Category Buyer

JOB SUMMARY

Responsible for the procurement of raw materials, communication with vendors, and ensuring quality standards of raw materials. This position has the authority to act as a purchasing agent for the Company.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITES

• Plan and execute raw material requirements for internal customers through ERP System.
• Reorder raw materials within lead time specifications as needed, enter purchase order with detail to quantity and cost, communicate purchase order to vendor, and confirm/update pricing as needed.
• Adherence to inventory levels based on usage, forecast, minimum and maximum inventory ranges.
• Monitor daily raw material orders/logistics to ensure on-time deliveries and efficient production.
• Contact vendors when orders do not meet our standards (Ex: out of spec, not on time, incorrect quantity)
• Maintain product reorder data including lead time, minimum order quantity, minimum and maximum inventory levels, primary and secondary vendor.
• Maintain Vendor Database with contact and ordering info for customer service and sales representatives.
• Negotiate with vendors for competitive pricing and review new products.
• Qualify new suppliers as business needs change for the organization.
• Develop and implement cost reduction programs.
• New Vendor and Product setup (price quotation and negation, raw material specs, data setup).
• Invoice approval and reconciliation by researching supplier information, invoice approval software, and ERP data.
• Maintain pricing information for the purpose of tracking and placing contracts.
• Attend weekly KPI meetings and action initiatives to improve quality, reduce cost and reduce inventory.
• Use internal Supplier Evaluation Program to monitor supplier performance.
• Assist Operations Team (Receiving/Warehouse/Production/Planning/Transport) with raw material issues, delivery and pickup times, and ensure customers and supplier are aligned.
• Work with QA to action expiring inventory, manage raw material rejections and returns, and other issues as needed.
• Due to 24-hour delivery schedules, after hours and weekend communication may be required when issues arise.
• Project Management – Develops Plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget.
• May preform other duties as required.

LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY

• Works with little supervision and work is not reviewed. Exercises discretion within areas of responsibility.
• Advises others within the organization on matters within area of expertise.
• Receive customer questions and responds within prescribed areas of knowledge.
• Position is directly responsible for generating revenue within product line or territory.
• Ineffective actions could result in significant loss of time, resources and/or could have moderate impact on the organization’s public image. Decisions or actions have a significant impact on the organization. Errors are difficult to detect and may be difficult and/or costly to correct. Decisions may have a significant impact on resources and organizational effectiveness; funding, productivity, service, quality, security of assets or external relationships may be adversely affected.

 SKILL REQUIRED

• Bachelor’s degree
• Requires one - three years of experience
• On-the-job training of 0-3 months.
• Must be proficient with MS Office programs, specifically Excel and Outlook.

WORKING CONDITIONS AND PHYSICAL EFFORT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a Category Buyer encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

Physical Demands/Efforts

• Work requires little or no physical effort.

Mental & Visual Demands

• Work performed by this position requires a siginficant level of mental concentration to manage multiple complex tasks.
• Work requires frequent visual effort for extended periods of time.

Work Environment and Hazards

• Employee typically works in a normal office environment free from noise and hazards with occasional exposure to heat and cold.
• This position has limited exposure to hazards that require the exercise of caution with the little likelihood of injury.
• Less than 10% travel is required for this position. Travel may be out-of-state and occasionally require overnight stays.

Additional Information

• Demonstrated excellence in driving consistently strong profitable sales growth
• Experience working with Procurement/Supply Chain Planning
• Strong written, verbal communication and presentation skills
• Financial and business acumen
• Knowledge in chilled/refrigerated manufacturing industry
• Ability to communicate effectively with suppliers and internal customers
• Strong negotiation skills, interpersonal skills, and problem-solving ability
• Working knowledge of Purchase to Pay business process
• Strong understanding of ERP Systems
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to read and interpret raw material specifications and supplier documents
• Work independently in a face-paced environment
• Self-starter able to conceptualize and drive initiatives forward
• Positive attitude and motivated by contributing to the overall success of the team
• Obsessive attention to detail, well organized and able to juggle many projects at once
• Passionate about food
• Willing to address difficult situations head on with patience and respect