Junior Category Buyer (All Genders)

YOU & AHEAD

At ahead, we are cleaning up the world’s candy drawers. We make the snacks people actually crave, from protein bars and wafers to cookies, gummies, savoury snacks and more, with less sugar and no compromise on taste.

As Junior Category Buyer, you will take full commercial and operational ownership of defined categories and the suppliers within your scope. In close alignment with the Team Lead Procurement, you will manage your categories independently, develop supplier relationships and ensure reliable, competitive and efficient procurement for ahead's product portfolio. The role offers responsibility from day one, with a clearly defined scope and the opportunity to grow with the business.

If you like making things happen, getting into the details and improving how a fast-growing food business operates, we would love to get to know you!

YOUR TASKS

Category Strategy and Expansion

• Own defined categories and develop their assortment, supplier setup and commercial roadmap in line with ahead's growth, margin and differentiation goals

• Analyse markets, competitors and consumer trends and translate relevant insights into category actions and sourcing opportunities

Supplier Management

• Own the relationships with suppliers within your scope across ingredients, packaging and co-manufacturing

• Identify, evaluate and onboard new suppliers, conduct RFQs and support negotiations on prices, terms, capacities, lead times and minimum order quantities

• Manage supplier performance across quality, service, delivery reliability and cost and take action when requirements are not met

Product Lifecycle Management

• Monitor product and category performance, including sell-in, sell-through, margin and contribution margin, and derive appropriate actions

• Own defined lifecycle measures such as reformulations, packaging updates, supplier changes and assortment adjustments in collaboration with relevant stakeholders

Commercial Excellence, Governance and Risk Management

• Conduct market, cost and sourcing analyses and implement measures that improve cost, margin and efficiency within your categories

• Maintain reliable supplier, product and master data and ensure decisions follow defined approval and stage-gate processes

• Identify and manage supply risks within your scope, including bottlenecks, lead times, minimum order quantities, capacity constraints and single-source dependencies

YOUR PROFILE

• First professional experience in strategic procurement, category management or sourcing, ideally in the food or FMCG sector

• Completed degree in business administration, economics or a comparable field

• Analytical and commercially minded, with the ability to evaluate market, supplier, cost, margin and performance data and derive clear actions

• Negotiation skills and the confidence to communicate with suppliers on prices, terms, capacities, lead times and minimum order quantities

• Project management skills for organising category initiatives, coordinating stakeholders and delivering agreed actions on time

• Ability to build supplier relationships and work effectively with Procurement, Product, Quality, Supply Chain and Finance

• Organised and reliable working style with a clear focus on ownership, execution and continuous improvement

• Based in Hamburg or willing to relocate to Hamburg after successfully completing the probationary period

• Fluent in written and spoken English; German at least at C1 level

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.