Buyer

Summary The Buyer is responsible for replenishment, inventory management, profitability, and communication for assigned product categories. One must also respond timely to emails, phone calls, and face-to-face requests by in-house teammates. Candidate will be called upon to process required paperwork. This position requires superior customer support standards, the ability to successfully juggle responsibilities, a positive, team-oriented attitude, and the ability to switch gears quickly. The ideal candidate is flexible, comfortable moving through multiple computer programs, and has  the desire to learn and grow.

Essential Functions Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Replenishment

• Place Purchase Orders for assigned vendors based on product forecasts, market conditions and seasonality, while maintaining targeted service levels and inventory goals.
• Expedite orders based on unanticipated customer demand by working with vendors and logistics partners.
• Maintain vendor and product files.

Inventory Management

• Manage inventory to ensure adequate supply while meeting or exceeding key performance indicators.
• Review inventory reports and solve potential issues.
• Identify and manage short shelf life, and fresh inventory; in addition to excessive and obsolete inventory.
• Make recommendations on discontinuation of slow-moving and duplicate inventory items.
• Identify products for sales growth initiatives and new sales opportunities.
• Ensure quality of product from vendors meets quality standards, including inspecting incoming loads and approving/denying loads of product and monitoring product for deterioration and expiration limits.

 Profitability

• Review costing reports and solve potential issues.
• Maintain pricing files.
• Maintain contract pricing and spec items.
• Encourage vendor participation in marketing and promotional programs.
• Manage vendor receivables.

Communication

• Develop and maintain vendor/broker relationships.
• Negotiate pricing, terms and programs with vendors.
• Follow up on sales inquiries and requests.
• Attend meetings as required.
• Become a subject matter expert in the assigned category, following market conditions and anticipating cost changes.

Miscellaneous Duties

• Maintain a safe and secure working environment
• Organize workflow to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work safely and follow all safety policies and procedures.
• Wear all required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to ensure a safe work environment.
• Follows all Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and procedures that relate to sanitation, food safety and pest control.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Competencies

• Organizational Skills.
• Time Management.
• Ethical Conduct.
• High level of confidentiality
• Able to present information in forms, tables, and spreadsheets.
• Competent keyboard skills to produce accurate and well-presented reports.
• Medium proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Internet Explorer.

Supervisory Responsibility This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work This is a full-time, exempt (salary) position, and schedule hours of work and days will be based to support our Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty and responsibility in a safe and satisfactory manner.  Work under minimal supervision, apply logic and reasoning to solve complex problems, use sound judgement and discretion in performing work duties. Requires excellent written and oral communications skills. Ability to listen, persuade, and influence skills in dealing with all levels of employees, clients and vendors.

Physical Demands The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

This is largely a sedentary role. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel and talk or hear; however, some filing is required. This would require the ability to lift files, open filing cabinets and bending or standing on a stool as necessary.

Safety Requirements

Ability to work safely and follow all safety policies and procedures. Must be able to maintain a safe environment and ensure compliance with all rules, procedures, and regulations for safety and operations.

Travel No travel is expected for this position. Occasional trade-show or conferences may be expected.

Required

TB clearance

Required Education and Experience High school diploma or equivalent

Bachelor’s Degree preferred and/or in process or equivalent experience of 3 years in a customer service.

Preferred Education and Experience

• Desire to learn and grow.
• Must have attention to detail, excellent customer service, and front of the line support
• Ability to balance and prioritize multiple tasks.
• Must be able to effectively exercise independent judgment and decision making in executing replenishment and inventory management activities.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and possess strong organizational skills.
• Must have good interpersonal skills, possessing a high degree of professionalism, tact, and persistence.

Work Authorization/Security Clearance  Authorized to work in the United States.

AAP/EEO Statement  Equal Opportunity Employer

Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.