Location

Relocation

Description

Category Buyer Purcashing Refrigerated Foods

Summary

Category Buyer/Purchasing Food Manufacturing – Seattle, WA
Our client is a multi-plant, USDA Food Manufacturer based in Seattle, WA area. The Category Buyer, will be based in Everett, WA and is 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 with an approximate annual spend budget of $50MM. The Category Buyer reports to our Purchasing Manager.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute raw material requirements for internal customers through ERP System (Ross). • Order raw materials within lead time specifications as needed, enter purchase orders with detail to quantity and cost, communicate purchase orders 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 inventory and 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, shelf life, primary and secondary vendor. • Maintain Vendor Database with contact and ordering info for customer service and sales representatives. • Negotiate with vendors for competitive pricing, source and review new products as the business demands. • Qualify new suppliers as business and market needs change for the organization. • Develop and implement cost savings/cost reduction programs and projects. • New Vendor and Product setup (price quotation and negotiation, raw material documents, 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 daily and weekly team huddles and meetings to report on and field issues and questions regarding materials. • Initiate and lead actions to improve quality, reduce cost and reduce inventory. • Use internal Supplier Evaluation Program to monitor and improve supplier performance. • Assist Operations Team (Receiving/Warehouse/Production/Planning/ Logistics) with raw material issues, delivery and pickup times, inventory discrepancies, and ensure supplier is aligned with business needs. • Work with Quality Team to action expiring inventory, manage raw material rejections and returns, supplier credits and other issues as needed. • Due to 24-hour production schedules, after hours and weekend communication may be required during peak season or when issues arise. • Project Management - Develops Plans; Coordinates projects; Communicates changes and progress; Completes projects on time and budget. • Support Purchasing Manager and Operations Team as the On-site Purchasing Team contact. • Ensure raw materials are in stock for required production (Metric: Raw Material Shortage Report) • Ensure Quality of Raw Materials and Manage Vendors Quality Standards (Metric: Raw Material Rejections/Returns) • Ensure plant efficiency through proper communication and planning of raw materials (Metric: Downtime / Raw Material Shortage Report) • Reduce inventory and cost to improve cash flow and increase company profitability while maintaining quality standards and production supply (Metric: Weeks on Hand / Inventory Exposure) • Manage and seek out cost saving opportunities, Ensure pricing accuracy (Metric: Material Price Variance)

Requirements

• Must have at least 3-5 years of experience in this type of role in food manufacturing industry • Must have experience in chilled/refrigerated food manufacturing industry • Must have Demonstrated excellence in driving consistently strong profitable sales growth • Must have experienced working with Procurement/Supply Chain Planning • Should have exceptional written and verbal communication and presentation skills • Adept with the Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel, and strong understanding of ERP/MRP Systems • Financial and business acumen In return, they offer a competitive base salary, bonus, relocation assistance and ample opportunity for career advancement. Send resume to: rob@foodemployment.com