Senior Category Buyer (All Genders)

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

Process Design, Implementation and Continuous Improvement

• 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

Supplier Management

• 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

Product Lifecycle Management

• 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

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

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. If this resonates with you, you can dive into the next steps as outlined below!

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.

1. We will get back to you as soon as possible to schedule an interview.
2. After our initial meeting, you’ll work on a small case study to give you a sense of the tasks you’ll be handling.
3. During the case presentation, you’ll have the chance to meet our team and the founders, Johannes and Philip.
4. If both sides are happy, you can start as soon as possible!

Just reach out to us for a chat!

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.

About us

At ahead, we’re building the snack brand for a new generation – one that loves chocolate, cookies & gummies, but doesn’t love what sugar does to their bodies.
We use cutting-edge food tech to reinvent childhood favorites: no added sugar, no empty carbs – just full taste, better ingredients, and zero compromise.
The result? Everyday indulgence that actually fits your lifestyle.
Let’s make low-sugar the new normal. And fun again.
We’re growing fast, expanding across Europe, and looking for smart, driven, curious minds to join us.
If you’re ready to change how millions of people snack – for good – we’d love to meet you.