About the position
Role Summary
Position based in Botswana, Gaborone
The Senior Buyer, to based in Gaborone, Botswana, is fully accountable for the overall commercial performance of the business in Botswana. The role carries end-to-end responsibility for category management, buying, marketing, and range and assortment development, with full profit and loss accountability across multiple categories. This position builds on senior category buying expertise but extends into a broader executive-level commercial leadership mandate.
Requirements
Position based in Botswana, Gaborone
- Bachelor's Degree (preferred)
- 8-10 years relevant FMCG or retail experience
- Senior-level experience in category management or commercial leadership
- Exposure to marketing and range development
- Strong financial background with P&L responsibility
- SAP experience and advanced Excel skills advantageou
Key Responsibilities
Category Management & Buying
- Develop and execute integrated category strategies to optimise sales, margin and market share.
- Manage multiple categories concurrently including all Fresh Departments, Edile and Non-edible groceries, General merchandise, Liquor (where applicable) and clothing. Lead, coach and mentor senior buyers and category teams.
Marketing & Range Development
- Overall accountability for commercial marketing strategy.
- Drive range innovation, new product introductions and private label development, ensuring alignment between category strategy, promotions and brand positioning.
Financial & Commercial Management
- Full P&L ownership across the commercial portfolio.
- Develop and manage budgets, forecasts and margin targets.
- Use data and analytics to track performance and identify growth opportunities.
Supplier & Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain strategic supplier partnerships. Lead senior-level negotiations and ensure supplier performance is managed against agreed KPIs.
Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Operate within a matrix structure across operations, logistics, finance and marketing. Build a high-performance culture and act as a key member of the Botswana executive leadership team.
Competencies
- Strong commercial and financial acumen
- Proven multi-category management capability
- Excellent negotiation and influencing skills
- Strategic thinking with hands-on execution
- Analytical, data-driven decision making
- Leadership and talent development
