Procurement Specialist

A bit about us.

Grind is a coffee company that lives in London. Since opening Shoreditch Grind in 2011, we’ve expanded across London with cafés, coffee trucks and a state-of-the-art coffee roastery. Today, we serve millions of cups of coffee across London and the UK each year, and we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people make better, more sustainable coffee at home. You’ll find our coffee beans, compostable coffee pods and ready-to-drink coffee cans – in supermarkets across the UK and in hotels around the world.

Roasting hundreds of tonnes of coffee each year, the roastery is the heart of our coffee operation. Our talented team sources coffee ethically, from sustainable farms around the world, and then roasts it every day in Bermondsey, south London. From there, it’s packed and sent to our cafés, to supermarkets or to our customers directly.

We think coffee can be a force for good. Whether it’s through creating the UK’s first compostable coffee pods, our plastic-free packaging or carbon-free shipping – we’re on a mission to be the world’s most sustainable coffee company.

In 2023, we created our charity, the Better Coffee Foundation, to undo the damage done by the global coffee industry – in our first year, we recovered 43 million pods’ worth of ocean-bound plastic.

A bit about the role.

Lead and manage the sourcing of high-quality materials, which will help Grind continue to be an industry leader in the challenger coffee brand segment. Responsibilities will include the oversight of contract negotiations across a wide variety of materials (not least coffee!), and manage onboarding processes with a wide variety of suppliers. This role is critical to ensuring the company maintains its reputation for exceptional quality while optimising costs, securing reliable supply chains, and fostering sustainable sourcing practices. Additionally, working with the Supply Chain Co-Ordinator and NPD Manager, this role will oversee the procurement of all packaging and raw materials, ensuring alignment with sustainability and operational requirements.

Responsibilities.

• Support the Head of Roastery Operations in identifying and evaluating coffee suppliers for consistent quality and ethical sourcing.
• Build and maintain relationships with farmers, brokers, and suppliers to secure premium coffee at competitive rates.
• Analyse market trends to inform purchasing decisions and diversify the supplier base.
• Oversee procurement of coffee, packaging, and raw ingredients, supporting innovation and product launches.
• Manage packaging material suppliers to meet cost, quality, and sustainability requirements.
• Align packaging and ingredient lead times with manufacturing schedules.
• Develop contingency plans to mitigate supply risks for critical components.
• Negotiate and manage supplier contracts to meet quality, financial, and sustainability objectives.
• Monitor contract performance and address disputes to maintain a steady supply chain.
• Support onboarding of new suppliers, ensuring quality, pricing, and sustainability standards are met.
• Prepare detailed supplier assessments based on business needs.
• Collaborate with logistics and production teams to align procurement schedules.
• Communicate raw material, packaging, and coffee stock lead times to relevant departments.
• Identify opportunities to improve supply chain efficiency and cost savings.
• Champion sustainable sourcing and procurement, reducing environmental impact through ethical practices.

You’ll have.

• Proven experience of sourcing, contract negotiation, supplier management, and procurement best practices to secure high-quality materials at competitive rates.
• The ability to build and maintain strong relationships.
• Deep understanding of sustainable practices and ethical sourcing.
• Exceptional organisation skills and project management experience.
• Previous experience within the FMCG consumer space.
• Competent Excel user skills
• To be a self-starter and help build systems and processes from the ground up.

Bonus if you have…

• ERP system experience, specifically CIN7
• A love of all things coffee
• A proven ability to foster long-standing relationships with suppliers and manufacturers.

Diversity and Inclusion.

Grind is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or disability status.

If there are any adjustments you need to help you bring your best self to an interview with us, please let us know.

Benefits and perks

• 25 days of holiday per annum plus Bank Holidays
• Access to our company wellness scheme
• Full access to our mental health service
• Great staff discounts for friends and family
• Career development opportunities

Salary

£40,000 – £45,000