Summary
The Senior Buyer is responsible for managing the procurement of packaging and ingredient supplies by determining the most competitive pricing, negotiating purchases, and leading discussions to find solutions to sourcing issues due to schedule changes. Position leads the effort to discover potential new suppliers; leads and participates in support center project teams and manages supply inventory. In addition, position participates in the annual budgeting and forecasting process.
About the Role
This position reports to the Purchasing Manager. The position is the point of contact for Finance, AP/AR, QA, Planning, Marketing, Traffic, Information Technology, Contract Manufacturing, plants, warehouses, suppliers, and distributors.
Responsibilities
- Manage the procurement of packaging and ingredient supplies based on needs manifested in the ERP system. Ensure required quantity arrives at the plant in time for production. Obtain price quotes and determine the most competitive pricing. Negotiate purchases with vendors. Lead all discussions with planning to find solutions to sourcing issues due to schedule changes.
- Manage supply inventory by coordinating with manufacturing facilities, external warehouses and internal departments and recommending inventory levels and process modifications with constant focus on continuous improvement.
- Identify and mitigate supply risk. Develop contingency and dual-source strategies, monitor supply markets and geopolitical impacts, manage inventory strategies with planning teams, and lead response during supply disruptions.
- Lead and participate in support center project teams to prepare for and accommodate new customers, products, and co-pack locations through the set-up of new items and costs. Implement plans for package/ingredient transitions; expedite shipments to meet transition and production deadlines.
- Lead the effort to discover potential new suppliers, evaluate cost benefit, facilitate vendor approval and work with the plants to trial these new, lower cost materials.
- Administer and establish departmental workflow through categorizing, prioritizing, projects, and areas of responsibility. Lead and participate in department and cross functional department meetings. Support departmental workflow by coordinating purchasing‑related tasks and collaborating in cross‑functional meetings.
- Obtain documents, specifications, and samples of packaging and ingredients to ensure that quality attributes are accurate. Ensure compliance with contracts, policies, and specifications.
- Participate in the annual budgeting and forecast process by collecting and analyzing data, using industry knowledge to forecast prices, and using knowledge concerning consumption of items.
- Have regular attendance and work appropriate number of hours to get the essential functions completed.
- Perform under the Working Conditions described below.
Qualifications
- A Bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or related is preferred.
- Minimum of 6 years of experience in purchasing in a complex enterprise environment.
Required Skills
- Principles and practices of negotiation.
- Principles and practices of food safety, GMP, and FSMA.
- Principles and practices of financial and manufacturing accounting.
- Principles and practices of financial forecasting and budgeting.
- Principles and practices of program and project development and administration.
- Principles and practices of inventory planning and tracking.
- Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
Preferred Skills
- Prepare clear, concise, and accurate correspondence, documents, reports and other written materials.
- Coordinate a variety of projects and/or programs.
- Oversee multiple and rapidly changing priorities.
- Maintain confidential and sensitive information.
- Gain cooperation through discussion and persuasion.
- Identify, research, and analyze problems, identify alternative solutions, and project consequences of proposed actions.
- Effectively organize, plan, and execute.
- Use computers and computer software including ten-key proficiency, word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
- Meet behaviors established in the Company’s performance culture and development process.
Pay range and compensation package
Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties of this job with reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individual basis and depends, in part, on the specific requirements for the job, the limitations related to disability and the ability of the department/division to accommodate the limitation.
Equal Opportunity Statement
The essential functions listed below are not intended to reflect all duties that may be assigned to this position. It is the responsibility of every employee to report food safety and food quality problems or risks to personnel with the authority to initiate action against these said possible risks. The Company has identified personnel that will serve as backups for key personnel in the event that said employee is absent or unavailable. These provisions can be found within the organizational chart. We may augment duties, including essential functions, at its discretion.
