Graduate Tea Buyer

Company Overview

We are working with one of the largest beverage companies in the world. They have a huge brand name and are a major player in the domestic market as well as being part of an impressive global company. They employ over 3,000 people globally with a brand presence in more than 40 countries around the world.

Graduate Trainee Tea Buyer

As one of the largest global beverage companies with internationally recognised tea and coffee brands, you will work within the Tea Buying and Blending team to develop your tea tasting expertise and knowledge of the supply chain from 'bush to cup'. You will need to have strong communication skills and work well in a team, immerse yourself in the trade and communicate with suppliers across the world, as well as excellent data interpretation skills. Above all, you must have a keen interest to work in the commodities sector and a clear passion for everything tea related!

Initially you will be supporting the Tea Buyer and work closely alongside the tasters to develop your palate. After a few years, there will be opportunity to travel to tea growing regions to build relationships with suppliers and cement your knowledge of the tea manufacturing process. You will have the chance to work on many origins throughout your training and after 5 years you can expect to progress into a fully qualified Tea Buyer responsible for your own origin.

Responsibilities:

• Tasting up to 300 teas per day to develop your palate
• Organising and prioritising tea tasting alongside admin work and hitting weekly deadlines
• Providing a supporting role to the Buyer and Assistant Buyer
• Work with the team to forecast market trends and negotiate contracts
• Collating information on availability of tea for sale to feed into the buying strategy
• Working closely with the Shipping department to monitor stocks in the supply chain
• Managing and interpreting data primarily using Excel and SAP
• Developing your understanding of the commercial nature of the buying function to effectively manage costs
• Ensuring you become proficient with all our systems
• Developing long term relationships with suppliers
• Providing market support for all areas of the business including new product development

Requirements:

Skills and Education:

• 2:2 level (or equivalent) or above in any degree discipline
• Strong analytical skills
• Comfortable dealing with large data sets ? you will be using Excel daily
• Have a natural tendency for attention to detail
• Strong planning, time management and organisation skills
• High numerical and verbal reasoning skills
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
• Cultural and commercial awareness
• Highly self-motivated and adaptable
• Work well under pressure
• Good Microsoft Office skills

About you:

• We are looking for someone who is not afraid to get stuck in and manage a diverse set of responsibilities
• You will need to have a keen interest in pursuing a career within sourcing
• Tasting tea is a key part of the role so you need to have a clear passion for everything tea related
• Have a natural curiosity for new and different foods and drinks