Remote Food Buyer

Summary

Join our team as a Food Buyer and contribute to the profitable procurement and timely delivery of products for assigned lines. As a key member of the purchasing team, you will work closely with Sr. Director of Purchasing and Senior Buyers to achieve company goals.

Requirements

• Minimum of 2 plus years of Purchasing or Vendor Management experience in industry or retail: grocery, candy, and beverage experience a plus
• Marketing/Logistics experience preferred or a strong understanding of store operations and merchandising methodologies and practices
• Understanding of grocery procurement, logistics, inventory management, marketing, accounting, and financial management practices
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills; ability to take initiative and make fact-based decisions
• Ability to plan and organize effectively
• Written and verbal communication skills as well as interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective business relationships both internally and externally
• Strong computer aptitude in MS Office including Word and Excel
• Ability to concentrate and deal with frequent interruptions

Responsibilities

• Order products to meet forecasted demand
• Obtain the best possible product costs, quality, and service at all times
• Ensure that established policies and procedures are understood and adhered to
• Strive to obtain inventory and turn goals, while maintaining service level and minimizing distress
• Interface with various departments and division personnel to accomplish job functions. Develop and maintain good working relationships with vendors, store operations, distribution center, and division office personnel
• Review acquisition costs to ensure items purchased are at the lowest cost consistent with considerations of quality, reliability of source, and urgency of need
• Assess current inventory, market conditions, availability, and promotional impact to forecast order quantities and make recommendations to the merchandising team
• Conduct post-promotional reviews and analyses to determine if promotional requirements were met and develop solutions for problem areas
• Review and resolve inventory issues at the store level as a result of allocations or order issues
• Review and analyze daily and weekly reports to monitor costs, quality, service level, inventory turns, and distress and make adjustments as needed
• Visit stores, as needed, to monitor programs, obtain store feedback, and assess overall implementation effectiveness
• Manage Accounts Payable variance processes for distribution sourced items to ensure correct prices have been invoiced
• Resolve store billing questions by researching discrepancies submitted at the store level with Store Billing and entering credits where appropriate or providing resolution
• Maintain all necessary department files and records
• Coordinate with Warehouse Operations to maintain the proper product flow through the facility promptly
• Remote access (buying system) from home or off-site location when necessary