Purchasing & Inventory Coordinator

At Alert Venture Foundry (AVF), we build and scale startups across multiple industries. Georgie's Kitchen (GK) is one of our start-ups — an innovative and fast-paced, high-volume commercial kitchen that depends on reliable systems, accurate inventory, and well-managed supplier relationships to deliver every day. GK is transforming how prepared meals are packaged and delivered to customers.Join us on our journey as we redefine the prepared meal experience. We're looking for a Purchasing & Inventory Coordinator to keep the kitchen stocked, organized, and operationally accurate. You'll own all purchasing, goods receiving, inventory management, and the day-to-day data entry that keeps our systems reliable, partnering closely with the chef team, Industrial Engineer, and finance team to support continuous improvement across operations. This is a hands-on, site-based role focused on dependability, accuracy, and proactive problem-solving in a demanding kitchen environment. What You'll Do: Place all purchase orders for ingredients, packaging, and kitchen consumables, working closely with the chef team to ensure the kitchen is always stocked without over-ordering. Use demand forecasts provided by the Industrial Engineer to guide buying decisions — adjusting orders based on upcoming volumes, seasonal changes, and promotional activity. Proactively chase suppliers for delivery confirmations and ETAs; elevate supply risks to the kitchen leadership team early. Maintain and update the approved supplier list and preferred product specifications in partnership with the chef team. Partner with the finance team to ensure supplier invoices are processed in line with agreed terms. Serve as the primary day-to-day point of contact for all suppliers, verifying with the preparation team that all items received match the order in quantity, quality, and specification. Manage supplier communications regarding delivery shortages, missing items, and rejected or non-conforming goods, ensuring credits are raised promptly. Book all deliveries into the system to maintain accurate stock tracking and purchase price variance (PPV) records. Maintain accurate stock records through diligent data entry; promptly investigate and resolve stock discrepancies. Support the weekly stock take and ensure outputs are entered correctly and on time. Actively contribute to the weekly operations performance meeting, presenting data clearly and confidently. Identify practical ways to reduce admin time in your own role, including the use of AI tools for repetitive tasks such as order drafting or supplier communications. Perform other duties as assigned to support broader business needs, including ingredient prep, packing, and cleaning. What We're Looking For: 2+ years of experience in a purchasing, procurement, or kitchen administration role; food industry experience strongly preferred. Proven experience managing inventory, including stock rotation, waste minimization, and maintaining appropriate stock levels. Hands-on experience with goods receiving and purchase order management. Proficiency in inventory or order management software, with the ability to quickly adopt new systems. Consistently close attention to detail, demonstrated in prior roles. Solid analytical and problem-solving skills. Fluent in verbal and written English. High school diploma or equivalent required. Bonus Points For: Background in purchasing, supply chain, or the food industry. Experience working in a fast-paced commercial kitchen environment. Familiarity with AI tools for order drafting, supplier communications, or other repetitive tasks. Experience working cross-functionally with chef teams, finance, and operations leadership. Comfort presenting data and operational metrics in team meetings. AVF is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds who are excited to ensure the reliability of complex, real-world systems. #J-18808-Ljbffr