Materials Buyer
Work set-up:
Full Remote
Salary:
80 - 80K yearly
Experience:
Mid-level (2-5 years)
Offer summary
Qualifications:
Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Food Science, or related field., 5 to 8 years of experience in Food or CPG sourcing, especially in innovation-stage procurement., Strong understanding of organic, functional, or wellness-oriented food products., Proficiency with MRP/ERP systems, preferably SAGE X3..Key responsibilities:
- Source and qualify new organic functional food ingredients for development projects.
- Translate product briefs into sourcing plans balancing functionality, sustainability, and cost.
- Manage procurement processes to ensure timely delivery and quality standards.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to support new product initiatives and maintain supplier relationships.
Job description
Who You Are:
You are a sourcing professional with a strong foundation in food or CPG procurement and a passion for innovationstage purchasing. You have experience with organic and functional ingredients and understand the complexities of earlystage sourcing risks and compliance. Analytical and detailoriented, you bring strong planning, communication, and problemsolving skills to your work. Youre comfortable with using MRPERP systems (SAGE X3 preferred) and collaborating across teams like Innovation and Marketing. You thrive in fastpaced environments and are motivated by purposedriven work that contributes to childhood nutrition and a healthier planet.
The Task At Hand:
The Materials Buyer reports directly to the Manager of Sourcing and Procurement Operations and is responsible for sourcing and procurement across a diverse portfolio of organic and functional ingredients, dry goods, and proteins that adhere to technical specifications, timely delivery, and alignment with company objectives. This role works crossfunctionally with Materials Management, Quality, Operations, Sustainability, and Innovation to support production continuity and new product development. The Materials Buyer provides marketinformed purchasing recommendations, maintains compliance with documentation and audit standards, and contributes to cost management, including costsaving opportunities, risk management, expert negotiation skills, and supplier performance tracking. This position is responsible for fostering competitive supplier environments and creating and maintaining strong supplier partnerships to guarantee seamless product availability.
In This Role, You Will:
• Source and qualify new organic functional food ingredients that meet product development, QA, and labeling requirements for innovation projects, including special sourcing requirements for children under 2 years old
• Translate Product Briefs into sourcing plans, balancing functionality, sustainability, supply availability, and cost
• Procure certified organic and organiccompliant functional ingredients to meet forecasted production needs
• Track and analyze landed acquisition costs to ensure optimal pricing aligned with quality, reliability, and urgency requirements
• Support the annual standard costsetting process and track performance against cost targets
• Plan with Materials Management on purchase order execution and manage quality issue resolution
• Sources within the guidelines of product specifications while also identifying and alerting the crossfunctional team to potential opportunities that might be outside of current specifications
• Monitor, report, and manage supplier performance against purchase orders, contracts, and quality standards
• Develop and implement negotiation strategies using purchase history, market data, seasonality, and vendor trends
• Partner with Innovation, Marketing, Quality, and Sustainability teams to support new product initiatives from sourcing through commercialization
• Approve PO variances and validate invoice pricing accuracy
• Manage new material and supplier setup in TraceGains and SAGE X3 systems, working with the appropriate crossfunctional partners
• Proactively communicate supply or quality risks that could impact production
• Maintain accurate planning parameters for materials in collaboration with Materials Management and Systems teams
• Onboard new vendors and materials, ensuring compliance with company standards and regulatory requirements
• Perform additional duties as assigned
In This Role, You’ll Bring With You:
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Food Science, Agribusiness, or a related field, or equivalent years of experience
• 5 to 8 years of experience in Food or CPG sourcing with a strong track record in innovationstage procurement, category discovery, or ingredient scouting
• Must be available for internal meetings between the hours of 3 pm and 6 pm PST
• Experience in organic, functional, or wellnessoriented food products is strongly preferred
• Experience working within fastpaced innovation timelines
• Understanding of earlystage sourcing risk (limited availability, supply scaleup challenges)
• Able to assess ingredient claims, regulatory requirements, and supplier certifications
• Strong analytical, planning, and problemsolving skills with a track record of sound decisionmaking
• Effective written and verbal communication skills; ability to build productive crossfunctional and supplier relationships
• Experience with MRPERP systems required (SAGE X3 preferred)
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred
• Solid knowledge of Microsoft Suite, Outlook, Slack, and other professional platforms
• Up to 10% travel required: Although this role is a remote workfromhome position, we “Farmers” do meet as a company andor as a department at least once a year.
• Genuine passion for improving childhood nutrition for a healthier and happier planet
• Desire to contribute to a dynamic, highgrowth, purposedriven work environment
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity, deeply understand business needs, develop a cohesive strategy, and make decisions requiring a high level of judgment
• Previous exposure to crossfunctional work between Sustainability and Operations preferred
• Must reside in the United States to be considered for this position
• Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this position
Compensation:
• FullTime, Salaried, Exempt
• The anticipated salary range for this position is $80,000$100,000.00. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a few factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Certain positions are eligible for additional forms of compensation such as bonuses, stipends, equity, and rolespecific perks.
Additional:
• Remotefirst work environment
• Annual Bonus
• 401(k) program + 4% company match after three months
• New Hire Remote Life Stipend + annual Nourish and Nurture Allowance
• Monthly Cell and Internet Stipend
• Quarterly FarmtoFridge home deliveries and Employee Discounts
• New Parents: Up to 18 weeks of paid Parental Leave, Baby Steps Back To Work, 3 months’ supply of Once Upon a Farm products, and breast milk shipping service and support for those who travel after birth for the duration of your breastfeeding journey
• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• Paid Volunteer Time
• Paid Time Off to fulfill civic responsibilities, including jury duty and voting in local, state, and national elections
• Medical Insurance for the employee is covered at 100% on select plans, with additional plan options at a reduced cost to the employee
• Vision and Dental Insurance are covered at 100% for the employee and dependents
• Life insurance