Description:
Are you hungry for a fast-paced, purchasing negotiator, and team-oriented food buyer position? Would your negotiating skills give politicians a run for their money? Have you ever been commended for your culinary ingenuity? We are a company that love innovation and question status quo. And yes! we like to have fun too!
If this position sounds appetizing to you, read on!
Your essential duties:
- Source, Identify, evaluate, and present new vendor and item options.
- Build and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers and manage supplier performance
- Develop and implement sourcing strategies that align with the company's objectives. This includes analyzing market trends, understanding the supply market, and identify potential cost-saving opportunities
- Identify, develop, negotiate and manage new and existing exclusive vendor contracts
- Ensure that products meet quality and specification, delivered on time, and within budget.
- Manage the procurement process from the initial requisition to the final purchase.
- Ensure that the products purchased meet certain standards of quality and compliance. Work closely with the quality control department to address any issues with supplier products.
- Proactively identify and solve problems making balanced proactive decisions while conducting research, keeping up with industry trends, and conducting analysis.
- Work closely with cross functional departments such as sales, logistics, inventory and finance, and to ensure alignment of procurement activities with overall business objectives.
- Strategic approach to trade shows planning out pitch, route, vendor prep, sourcing new items, while identifying trends for the foodservice team
- Establish vendor meeting strategy, develop content, lead meeting and drive results
- Function as a ‘showcase theme coordinator’ and presenter
- Strategize and source potential new opportunity buys while working with new and existing vendors and internally sell and educate our sales team on these opportunities
- Active involvement in planning category and sub category growth plans with Sales and Leadership team.
- Take ownership of all stocked inventory. Work cross-functionally to create awareness, drive sales, and develop creative solutions to drive movement.
- Proactively manage the bid process by sourcing, negotiation, partnership & strategy development with the sales team.
- Develop strong partnerships and alliances with vendors, peers and cross functional teams.
- Create, process, and manage purchase order life cycle to capture profitable business opportunities.
You must have:
- Bachelor’s degree Supply Chain, Procurement or related field highly preferred. Equivalent work experience and applicable certifications may be considered as well (Military, APICS, CPM, etc..
- Purchasing experience + food service experience.
- Superior Negotiation skills with experience in pricing and contract negotiation.
- Strong math skills required with the ability to understand and calculate food conversions and advanced math formulas
- Superior Microsoft Office skills, ability to perform VLOOKUP’s & pivot tables, text to columns, general understanding of formulas
- Expert communication skills. Active listener with the ability to communicate both written and verbally in a clear, concise and professional manner internally and externally via telephone, email, and video conferencing.
- Solid professional business writing skills
- Travel Required - up to one week a month including trade shows, vendor visits, etc…,
- Expert organizational skills with the ability to effectively prioritize multiple projects while delegate tasks and using technology to stay organized.
- Provide clear feedback and coaching to others.
- Excellent logical analysis, problem solving and decision-making skills.
- Be Innovative providing win-win options to get deals done
- Sales experience a bonus! Helpful but not required.