This position will be accountable for the full scope of buying responsibilities for a series of commodities. Those responsibilities include customer fill rates, product quality measures, pricing controls, inventory management, vendor relationship management, and achieving product margin targets.
Responsibilities: • Manage and optimize 3rd party contracts to ensure efficiency and cost-effectiveness. • Cultivate and maintain relationships with growers and brokers, both existing and new. • Conduct thorough analysis of weather conditions, market trends, and forecasting, reporting findings to relevant stakeholders. • Stay abreast of market conditions to inform purchasing decisions. • Ensure accurate and timely reporting. • Update pricing details and assist with quoting processes. • Manage specialty pre-orders and ensure order fulfillment. • Continuously seek out and assess new vendor/supplier/grower prospects. • Investigate inquiries regarding unusual or specialty items. • Facilitate order follow-ups and gather information for newsletters and updates. • Assist in resolving billing discrepancies and communicate price and product updates. • Lead and contribute to special projects as needed. • Personally inspect the quality and quantity of purchased products. • Analyze sales records, trends, and economic factors to anticipate consumer behavior and determine inventory requirements. • Provide expertise on factors such as growing seasons, pricing, and inventory management. • Adjust selling prices based on cost, competition, and demand, in collaboration with sales staff. • Select and purchase products at optimal prices while maintaining quality standards. • Manage perishable inventory through daily review and replenishment processes. • Negotiate contract pricing and structured FOBs weekly to ensure value, quality, and food safety. • Maintain and organize contract and food safety documentation. • Foster and develop relationships with suppliers. • Oversee the tactical management of produce procurement and inbound transportation supply chains.
Qualifications: • College degree or requisite industry experience required. • 3rd Party Contract experience is a plus. • FOB experience is a plus. • Possess think-outside-the-box capabilities; be a superior communicator and have strong analytical skills. • 4+ years produce experience, strong product knowledge and identification skills. • Strong negotiating skills. • Excellent verbal and written communications skills. • Technically savvy, able to work with and optimize multiple software packages such as Microsoft Office and Produce Pro (including ForecastPro). • Proficient in advanced analytical skills and ability to forecast based on wide variety of complex and changing variables. • Specific skills using Microsoft Excel, such as PivotTables, to analyze large volumes of data. • Self-motivated and solution minded. • Organized, detail oriented, able to multitask.