Produce Buyer

Responsible for developing and managing the procurement and merchandising programs for categories of produce to achieve budgeted sales, gross profit, inventory turns and service levels. Works directly with other buyers, category managers, and pricing in order to maximize support for assigned produce categories.

Essential Functions of the Job:

• Develop pricing criteria that will keep us competitively priced while meeting our profit goals
• Create initiatives that meet our scan gross and budgets
• Develop negotiating environment that creates a collaborative and cooperative situation where sales and profit are achievable in all major contracts
• Develop warehouse inventory budget and service level budget by category to meet or exceed corporate goals as it relates to inventory and service level
• Maintain strong supplier relationships
• Evaluates and selects vendors
• Maintains up to date vendor list information
• Develop logistic initiatives with all suppliers - quantify savings per initiative
• Maintain store inventory levels on assigned categories
• Negotiate short-term and annual programs that meet our sales and profit goals
• Develop plan-o-grams that are to be used to implement business plans at store level
• Provide weekly recaps of variances to sales and profit and ways to improve.
• Work with private label staff to ensure all private label sales, profit and penetration goals are met
• Monitor inventory levels for GSP and for purchasing items to replenish those inventory levels at warehouse
• Work with vendors and suppliers on a daily basis
• Perform other related duties as assigned by management and adhere to all company policies and procedures
• Other duties as assigned

Required:

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Minimum of 5-7 years of recent, large volume produce buying experience
• Working knowledge of a variety of produce commodities including seasonal and specialty items
• Must have strong product development skills and strong financial skills
• Direct experience working with shippers/growers
• Should possess good supplier relations skills
• Provide strong negotiating skills with vendors
• Moderate to large dollar volume produce buying experience
• Proven ability to interface effectively across the full supply chain as it relates to produce
• Satisfactory performance reviews (if internal candidate). Strong professional references (if external candidate)
• Ability to work independently
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal
• Strong organizational skills and ability to multi-task
• Strong mathematical, analytical, and planning skills
• Self Motivated

Preferred:

• Some College coursework related to business
• Bilingual English-Spanish

Local Candidates Preferred


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