defined approval and stage-gate processes
- Manage supply risks proactively, including bottlenecks, lead times, minimum order quantities, capacity constraints and single-source dependencies
YOUR PROFILE
- 5+ years of professional experience in strategic procurement and/or category management, ideally in the food or FMCG sector
- Completed degree in business administration, economics or a comparable field
- Procurement process expertise: able to design, implement and continuously improve clear and scalable procurement processes
- Project management skills: able to structure cross-functional projects, align stakeholders and drive initiatives through to implementation
- Analytical and commercial expertise: able to evaluate market, supplier, cost, margin and performance data and translate findings into clear decisions
- Negotiation skills: able to prepare and lead discussions on prices, terms, capacities, lead times and minimum order quantities
- Cross-functional collaboration: effective interaction with Product, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, Marketing, sales channels and senior stakeholders
- Fluent in written and spoken English; German at least at C1 level, enabling confident communication and negotiation with suppliers and internal stakeholders.
- Based in Hamburg or willing to relocate to Hamburg after successfully completing the probationary period
AND WHY AHEAD?
Working at ahead is more than just a job - it’s your opportunity to develop as a professional and as a person, while shaping the future of snacking. Our mission is to make low sugar the new standard, and we pour that ambition into every product we create. You’ll become part of a team where international talent, startup drive, real impact, and true ownership come together.- 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
YOUR NEXT STEPS WITH US
Let’s get started! Here’s what the application process looks like:Send us your resume and a few reasons why you want to be a part of ahead.
- We will get back to you as soon as possible to schedule an interview.
- After our initial meeting, you’ll work on a small case study to give you a sense of the tasks you’ll be handling.
- During the case presentation, you’ll have the chance to meet our team and the founders, Johannes and Philip.
- If both sides are happy, you can start as soon as possible!