Buyer

Our client is a rapidly growing food manufacturer specializing in scratch-made artisan breads, fresh pasta, gourmet sauces, authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, calzones, and restaurant-quality prepared meals. The company combines artisan food craftsmanship with innovative large-scale manufacturing technologies to deliver premium products across multiple channels.

Position Summary

The Buyer is responsible for purchasing ingredients, packaging materials, and indirect supplies required to support the company’s production operations. Reporting to the Director of Procurement & Strategic Sourcing, this role ensures timely material availability, maintains optimal inventory levels, and supports cost, quality, and service objectives.

The Buyer works closely with Production Planning, Operations, Quality, Logistics, and suppliers to manage daily procurement activities, monitor inventory requirements, and support uninterrupted manufacturing operations in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

Key Responsibilities 

Purchasing & Procurement Execution

• Execute purchase orders for raw materials, packaging, and indirect supplies.
• Manage supplier order confirmations, delivery schedules, and purchase order accuracy.
• Ensure materials are procured in accordance with production schedules and inventory requirements.
• Monitor open purchase orders and proactively resolve supply issues.

Supplier Management

• Maintain strong working relationships with suppliers to ensure consistent service and product availability.
• Support supplier performance monitoring related to quality, pricing, delivery, and responsiveness.
• Assist with supplier qualification, documentation, and compliance requirements.
• Participate in supplier meetings and cost-reduction initiatives.

Inventory Planning and Support

• Monitor inventory levels, safety stock requirements, and replenishment needs.
• Coordinate closely with Planning and Operations teams to maintain material availability.
• Assist in minimizing stockouts, excess inventory, and material obsolescence.
• Support inventory accuracy and ERP/MRP system integrity.

Cost Management & Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities for cost savings, supplier consolidation, and purchasing efficiencies.
• Monitor market conditions and communicate significant pricing or supply changes.
• Support budgeting, forecasting, and purchasing analysis activities.
• Participate in procurement process improvement initiatives.

Qualifications & Requirements

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 3–5 years of purchasing, procurement, or supply chain experience, preferably within food manufacturing or consumer packaged goods (CPG).
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems, preferably Microsoft Dynamics 365.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective communication and vendor management capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.

 Preferred

• Experience purchasing ingredients, packaging materials, or food manufacturing supplies.
• Knowledge of inventory planning, logistics, and warehouse operations.
• Professional certification such as CPIM, CSCP, or CPSM.
• Experience supporting bakery, prepared foods, refrigerated foods, frozen foods, sauces, pasta, or similar food manufacturing operations.

Key Competencies

• Strong attention to detail and follow-through.
• Effective negotiation and vendor relationship management skills.
• Analytical and data-driven decision making.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Collaborative team player with strong cross-functional communication skills.
• Sense of urgency and commitment to customer service.

Success Measures (12-18 months)

• Maintain consistent material availability to support production schedules.
• Improve supplier on-time delivery and service performance.
• Reduce purchasing-related shortages and expedite costs.
• Increase inventory accuracy and planning reliability.
• Identify and execute cost-saving opportunities.
• Support successful new product launches through timely procurement and supplier coordination.

Target Profile

Procurement professional with experience purchasing ingredients, packaging, or manufacturing materials in a food manufacturing or CPG environment. Demonstrated ability to manage supplier relationships, maintain inventory availability, support production requirements, and contribute to cost-reduction and operational improvement initiatives.