Buying & Procurement

BUYING & PROCUREMENT RECRUITMENT SPECIALISTS

Are you in need of talent to fill Buying/Procurement roles in the FMCG sector? Lime Talent specialises in connecting you with experienced  candidates ranging from Junior Buyers, adept at thriving in collaborative buying environments, to seasoned Procurement Managers, capable of establishing long term procurement strategies and building strong supplier relationships. Situated in Wimbledon, London, we offer unparalleled expertise in FMCG recruitment across the UK and internationally.

Whether you’re in search of a Junior Buyer or a seasoned Procurement Manager, our team of experts specialises in sourcing top-quality professionals with experience in the FMCG scetor. We streamline your search process to ensure that your team remains competitive in the industry, securing candidates who not only possess the necessary skills and fit into your company’s culture, but also bring fresh perspectives and drive impactful procurement strategies within your organisation.

 

Why Use Us?

Established in 2013, we have a proven track record in sourcing high-quality talents for buying and procurement roles within the FMCG sector. From Junior Buyer to Procurement Managers, we cater to both established blue-chip businesses and fast-growing challenger brands. Our dedicated team of FMCG recruitment specialists offer extensive industry insight, ensuring a deep understanding of your unique needs and preferences.

You can see some of our clients below

Within Buying / Procurement we cover the following sub categories:

Food & Drink

Alcoholic Drinks

Health, Beauty & Personal Care

Consumer Products

Direct to Consumer & Subscription

What our clients say

  • “Lime Talent are responsive, flexible, honest and therefore very easy to work with. When I need support for trickier roles, then Lime are my first port of call and I always recommend them as they strike a good balance of challenge/blue chip from their network.”

    UK Country Manager | Tony’s Chocolonely

  • “Lime Talent have been a fantastic partner to me as I’ve built out the UK & Europe team for Who Gives a Crap. Their ability to get a quick understanding of our business, the needs I had for the roles and the calibre of Lime’s candidate pool has been invaluable. It’s allowed us to move quickly to build out a team from scratch, hiring roles across a range of functions including commercial, marketing, strategy & insights. I simply wouldn’t have been able to do this without Lime’s support & expertise!”

    MD UK & Europe | Who gives a crap

  • “Lime Talent have remained our trusted partners for the last 5 years. Most of our hires have come through Lime with the team clearly identifying the talent that have made the business successful so far. The candidates we receive are incredibly well filtered and we know before we meet them, that they will have the requisite calibre to succeed.”

    Managing Director | Itsu

  • “Lime Talent demonstrate a high degree of honesty and openness about the risks and considerations of placing specific people and you are continually assured they take a long-term approach to working with Ferrero. Highly recommended.”

    Customer Development Director | Ferrero

  • “Lime Talent made the process as easy as possible by providing well-screened candidates along with regular updates. They also provided clear guidance on the recruitment landscape that helped us position our role as attractive to candidates with the relevant skill set.”

    Marketing Manager | Windmill Organics

  • “Lime did a good job for us and I’ve enjoyed working with them on roles. Moved quickly and have been communicative, understanding our requirements on limited information.”

    CEO | Hackney Gelato

  • “The best recruitment business I’ve worked with. Highly recommended.”

    Founder | Holy Moly

DIRECTOR

Paul Jackson is co-founder of Lime Talent. He started his career in 2004 and has extensive experience placing senior Supply Chain, Buying, Technical and NPD candidates with some of the world’s leading consumer goods brands and exciting high growth startups.

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    Client Portfolio

    • Tony's Chocolonely
      Track Record
      We started working with Tony’s in 2018 to assist with their UK launch securing them:
      - UKI Head of Marketing
      - UK Head of Sales
      - UK Operations & Finance Manager
      Feedback
      “I used Lime Talent in the very early days of our UK launch with the team helping me hire my (now) UK leadership team who are all still with us since 2018. "
      Feedback
      "Lime Talent are responsive, flexible, honest and therefore very easy to work with. When I need support for trickier roles, then Lime are my first port of call and I always recommend them as they strike a good balance of challenge/blue chip from their network.” UK Country Manager
    • Danone
      Track Record
      Preferred supplier for roles within commercial and supply chain functions
    • who gives a crap
      Track Record
      Helping to build their EU team with roles including:
      - EU Head of Consumer
      - EU Head of Commercial
      - As well as various other roles
      Feedback
      “Lime Talent have been a fantastic partner to me as I've built out the UK & Europe team for Who Gives a Crap. Their ability to get a quick understanding of our business, the needs I had for the roles and the calibre of Lime's candidate pool has been invaluable. "
      Feedback
      "It's allowed us to move quickly to build out a team from scratch, hiring roles across a range of functions including commercial, marketing, strategy & insights. I simply wouldn't have been able to do this without Lime's support & expertise!" MD UK & Europe
    • L'Oreal
      Track Record
      Various projects from Manager to Director level within functions such as
      - eCommerce
      - Market Intelligence
      - Revenue Growth
      - Category Strategy
      - Business & Data analysis

    FAQ Section

    What does a Buying or Procurement professional do in an FMCG business?

    Buying and Procurement professionals source raw materials, packaging and services at optimal cost while protecting quality and supply continuity. In FMCG businesses, they manage supplier negotiations, contract terms, cost modelling and risk mitigation across domestic and global supply chains.

    Why is Procurement strategically important in consumer goods?

    In margin-sensitive categories, procurement discipline directly impacts profitability. Volatile input costs, global sourcing exposure and sustainability requirements require structured supplier governance and long-term cost planning.

    What salary does a Buying or Procurement professional earn in the UK FMCG sector?

    Typical UK salary ranges are:

    • Buyer / Procurement Manager: £45,000–£70,000 + bonus
    • Senior Procurement Manager: £65,000–£90,000 + bonus
    • Head of Procurement: £85,000–£120,000 + bonus
    • Procurement Director / Supply Chain Director (procurement-led remit): £120,000–£170,000 + bonus + LTIP

    Compensation varies depending on supplier spend responsibility, international sourcing complexity, raw material volatility exposure and team leadership scope. To provide an accurate market benchmark, it’s important to understand the scale of procurement spend and the commercial objectives of the business.

    Lime Talent also provides tailored FMCG salary benchmarking support to help consumer brands align procurement capability with cost and margin strategy.

    What skills are required for senior Procurement roles?

    • Advanced supplier negotiation
    • Contract and risk management
    • Cost modelling and margin analysis
    • Global sourcing exposure
    • Cross-functional collaboration with finance and operations

    At Director level, procurement strategy, supplier governance and long-term cost planning are central.

    When should a growing consumer brand invest in senior Procurement leadership?

    Common triggers include international expansion, rising input cost volatility, increased supplier complexity and investor focus on margin protection.

    How does Procurement structure evolve as a business scales?

    In early-stage businesses, buying may sit within supply chain or operations. As spend and complexity increase, dedicated Procurement Managers are appointed.

    In larger or PE-backed environments, Procurement Directors oversee supplier strategy, risk management and long-term cost optimisation aligned to commercial growth targets.