Title: Organic Produce Buyer
Department: Purchasing
Class: Full Time, Exempt
Reports to: Director of Materials Management
Location: Remote
Position Scope
Accountable for product quality, profitable procurement, and timely delivery of products for multiple commodities across various growing regions. Works closely with Materials Management, Quality and Operations to achieve business goals, based on agreed upon strategies, grower/supplier relationships and contracts. Contracts for a variety of commodities while providing proper communication updating management of market conditions and recommendations. Builds relationships with growers, driving innovation while identifying and negotiating spot buy opportunities. Purchases in accordance with all policies and procedures established by the Company.
Job Responsibilities
- Manage procurement of certified organic fresh and IQF fruits, vegetables, and dry ingredients to meet company forecasted production requirements.
- Understand landed acquisition costs to ensure items purchased are at the lowest cost consistent with considerations of quality, reliability of source and urgency of need
- Assist in setting of annual standard costs and measure actual performance against standards
- Assists Material Management team with PO placement, purchase order management and quality claims
- Works within the guidelines of product specifications, but also identifies potential opportunities that might be outside of current specifications
- Track Supplier Performance vs PO/Contracts and product quality. Troubleshoot issues as necessary.
- Assist in developing commodity action plans for negotiating better prices based on knowledge of seasonality, market prices, and trends across vendors.
- Work with Innovation to source new items.
- Conduct proactive searches of spot buys and market opportunities
- Provide on-going intelligence to aid in business decision-making including weather conditions, supply availability, new growers/suppliers, cost opportunities, innovation, spot buys, etc.
- Help manage grower and processor/supplier relations with goal of building approved supplier base that can both scale with the business while meeting Company ESG guidelines.
- Approves Accounts Payable variances to ensure correct prices have been invoiced
- Maintain assigned SKU maintenance in Trace Gains system
- Communicate problem situations and possible solutions to Operations, & Production.
- Setup and maintain accurate planning parameters for products and maintain record-keeping systems of purchase orders and contracts. Understand inventory levels at warehouses to flag potential out of stock issues
- Onboard new vendors and products into our systems and processes, ensuring that they meet all our requirements.
- Assume additional responsibilities as assigned.
qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in purchasing, inventory and materials planning within the food manufacturing industry and specifically with organic produce and ingredients.
- 3-5 years’ experience purchasing produce
- Extensive knowledge in the produce industry including PACA guidelines, temperature guidelines, and USDA inspections
- Planning, Analytical, and problem-solving skills, experience taking initiative and making appropriate decisions
- Written and verbal communication skills as well as interpersonal skills to develop and maintain effective business relationships within and outside the Company
- Proficient in Excel, Word, Outlook, and MRP/ERP systems. Sage XP experience a plus.
- Bilingual English-Spanish preferred
Our Company
Once Upon a Farm is a rapidly growing, disruptive, organic food company that helps moms and dads keep their promise to provide the best nourishment for their children’s bodies and souls. Our mission is to nurture our children, each other, and the earth in order to pass along a healthier and happier world for the next generation. We craft the purest, most-nutritious and safest foods that will delight children of all ages. We currently offer best-selling lines of cold-pressed, organic baby food and smoothies and are rapidly expanding into other kid food categories. We are committed to fighting for and supporting efforts to drive positive social change and food justice for the benefit of moms, kids and families.
Our Culture
- We foster an entrepreneurial and collaborative culture that values humility, honesty, passion, positive social impact, and fun. We consider ourselves a bunch of “misfit toys”—we like to have fun, laugh and be a little weird.
- We are looking for teammates who will live our mission and fuel passion in each other to make a positive difference every day.
All business activities must be done in a way that underscores the social mission of Once Upon a Farm.