Category Specialist

Overview

Join Aotearoa's leading food service distributor and grow your career with a company that values innovation, whanaungatanga (relationships), and excellence.

Service Foods Christchurch is seeking a dynamic and experienced Category specialist with a strong focus on meat procurement to join our team.

You may come from a grocery background, large-scale butchery operations, or a similar environment where you've developed deep expertise in sourcing and managing meat products.

If you have a keen eye for detail, excellent negotiation skills, and a passion for ensuring the highest quality products for our customers — we want to hear from you.

About Us

At Service Foods, we are passionate about delivering exceptional service and premium-quality products to New Zealand's food service and hospitality industry.

As the country's largest privately owned and operated, fully integrated food distribution business, we are proud to have been recognised by Deloitte as one of New Zealand's Best Managed Companies in both 2023 and 2024.

We're more than just a business—we're a whanau (family).

We foster a dynamic, inclusive workplace where your ideas are valued, and your growth is supported.

The Role

As our Category Specialist, your primary focus will be on strategic sourcing, negotiation, and analysis — especially within the meat category.

This role is about savvy negotiating, not just purchasing.

Key Responsibilities

Manage end-to-end procurement lifecycle, from raw material planning through to contract execution

Build and maintain high-value supplier relationships, implementing category strategies and consolidating supplier arrangements

Analyse data to anticipate risks and prepare control strategies

Conduct regular yield testing on products

Perform risk management for supply contracts and agreements

Manage key accounts through office-based negotiation and occasional site visits

Optimise purchasing to maximise margins and strengthen supplier relationships

Ensure timely and cost-effective stock arrivals

Monitor product and vendor pricing to identify best buys

Control spending and promote long-term savings

Maintain accurate records of purchases, pricing, and lead times

Reduce single-source risk and foster strategic partnerships that strengthen our supplier network

About You

You'll bring proven experience in procurement or purchasing, ideally within the food or meat industry.

A qualification in procurement, supply chain, or a related field is advantageous.

Excellent negotiation and communication skills

Proven experience in category management and strategy development

Strong commercial acumen with a focus on performance metrics

Knowledge of warehouse, inventory, or logistics operations

Familiarity with systems such as Warehouse Management, SAGE, or Salesforce

Meat industry knowledge and experience in the food service sector required

Advanced proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite

Working with Us

Our values—creativity, resilience, inclusivity, collaboration, work ethic, and humility—are at the heart of everything we do.

We celebrate the diversity of Aotearoa and are committed to creating a workplace where everyone can thrive and be their authentic selves.

How to Apply

If you're a motivated, results-driven professional with a passion for the food service industry, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply now by submitting your CV and cover letter via our Careers Page.

Please note : Applications will only be accepted through our online portal.

Requirements

NZ citizenship, residency, or a valid work visa is required

Successful candidates will undergo reference checks, Ministry of Justice and ACC checks, and pre-employment drug and alcohol screening.

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