Purchasing Manager

Job Description

Job Description

JOB SUMMARY: The Purchasing Manager is responsible for leading and overseeing all purchasing activities for A&L Foods in a fast-paced food distribution environment. This role ensures the timely, cost-effective, and compliant procurement of products while maintaining optimal inventory levels to support sales, warehouse, and customer service objectives. The Purchasing Manager develops purchasing strategies, manages vendor relationships, supervises purchasing staff, and continuously improves processes to support service level, inventory turns, and margin goals.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop, implement, and execute purchasing strategies aligned with company objectives related to service levels, inventory management, and profitability.

• Lead and supervise daily purchasing activities, including supervising buyers and assigning workloads and priorities.

• Coordinate closely with inventory control, warehouse operations, and sales to determine purchasing requirements and manage inventory flow.

• Monitor inventory levels to minimize stockouts, excess inventory, and dead stock while supporting customer demand.

• Manage vendor relationships, including item availability, pricing, lead times, service levels, and issue resolution.

• Manage and communicate new item setups, discontinued items, substitutions, and vendor changes across departments.

• Respond to Sales requests for new products while ensuring adherence to established purchasing processes and approval workflows.

• Analyze purchasing, inventory, and demand data to support forecasting, planning, and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Train buyers on purchasing processes, systems, vendor management, and best practices.

• Utilize purchasing systems to place orders, manage item data, and generate reports; partner with IT to resolve system issues as needed.

• Track and report key performance indicators (KPIs), including service level, fill rate, inventory turns, shrink, and purchasing accuracy.

• Identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency, accuracy, and cross-functional collaboration.

• Ensure compliance with company policies, food safety standards, and applicable regulations.

• Perform additional duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and Experience Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.

• Minimum of 4–5 years of purchasing or supply chain experience, preferably in food or grocery distribution.

• Prior experience managing or supervising buyers or purchasing staff.

• Experience working with ERP or purchasing systems and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

• Strong understanding of inventory management principles and demand planning.

Key Competencies:

• Leadership and Team Development: Ability to lead, coach, and develop purchasing staff in a collaborative environment.

• Strategic Sourcing: Strong negotiating and vendor management skills with a focus on cost, service, and reliability.

• Inventory Management: Deep understanding of inventory flow, turns, service levels, and dead inventory reduction.

• Analytical Skills: Ability to analyze data, trends, and KPIs to drive informed purchasing decisions.

• Process Improvement: Continuous improvement mindset focused on SOPs, efficiency, and cross-functional alignment.

• Attention to Detail: High degree of accuracy in purchasing, item setup, and inventory management.

• Communication: Strong verbal and written communication skills for internal teams and external vendors.

• Technology Proficiency: Proficient in ERP systems, purchasing software, and Microsoft Office applications.

WORK ENVIRONMENT, EQUIPMENT, AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands listed below are representative of those that will be required to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Office-based role with regular interaction in warehouse and distribution center environments.

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods as needed.

• Occasional lifting or moving of items up to 50 pounds.

• Ability to work in multi-temperature environments (ambient, refrigerated, frozen) when required.

• Regular use of computers, phones, and standard office equipment.

• May require occasional evening, weekend, or holiday work based on business needs.