Regional Purchasing Manager, Gourmet

Summary of Position :

The Regional Purchasing Manager, Gourmet is responsible for overseeing the purchasing process of products in the Gourmet category at Bensenville, with strong negotiation skills, market knowledge, and a keen eye for detail.

This role will work closely with suppliers, the category team, and other departments to maintain inventory levels, drive department KPI’s and achieve overall business strategies.

Additionally, the Regional Purchasing Manager, Gourmet will lead and mentor the Gourmet buyers at Bensenville, ensuring day to day operations are being met through appropriate purchasing decisions, product, and inventory management, and fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment.

Responsibilities : Team Leadership :

Team Leadership :

• Lead and manage a team of gourmet buyers providing guidance, training, and performance evaluation.
• Assess the Gourmet Buyer’s performance and devise plans for improvement, by analyzing past and current performance and recommend objectives to improve productivity.
• Collaborate with MVP to implement strategies that support the market’s goals and objectives.
• Manage and facilitate coverage for Gourmet buyers’ PTO.

Purchasing and Supplier Management :

• Manage a book of vendors and products.
• Develop and maintain relationship with vendors.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies that align with department goals.
• Continually work to lower costs and increase profitability within the division.
• Support sales and category team in maintaining and updating pricing and margin strategies.
• Facilitate processes such as vendor onboarding, item creation, etc.
• Collaborate with other departments, such as category, production, logistics and finance to ensure seamless operations.
• Possess an ability to quickly identify and resolve any purchasing issues.

Inventory Control and Forecasting :

• Improve department forecasting and develop product pars based on usage reporting and seasonality.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records and organized buying practices to facilitate maximum buying efficiency and cross training.
• Support Inventory Team on development of best practices for product onboarding, receiving and inventory management.
• Ensure quality control is being deployed by all buyers on all orders to determine product quality and to process credits and returns in a timely manner.
• Analyze and maintain aging reports and product shelf life and communicate issues with sales and category teams.

Minimum Requirements :

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of experience in purchasing, preferably within the food industry.
• A demonstrated sense of urgency in meeting critical and time sensitive deadlines.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills.
• Fluent in English.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• In-depth knowledge of gourmet foods and specialty products is a plus.
• A combination of the above will also be considered.

Fortune Fish & Gourmet is an equal opportunity employer.