TATA - Trainee Tea Buyer

Tata Consumer Products - Trainee Tea Buyer

Join one of the world’s leading beverage companies, home to internationally renowned tea brands. This is a rare opportunity to launch your career at the heart of the tea industry - where tradition meets innovation and every cup tells a story.

About the role

As a Trainee Tea Buyer, you’ll become an integral part of our Tea Buying & Blending team. You’ll learn the art and science of tea tasting, gain in-depth knowledge of the global tea supply chain, "from bush to cup", and work closely with experts and suppliers from around the world.

Your journey starts by supporting experienced Buyers and Blenders to develop your palate. In time, you’ll travel to tea-growing regions, build relationships and deepen your understanding of the tea trade. After five years of dedicated training, you’ll be ready to manage your own origin as a qualified Tea Buyer.

Key Responsibilities:

• Taste up to 300 teas, fruit and herbal blends per day to develop expert sensory skills
• Organise tastings and manage administrative tasks to meet deadlines
• Support Buyers/Assistant Buyers in all aspects of the procurement process
• Analyse market trends and contribute to contract negotiations
• Collect and interpret data on global tea availability for strategic buying
• Collaborate with the Logistics team to monitor supply chain stocks
• Manage and analyse large datasets using Excel and SAP
• Learn commercial principles to manage costs effectively
• Build long-term relationships with international suppliers
• Provide market insights across the business, including New Product Development.

Why Join Us?

• Become a Professional Taster: Develop your palate to recognise teas from around the world.
• Global Travel: Visit remote exotic tea-growing regions in India, Kenya and Malawi.
• Trendsetter: Influence what ends up in millions of mugs worldwide.
• Epic Team: Work alongside world-class buyers, blenders, and innovators who know their Darjeeling from their Assam.
• Career Progression: In five years, you could be leading your own origin and shaping the global tea market.
• Work-life Balance: Hybrid working & flexi-hours
• Development: Supportive mentors, training on negotiation as well as tea tasting
• Endless tea (obviously!)

Requirements:

• A 2:2 in your chosen degree subject, although non-grads are also encouraged to apply 
• Strong analytical skills
• Comfortable dealing with large data sets (you will be using Excel daily), as well as good MS Office skills
• Strong planning, time management and organisation skills, as well as attention to detail
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal
• Cultural and commercial awareness, works well under pressure

About you:

You thrive in a fast-paced environment, aren’t afraid to get involved at every level, and have a natural curiosity for new tastes and cultures. You’re eager to start your career in sourcing, bring energy and fresh ideas to our team, and - most importantly - are passionate about all things tea.