UNFI is North America’s Premier Food Wholesaler. We transform the world of food for our associates, customers, suppliers and the families we serve every day.
With deeper full store selection and compelling brands for every aisle, built on an unmatched heritage in great food and fresh thinking. And smarter food solutions, from fulfillment to insights and beyond, that help entrepreneurs and major brands alike unlock their full potential and transform their businesses – for the better.
Description:
Sources and negotiates produce assigned commodities and programs with the goal of lowering costs of goods, ensuring quality and service by leveraging total company spending.
Job Responsibilities:
- Delivers consistent reduction in COGS for assigned produce categories
- Communicates with in-house brokerage team to optimize brokerage fees when required
- Leads negotiations in assigned produce categories (in partnership with merchandising in some areas)
- Negotiates and implements supply agreements/contracts
- Monitors, reports and troubleshoots non-compliant spending
- Collaborates with merchandising in strategic vendor management processes including vendor scorecards, product quality and QBR’s as assigned by Director Strategic Procurement
- Evaluates and possesses a strong understanding of produce cost composition
- Prepares Annual Plans for category sourcing strategies and vendor aliment to drive category goals and objectives
- Determines and recommends best source of supply and vendor selection and presents for approval
- Communicates issues and reports to management and takes action as appropriate
- Develops long-term strategic planning with key suppliers to bring competitive advantages to the business
- Tracks reduction of COGS for area of responsibility and prepares vendor scorecards
- Guides and develops vendor business plans
- Follows and requires strict adherence to strategic sourcing process
- Develops new and continuously improves processes to enhance efficiency and reduce costs
- Works with a cross-functional team of marketing, packaging, sourcing, quality assurance, and product development to develop new products, improves existing products and markets the brand to consumers
Scope
- May have direct reports
- Works with multiple vendors (varies by category)
- Multiple ongoing and new contracts (varies by category)
- Some categories may be impacted with Seasonality upswings
- For Enterprise Merchandising
- $400 + million category Sales
Job Requirements:
- Bachelor’s Degree required, a degree in Business, Management, Marketing or related field preferred
- Previous fresh produce experience with demand planning, procurement and inventory management systems
- Good written and verbal communication skills
- Proven experience in creating and making management and sales presentations
- Possess high degree of initiative, creative, innovative, proactive skills and abilities
- Good interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective business relationships at all levels of the Company and in the business community
- Good project management, leadership and supervisory skills
- High level of analytical and financial skills
- Possess the ability to create and make management presentations
- Understanding of manufacturing cost structures
- Experience in negotiating contracts
- Computer proficiency and knowledge of Microsoft Office
- 5 + years procurement related experience
- Independently gathers and validates COGS data, prepares negotiating strategy, participates in and executes negotiations, develops category close and executable documents
- Provides guidance, training, and mentoring of less experienced sourcing staff (Managers and Analyst)
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status. UNFI is an EO employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
