Buyer

38 hours a week | Zwaagdijk

Being a buyer for Europe's fastest-growing discount retailer, aiming for the best in international trade, and having ample freedom to do business is what makes your role as a buyer at Action so interesting. Together with your colleagues, you will fill the shelves in our stores with attractive, sustainable products. You will work primarily from our headquarters in Zwaagdijk and travel abroad on a regular basis.

Your daily tasks

You will shape one of our 14 product categories, such as Food & Drink, Toys and Personal Care, from selecting products through to how they are presented on the shelves. You and your fellow buyers provide each other with continuous feedback on the products you see in the stores. You will also engage with buying assistants and disciplines such as supply and commercial planning, product technology and marketing on a daily basis. Together, you will ensure that our range is of a high quality, affordable and in stock.
Depending on your category, you will travel regularly within Europe and possibly further afield for your work. You will visit suppliers, research what is happening in the market and identify new trends. In doing so, you will look for new products and aim to improve quality, reduce costs and make existing items more sustainable. Due to the large procurement volumes, you can make a significant impact in a short space of time, such as in reducing packaging.

Strategic joint thinking will also form part of your role. As a result, you will draw up a category plan in which you look ahead and anticipate future opportunities. You will carry out both financial and commercial analyses and determine key focus points to take your category to the next level.

Meet your team

Let us tell you about Buying in Action! You and more than 50 colleagues are the driving force behind Action's success. As a team, we are continuously shaping Action's product range and introducing more than 150 new products every week. Together, we are responsible for our sustainable, surprising, affordable and well-balanced product range of around 6,000 products. Entrepreneurship and customer focus are at the heart of everything we do. Whether it's planning or buying, your role is crucial for Action's growth across Europe.  Speaking of growth, you will also make great strides thanks to the many opportunities for personal development and career options. Join our international, energetic, open and supportive team and help us surprise our millions of customers every day!

Curious about your new colleagues? Read their stories here.

What you offer

We welcome an entrepreneurial spirit. You enjoy (negotiating) with people from different cultures, from Italian account managers to Chinese suppliers. You are aware of your financial responsibilities and are bold enough to close large orders. You keep your eyes open for the latest trends and you gain energy from pursuing opportunities both at home and abroad.

You also have the following:

• Higher professional education
• At least three years' experience as a buyer 
• Good English skills (spoken and written)
• The digital skills to work with different IT systems and programs such as Excel

What we offer

Quite a lot, actually! From our bustling headquarters in the Netherlands, you'll have an impact across the whole of Europe. We're now up to more than 2,700 stores in 12 countries and millions of smiles from our customers – and we're not stopping there, because we have big growth ambitions, both for Action and you. Our growth means you can always take new steps to develop as a professional, whether that means a different position, an interesting innovation project or new skills. And you can do all that in a culture where we truly embrace our shared values: customer focus, teamwork, simplicity, discipline, cost-consciousness and respect.

You can also count on Action for the following:

• A competitive salary based on a 38-hour week
• 24 days' holiday with the option to buy five additional days (based on 38 hours per week) 
• A 15% staff discount on your Action purchases
• A good pension scheme, collective health insurance and a lease vehicle or mobility allowance (Zwaagdijk-Oost can be reached from Amsterdam by car in just 30 minutes on uncongested roads)

How we contribute to society

If you only know Action from our stores, a new world will open up to you when you join us. As an example, we're working hard behind the scenes to make a positive impact on society and the environment. Did you know that we sponsor more than 2,500 children worldwide who are growing up in an SOS Children's Village? Or that our team reflects the diversity of our customers, representing 125 nationalities? Or that all our own-brand chocolate is Fairtrade-certified and 100% of the cotton we source is Better Cotton? Or that all our trucks run on biofuel and several electric trucks supply stores in the Netherlands and Germany? Or that we have LED lighting in all stores and have replaced all gas connections with electric heating? Yes, that's Action, too. If you're curious about any of our other initiatives, join our team and see for yourself.

Interested?

We're proud to be an inclusive employer, and we warmly invite anyone who sees themselves in the vacancy to apply. So take action and respond to this vacancy now!

What happens next:

1. Response to your application within 14 days (usually sooner)
2. First meeting with the manager and a colleague
3. Online assessment to get to know you better
4. Second interview with your recruiter, among others
5. Welcome to Action

Throughout the process, your recruiter is your permanent point of contact and is available to answer any questions you may have.

Integrity is very important to us. Pre-employment screening is therefore part of the process for this vacancy. Ask your recruiter for more information.