Position Summary:
Our company is seeking a dynamic Produce Buyer to join the ranks of our growing Produce division. The Produce Buyer reports into Purchasing Management and aids the team in the procurement of a broad range category.
Responsibilities:
- Select vendors to procure from, based upon their ability to provide a continuous supply of product, service level, and responsiveness to market changes and the company’s requirements.
- Maintain item and vendor data management within Enterprise Resource Platform, on all items pertaining to Produce.
- Troubleshoot with internal departments and external vendors on invoicing, product, or delivery discrepancies to ensure quality service and longevity of relationships.
- Learn & utilize the company’s suite of solutions, ranging from Demand Planning, Canned Reporting, and Business Intelligence tools.
- Maintain & adhere to the company’s 98.5%+ fulfillment rate standards.
- Proactively plan for seasonality, supply chain constraints, market changes, and map out acceptable substitutes.
- Negotiate pricing, quantities, and deals according to customer needs. Manage deal buys in combination with efficient warehouse utilization.
- Routinely publish market reviews, in coordination with Purchasing Management. Stay up to date with the latest seasonal and market changes, educate and collaborate with related departments on developing new products & growing existing lines.
- Coordinate with Quality Control, Receiving, and Sales as it pertains to maintaining the highest quality standards, on-time deliveries, and industry leading fulfillment rates.
- Participate in weekly team meetings & ongoing educational series.
- Work with internal departments and external vendors on aging inventory as well as damaged items on inbound freight.
- Assist Purchasing Management with growth opportunities across the category including but not limited to; assessing current selection and identifying opportunities for growth within the produce division across both domestic and imported products.
- Must have a strong desire to foster the company’s existing partnerships while aiding in the development and pioneering of new lines.
- Support the Sales team with product spec and pricing information, and provide recommendations on new and existing products
Qualifications:
- 3+ years' experience buying produce and related items.
- Strong knowledge and use of Microsoft Office Tools.
- Ability to multi-task many activities, projects and timelines.
- Strong oral and written communication skills.
- Must be able to communicate with personnel at all levels of the organization including ownership.
- Self-starter with the ability to set priorities and goals and work to accomplish the goals.
- Strong negotiation skills.