Category Specialist: Food Sourcing

Category Specialist: Food Sourcing

International Facilities Services

Umhlanga, KwaZulu-Natal

Permanent

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Posted 20 October 2026

• Closing Date 13 November 2026

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Job Details

Division South Africa

Business Unit Sourcing & Procurement - NR

Minimum experience Mid-Senior

Company primary industry Facilities Services

Job functional area Supply Chain

Job Description

Purpose of the Role

• Source food and related supply requirements across IFS markets, balancing quality, food safety, continuity, landed cost, localisation and supplier capability.
• The role covers food categories across relevant African markets, supplier sourcing, market intelligence, category plans, tenders, negotiations and supplier performance support.

Key Responsibilities

• 2.1. Key Accountabilities

• Develop category profiles covering spend, demand, specifications, suppliers, market dynamics and risk.

• Execute sourcing events for food categories using approved competitive and governance processes.

• Challenge demand and specifications with culinary/operations stakeholders to reduce unnecessary cost and complexity.

• Analyse commodity, seasonal, currency, logistics and market drivers affecting food cost.

• Build sourcing strategies that appropriately combine group leverage, large local suppliers and developmental local suppliers.

• Evaluate supplier capability, food safety, quality, capacity, resilience and commercial competitiveness.

• Negotiate pricing mechanisms, payment terms, service levels, rebates and supply protections.

• Support product rationalisation, standardisation and approved substitution opportunities.

• Monitor supplier performance and collaborate with SRM on corrective action and innovation.

• Maintain sourcing pipelines, contracts, benchmarks and savings/value evidence for assigned categories.

• 2.2. Decision Rights

• Run approved sourcing events.

• Recommend supplier awards.

• Negotiate within mandate.

• Escalate supply, quality, food-safety and commercial risks.

• 2.3. Governance & Risk

• Protect food safety, quality and continuity.

• Avoid cost decisions that compromise mandatory standards or create unmanaged concentration risk.

• 2.4. World-Class Function Expectation

• Build data-driven food categories with standard specifications, transparent commodity economics, diversified supply and active supplier innovation.

• 2.5. Digital & Data Expectation

• Use approved procurement technology, structured data and digital workflows as the default way of working.

• Maintain high-quality data at source and actively identify automation opportunities.

• 2.6. Key Interfaces

• Operations, culinary/food teams, Finance, Quality/HSSE, market leadership, suppliers, logistics and Group procurement.

• 2.7. Team Management

• Lead and develop staff within the context of the applicable labour legislation.

• Monitor staff performance and provide regular feedback, including informal and formal staff appraisals.

• Coach and support staff where necessary to achieve objectives.

• Manage staff administration issues, including leave, time management and interaction with the wider business.

• Manage and deliver on succession plans to enable the development of a future generation of leaders and specialists and ensure optimal turnover and retention levels are maintained.

• Champion staff training and development through the utilisation of available training opportunities or contributing to the development of new training solutions in collaboration with national training specialists.

• 2.8. Teamwork and Self-Management

• Take ownership and accountability for tasks and activities and demonstrate effective self-management in terms of planning and prioritising, and self-development.

• Follow through to ensure that quality and productivity standards of work are consistently and accurately maintained.

• Inform relevant parties in the event of tasks or deadlines not met, the potential risks thereof and provide appropriate resolution.

• Support and drive the business core values.

• Manage colleagues and client’s expectations and communicate appropriately.

• Demonstrate willingness to help others and “go the extra mile” to meet team targets and objectives.

• Champion training and development of self and others through utilising available training opportunities.

• Participate in and drive regular performance appraisals and ensure that own targets and goals are clear and achievable.

• Qualification and Experience

• Relevant degree/diploma in Procurement, Supply Chain, Commerce, Food Science or equivalent.

• CIPS qualification advantageous.

• 4 to 7 years’ experience in food procurement, FMCG, hospitality, catering or related sourcing environments, preferably across multiple markets.

• Valid Code EB drivers' licence

• Willingness to travel to the sites across Sub-Saharan Africa.

• Preference will be given to internal applicants and appointments that support the achievement of our Employment Equity and Affirmative Action goals.

• Apply