Purchasing Manager

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Position Summary

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies that ensure the uninterrupted supply of food, equipment, and operating products while delivering the highest standards of quality, service, and value. This role manages supplier relationships, contract administration, commodity analysis, and purchasing initiatives that support company growth and operational excellence.

The Purchasing Manager partners closely with Operations, Culinary, Quality Assurance, Distribution, Finance, Legal, Marketing, and Development to support new product commercialization, supplier performance, new restaurant openings, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management

• Develop and execute sourcing strategies for food, equipment, operating supplies, and restaurant/office support services.
• Establish and maintain strong supplier relationships focused on quality, service, innovation, and cost competitiveness.
• Lead supplier selection, qualification, performance reviews, and corrective action initiatives.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, value engineering, and supply chain optimization.
• Monitor supplier performance metrics and drive continuous improvement initiatives.

Contract Support & Administration

• Lead supplier contract administration, including renewals, amendments, pricing updates, and compliance tracking.
• Partner with Legal and Finance to negotiate commercial agreements and contract terms.
• Maintain purchasing agreements and supplier documentation.
• Monitor contract compliance and identify opportunities for renegotiation or supplier consolidation.

Commodity Analysis & Cost Management

• Monitor commodity markets, pricing trends, and economic factors impacting food and packaging costs.
• Prepare regular commodity reports, forecasts, and recommendations for leadership.
• Support annual budgeting and financial forecasting through commodity analysis.
• Identify cost mitigation opportunities and recommend sourcing strategies that minimize market risk.

Supplier Quality & Plant Validation

• Partner with Quality Assurance to ensure supplier compliance with food safety and quality standards.
• Coordinate supplier plant validations, facility audits, and first production runs.
• Support supplier onboarding, qualification, and ongoing performance evaluations.
• Collaborate on supplier corrective action plans and continuous quality improvements.

Product Development Support

• Partner with Culinary, R&D, and Marketing to source ingredients, packaging, and suppliers for new product launches.
• Coordinate supplier readiness for commercialization initiatives.
• Evaluate alternative products and suppliers to improve quality, availability, innovation, and cost.

New Restaurant Openings (NRO) & New Market Support

• Coordinate purchasing activities supporting new restaurant openings, relocations, remodels, and restaurant reinvestments.
• Partner with Construction, Operations, Distribution, and suppliers to ensure timely product and equipment availability.
• Support expansion into new markets through supplier identification, validation, and distribution coordination.
• Monitor project timelines and proactively resolve purchasing or supply chain risks that could impact opening schedules.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Finance, Marketing, Quality Assurance, Distribution, and Legal on purchasing initiatives.
• Support annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, and strategic business initiatives.
• Develop and maintain purchasing reports, supplier scorecards, and key performance indicators.
• Recommend process improvements that enhance operational efficiency and supplier performance.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills.
• Excellent negotiation and relationship-building abilities.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Willingness to travel approximately 10-20% as business needs require.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Food Science, Finance, or a related field.
• 5+ years of purchasing, procurement, sourcing, or supply chain experience, preferably within the restaurant, foodservice, retail, manufacturing, or consumer packaged goods industry.
• Demonstrated experience purchasing and sourcing protein commodities required.
• Experience negotiating supplier agreements and commercial contracts.
• Experience analyzing commodity markets, pricing trends, and purchasing data.
• Experience supporting new restaurant openings or multi-unit operations preferred.

Language Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Computer Skills

Proficient in:

• Microsoft Excel (Advanced)
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Outlook
• Microsoft PowerPoint

Experience with purchasing, ERP, or procurement systems preferred.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.

• Regularly required to sit, stand, walk, communicate, and use hands to operate office equipment.
• Occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to travel to supplier facilities, distribution centers, manufacturing plants, and restaurant locations.

Work Environment

• Professional office environment.
• Regular visits to restaurants, supplier manufacturing facilities, distribution centers, and test kitchens.
• Manufacturing environments may include varying temperatures, noise levels, and production equipment.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

If you are a current employee, please apply using the internal application process. Reach out to your manager for more information