Buyer

Buyer Position

Medosweet's mission is to create an exceptional customer experience through teaming, innovative technology, and fresh new customer offerings while honoring our founders core values of recognizing employees, customers, community, and faith in the conduct of our company. Medosweet's vision is providing best in class service while treating all employees and customers like family.

This buyer position is responsible for sourcing and purchasing key food and dairy products for Medosweet's customers, managing a group of inventory SKUs and other projects (primary sourcing) as assigned. Primary products at present are dairy related (organic/conventional milk, cream and sour cream, etc.). Must have experience in fresh/chilled product.

The role entails establishing strong supplier and customer relationships to manage product supply and demand to meet Medosweet's customers' needs. Challenges range from short lead time orders to seasonal product supply challenges and finding the best processes and relationships to manage those challenges.

The general key responsibilities of this position are product sourcing to meet customer demand, SKU management, supplier management, and collaboration with sales and operations. The position requires both professional and industry expertise to independently identify and act on opportunities, service internal and external customer's needs, and resolve product/supplier issues. The position requires a high degree of initiative and sound judgment to drive successful results. Strong, clear customer oriented communications are critical.

There is no relocation funding available.

Summary of essential job functions

Sourcing activities:

• Work with stakeholders to source new products/suppliers as needed to meet their requirements
• Ensuring the sourcing requirement meets best practices for delivering quality, service, value, and strategic relationships appropriate to the sourcing need
• Use best practices for supplier and product sourcing & selection (information gathering, bidding, product/supplier analysis, negotiations, cost analysis, supplier qualification & selection, etc.)
• Analyze sourcing requests to ensure all key information is identified and the process is approached to maximize opportunities for all parties
• Use historical and future data/trends to maintain proper inventory levels
• Maintain and hold a 98% fill rate or above
• Responsible for spoilage of assigned products, prompt and proactive communication to move short-dated items, achieve department spoilage goals

Supplier management:

• Develop Medosweet's supplier base to increase efficiency and effectiveness
• Communicate any supplier quality issues directly to the supplier and provide disposition
• Establish cost and pricing business rules and reporting by supplier
• Develop supplier quality assurance capabilities
• Resolve supplier issues related to availability, service, quality, pricing, etc. to create a competitive advantage for Medosweet
• Work to create efficient processes and successful results in the process of issue identification and resolution
• Work with suppliers and internal stakeholders to meet Medosweet's documentation and information requirements

Spend management:

• Meet established annual cost savings goals (ROI)
• Develop efficient processes to routinely review and audit Medosweet's purchasing expenditures and rebates to identify and achieve a competitive advantage for the company through cost savings and supply management operating efficiencies
• Work with suppliers, sales, & stakeholders to identify and drive profit improvement initiatives and efficiencies

Industry knowledge:

• This position is responsible for monitoring and understanding the impact of Medosweet's key commodities market changes
• This knowledge is to be leveraged to making pricing recommendations as well as establishing cost formulas for key products and product lines designed to achieve both bottom line gains and ensure transparent supplier cost based pricing

Purchasing support:

• This position is responsible for establishing a high level of collaboration with sales, warehouse, distribution, and all key stakeholders
• Routine professional communications regarding issues (identification/recommendations/status), opportunities (recommendations/implementation) and processes (training/awareness)
• Documenting key procedures designed to improve overall supply management operations and costs (SOP's)
• Tracking profit improvement initiatives achieved on a weekly basis (KPI's)

Minimum requirements:

• Knowledge of supply management for fresh, chilled, and perishable food product
• Knowledge of dairy, cheese, egg, & food products and their related commodity markets
• Skill in preparing and analyzing specifications, requests for information, request for bids, supplier qualifications check lists
• Strong skill set both verbal and written communication
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships
• Ability to operate in a refrigerated/frozen warehouse environment
• Strong skill set in the use of technology such as ERP systems and Microsoft Office software especially Excel

Abilities required:

• Three or more years purchasing experience for perishable commodities including sourcing and cost negotiations
• Ability to work effectively and accurately in a fast-paced environment
• Bachelor's degree or certified professional in business or supply management preferred