Purchasing - Buyer at The Chefs' Warehouse West Coast, LLC. in Houston, Texas

Job Description:

SUMMARY:

Coordinates inventory replenishment activities with suppliers, sales, logistics and operations for assigned categories.

 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

• Place purchase orders with vendors utilizing an awareness of seasonal fluctuations, market effects and other information that require a high attention to detail to avoid spoilage, overstocks and shortages. 


• Manage and maintain the entire Purchase-to-Pay process, covering:
  
  
  
  • PO Creation
  
  
  • Vendor Confirmation
  
  
  • Accurate expected delivery date updates
  
  
  • Collaboration with Accounts Payable to ensure payment
  
  
  
  


• Maintain Purchasing system data to effectively generate suggested POs


• Maintain necessary required vendor documents (electronic and physical), such as W-9’s, Indemnities, etc.


• Work closely with:
  
  
  
  • Vendors to ensure POs are filled and delivered in a timely fashion
  
  
  • Vendors to manage FDA issues
  
  
  • Logistics to minimize freight expenses
  
  
  • Sales Managers to manage out-of-stock or over-stock risks
  
  
  • Customer Service teams to enable sales order growth
  
  
  • Buyers to build upon best-practices
  
  
  
  


• Build and maintain vendor relationships to not only support PO fulfillment, but also negotiate volume discounts and price breaks wherever possible


• Manage Fusion system issues that impact Purchasing and Receiving


• Maintain BFC dating system to minimize close dated issues and Expired product impact  

 

QUALIFICATIONS:

 

• 
  Education and/or Experience:
  
  
  • 5+ years buying experience with a focus on Specialty Food Products for a multi-unit Distribution Organization
  
  
  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited four-year college or university preferred
  
  
  • Previous food service distribution and/or food importing experience strongly preferred
  
  
  • Commodity product awareness including blanket commitments, contractual processes and appropriate market tracking
  
  
  • Advanced Excel Skill and additional Computer skills (JDE, Microsoft Suite – Word and PowerPoint, etc.)
  
  
  
  

 

• 
  Competencies and/or Attributes:
  
  
  • Must be a team player with a positive attitude
  
  
  • Excellent verbal/written communication skills and a high level of analytical capabilities within Excel
  
  
  • Self-starter, professional, goal oriented and able to handle multiple tasks
  
  
  • Must have a sense of urgency and be able to work under pressure, be comfortable in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment
  
  
  • Flexible with the ability to work well with all departments and levels of staff both internally & externally
  
  
  • Professional demeanor during all interactions with vendors, customers and fellow employees via phone or in-person
  
  
  • Have a drive to advance within the organization
  
  
  
  

Language Ability:

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions in English, short correspondence, and memos.  Ability to write simple correspondence.  Ability to effectively present information in one-on-one and small group situations to customers, clients, and other employees of the organization.

 

Math Ability:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

 

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out detailed but uninvolved written or oral instructions. Ability to deal with problems involving a few concrete variables in standardized situations.

 

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have advance level of expertise with Microsoft Word and Excel.  Preferred knowledge of, JDE, Canopy & other sales programs.  Must be able to operate common office machines.

 

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

 

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

 

While performing the duties of this Job, the employee is regularly required to walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to climb or balance and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds, frequently lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 100 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include Close vision, Distance vision, Peripheral vision, Depth perception and Ability to adjust focus.

 

Required Education and/or Experience:

• 
  Education and/or Experience:
  
  
  • 5+ years buying experience with a focus on Specialty Food Products for a multi-unit Distribution Organization
  
  
  • Bachelor’s degree from accredited four-year college or university preferred
  
  
  • Previous food service distribution and/or food importing experience strongly preferred
  
  
  • Commodity product awareness including blanket commitments, contractual processes and appropriate market tracking
  
  
  • Advanced Excel Skill and additional Computer skills (JDE, Microsoft Suite – Word and PowerPoint, etc.)
  
  
  
  

Required Skills and Abilities:

Language Ability:

Bilingual in English/Spanish a +.  Ability to read, analyze, and interpret sales data and trends.  Ability to respond to common inquiries or complaints from customers or members of the business community. 

 

 

Math Ability:

Basic math skills with addition, subtraction and multiplication. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

 

 

Reasoning Ability:

Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical instructions in mathematical or diagram form and deal with several abstract and concrete variables.

 

Computer Skills:

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have advance level of expertise with Microsoft Word and Excel.  Knowledge of, JDE, & other sales programs.  Must be able to operate common office machines.

 

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

 

Required Core Competencies:

• 
  Competencies and/or Attributes:
  
  
  • Must be a team player with a positive attitude
  
  
  • Excellent verbal/written communication skills and a high level of analytical capabilities within Excel
  
  
  • Self-starter, professional, goal oriented and able to handle multiple tasks
  
  
  • Must have a sense of urgency and be able to work under pressure, be comfortable in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment
  
  
  • Flexible with the ability to work well with all departments and levels of staff both internally & externally
  
  
  • Professional demeanor during all interactions with vendors, customers and fellow employees via phone or in-person
  
  
  • Have a drive to advance within the organization
  
  
  
  

The Chefs' Warehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, arrest record, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment. 

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