Proximity Category Buyer

Proximity Category Buyer 

Your Manager: Proximity Category Manager

Team: Procurement

Location:  Dumbarton, UK or Dublin, Ireland

Contract Type: Permanent

Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and champagne industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term growth of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive, and responsible culture of authentic conviviality. 

Pernod Ricard’s Gold Brand Unit is the Group’s Aged Spirits & Champagne division, bringing together the prestigious portfolios of Irish Distillers, Chivas Brothers, Martell Mumm Perrier- Jouët and North American Distillers. With a global team operating across 40 sites and brands spanning Irish, Scotch and American Whisk(e)y, Cognac, Champagne and wine, the division unites exceptional craftsmanship and deep expertise across iconic terroirs in Ireland, Scotland, France and North America. Its portfolio, rooted in heritage and provenance, embodies Pernod Ricard’s commitment to excellence from Premium to Ultra-Prestige, delivering some of the world’s most celebrated and enduring spirits and champagnes.  

About the role

We are currently hiring a Proximity Category Buyer to be responsible for delivering excellent customer service and improving cost, quality and compliance performance, working across packaging supply chain, including suppliers and third parties. 

What you will do

Sourcing & Customer Service

• Deliver excellent customer service, proactively resolving and escalating issues as appropriate.
• Minimise transactional and setup errors that impact bottling, warehousing and shipping, where quality, service, compliance (HMRC) and costs can be adversely impacted and ensure system setup is accurate and daily controls are actioned. 
• Support Research & Development (R&D) and Change Request projects to ensure they are cost effectively delivered On Time & In Full (OTIF) and approve invoices.
• Manage invoice queries for products and services to agreed pricing structures and Accounts Payable (AP) guidelines.

Category Analysis

• Analyse information to support Category Managers in efficient tendering, supplier selection, supplier management, cost improvements and group reporting.
• Responsible for developing strategies (with the support of manager) and managing subcategories in line with the wider category strategy.
• Produce accurate reporting to be submitted to Pernod Ricard HQ in relation to spend and sustainable sourcing policies and procedures.

Supplier Management

• Build and maintain effective relationships with a portfolio of suppliers.
• Responsible for the interface between Suppliers and internal teams managing the supply chain and availability for dry goods imported from non-UK/EU27 origins. 
• Update and maintain supplier service level agreements (SLAs) for goods and services,
• Assist with performance reviews and control the paid stock process with suppliers.

Continuous Improvement

• Support functional strategic development and assist in investigations, as appropriate.
• Work with colleagues to identify and deliver improvements across the supply chain, suppliers and third parties.
• Your skills and background
• Experience of transactional Supply Chain and Manufacturing functions with an understanding of cross-functional processes, suppliers, compliance (HMRC) and brands.
• Experience in procurement processes, such as supplier onboarding, due diligence, and category specific knowledge.
• Have sound knowledge of finance systems such as E1 including modules, transactions, data set-up, processes, and compliance as well as knowledge of material specifications, SLA and contract drafting.
• Confident using Excel, PowerPoint and Power BI, with opportunities to further develop your skills.
• Hold a clean driving license. 

Why join us?

Collective Spirit 

You will be part of a connected, international community shaped by iconic brands, a performance mindset, and a proud legacy, where collaboration, fun and ambition coexist.  

Craft your path

We empower you to own your career, innovate boldly, and grow alongside our business, surrounded by leaders who value curiosity, energy, and impact.  

Cultivate the future 

You’ll help shape a business with a soul — one that cherishes the land, respects communities, and brings good times from a good place, responsibly and sustainably.  

People are at the heart of everything we do at Pernod Ricard and are the foundation of our collective spirit as ‘Créateurs de Convivialité’.  We promote inclusion throughout our business and supply chain. In our teams, we proactively foster a diverse work force and an inclusive culture, an environment where we can truly be ourselves.   

We will assess your application for this role based on your skills, experiences, and achievements, not your gender, age, ethnic or educational background or any other such factors. Our recruiting team are more than happy to provide reasonable adjustments during our application and interview process, in order for you to participate fully in our recruitment experience. 

Our mix of benefits

• Competitive salary, along with performance related bonus
• Defined Contribution Pension
• Comprehensive Employee Assistance Programme      
• Generous annual holiday entitlement (increasing with length of service) plus public holidays
• Pernod Ricard share incentive plan and share ownership plan
• An allowance each year to spend on our brands
• Our reward & recognition scheme
• Employee discounts from a range of high street retailers 

Learn more about working with Pernod Ricard https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en 

Learn more about Chivas Brothers https://www.chivasbrothers.com/  

Closing Date for Applications:22nd October 2026

Job Posting End Date:

Target Hire Date:

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