Tea Buyer at People FOCO

Job Purpose:

• To source and procure high-quality teas at competitive prices while ensuring consistency in quality, availability, and compliance with company standards. The role requires extensive knowledge of Kenyan tea varieties, tea grading, market trends, supplier management, and quality assessment.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

• Source and procure tea in line with company requirements and production plans.
• Develop and maintain relationships with tea factories, brokers, estates, and suppliers.
• Evaluate tea samples and determine suitability based on company quality standards.
• Understand and assess various Kenyan tea grades and characteristics.
• Monitor tea market trends, auction prices, and competitor activities.
• Participate in tea tasting and quality evaluation sessions.
• Negotiate prices, contracts, and supply agreements with suppliers.
• Ensure adequate stock availability while minimizing carrying costs.
• Collaborate with Production, Quality Assurance, and R&D teams on new blends and product development.
• Maintain accurate procurement records and supplier performance reports.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and quality standards.

Expected Outputs/KPIs:

• Consistent supply of quality tea raw materials.
• Procurement savings achieved against budget.
• Zero production downtime due to tea shortages.
• Approved supplier base developed and maintained.
• Supplier quality rejection rate maintained below target.
• Timely market intelligence reports on tea trends and pricing.
• Successful identification and sourcing of teas for new product development.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor's Degree in Agriculture, Food Science, Procurement, Agribusiness, Commerce, or related field.
• Professional qualification in Procurement (CIPS/KISM) is an added advantage.
• Minimum 3–5 years' experience in tea buying or tea trading.
• Thorough understanding of Kenyan tea grades, tea tasting, blending, and auction processes.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.
• Experience working within FMCG or tea processing industries.

Key Competencies:

• Tea sensory evaluation skills.
• Negotiation and influencing skills.
• Analytical and commercial acumen.
• Market intelligence gathering.
• Relationship management.
• Attention to detail.