Job Description:
The 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.
The Senior Buyer will play a key role in modernizing and advancing the purchasing/buying function. The role of the buyer in the current evolution of the client is as an agent of change with high visibility to senior leadership that has a clear path to career advancement. A successful candidate will have the opportunity to greatly impact how the client will purchase/buy using a more analytical, consistent, and ultimately more profitable approach.
Position Reports to:
Director of Purchasing
Compensation/Salary:
DOE
Responsibilities & Duties:
- Manage and maintain 3rd party contracts in an efficient and cost-conscious manner.
- Establish new as well as develop and maintain existing relationships with growers and brokers.
- Ensure that weather conditions are reviewed, market forecasting done, and reported to appropriate staff.
- Stay up-to-date on Market conditions and buy accordingly
- Reporting responsibility ensuring accuracy and timeliness
- Update pricing to ensure accurate pricing and any adjustments are accounted for; assist with quotes.
- Ensure that specialty pre-orders and orders are taken care of.
- Continuously source and evaluate new potential vendors/suppliers/growers.
- Research and investigate inquiries on unusual or specialty items.
- Assist with follow-up on orders.
- Gather information for newsletter and other updates.
- Assist with researching billing discrepancies.
- Communicate price and product updates.
- Identify and lead special projects as required.
- Physically check quality and quantity of all products purchased.
- Analyze and monitor sales records, trends, weather/seasons and economic conditions to anticipate consumer-buying patterns and determine what the company will sell and how much inventory is needed.
- Produce specific information such as growing seasons, inflation/deflation cycles, inventory experience, and knowledge of pricing.
- Establish and adjust selling prices by monitoring costs, competitive factors and supply and demand while also working with sales staff to obtain information about customer specific needs and preferences.
- Examine, select, order, and purchase products at the most favorable price consistent with quality, quantity, specification requirements, and other established factors.
- Responsible for the management of perishable inventory purchased by daily review of item usage, sales, inventory adjustments, and the creation of purchase orders to replenish inventory.
- Oversee negotiation of contract pricing and structure FOBs by commodity weekly within given timetables to ensure value, quality, availability, and food safety.
- Prepare and keep record of required Contract, Food Safety documentation.
- Maintain, initiate, and continually develop relationships with suppliers.
- Tactical management of the produce procurement and inbound transportation supply chains.
Qualifications:
Education and Experience:
- College degree or requisite industry experience required
- 3rd Party Contract experience and FOB experience is a must
- Possess think-outside-the-box capabilities; be a superior communicator and have strong analytical skills
- 6 years produce experience, strong product knowledge and identification skills
- Strong negotiating skills
- Excellent verbal and written communication 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, and able to multitask
Physical Demands:
- The physical demand 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 frequently required to sit and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; stoop kneel, crouch, or crawl; and taste or smell.
- The employee must regularly lift and / or move up to 10 pounds, frequently lift and / or move up to 25 pounds and occasionally lift up to 50 pounds. Requires normal range of hearing and vision (including colors) to record, prepare and communicate appropriate reports and laboratory results.
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.
- While performing the duties of this job, the employee regularly works near moving mechanical parts and is regularly exposed to wet and / or humid conditions. The employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles, toxic or caustic chemicals, and may be exposed to loud noises making wearing of PPE essential.
Disclaimer:
- The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.
Salary:
- J. Ambrogi Foods offers a competitive salary and bonus potential. The company also provides a comprehensive benefits package as well as many other company sponsored benefits.
- Nothing in this job description restricts J. Ambrogi Foods the rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibility to this job at any time.
