Import Procurement Manager- Food Ingredients, Raw Materials

Overview:

American International Foods is seeking an accomplished international procurement and supply chain leader to join our growing team as Imports Manager. The ideal candidate brings a proven track record of sourcing industrial ingredients globally for the food, beverage, chemical or health and beauty markets. They have built strong supplier partnerships, led compliant and efficient import operations into the United States, and developed high-performing teams.

This role offers a great opportunity to join a stable and rapidly growing industry leader, where your expertise directly shapes the business. You will apply your knowledge of industrial ingredients, commodity markets and international trade to drive growth by introducing new products and suppliers, diversifying supply and improving cost, quality and reliability. Supported by our extensive network and our own transportation and logistics companies, you will lead a talented team, make a visible impact and grow your career with us!

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Director of Supply Chain, the Imports Manager is responsible for developing and executing the sourcing, procurement, logistics, inventory and supplier relationship strategies that ensure a reliable, cost-effective and high-value supply of industrial ingredients sourced globally and delivered into the United States.

This role leads strategic supplier relationships across international markets while ensuring regulatory compliance, supply continuity, cost competitiveness and operational excellence. The Imports Manager will also lead the introduction of new ingredients and suppliers and the expansion of our product categories to support the company’s growth. As the connection between global suppliers, logistics providers, regulatory agencies and our internal teams, including sales, customer service, domestic procurement, operations and finance, this role is central to our growth, profitability and customer satisfaction.

Success in this role requires a blend of strategic sourcing expertise, international trade knowledge and supply chain leadership, along with a deep understanding of industrial ingredients and global commodity markets.

What You’ll Do:

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Develop and execute global sourcing and category strategies for industrial ingredients and raw materials
• Lead contract negotiations with international suppliers and drive annual cost savings and margin improvement
• Identify new products, suppliers and sourcing regions to support growth and diversify supply

Global Supplier Management

• Build strong partnerships with suppliers across Asia, Europe, Latin America, India and other key regions
• Evaluate supplier capability, quality systems, capacity and financial stability
• Manage supplier performance through scorecards, business reviews and shared innovation

Import & Trade Compliance

• Oversee U.S. import operations, ensuring compliance with customs, USDA, FDA/FSMA and documentation requirements
• Partner with customs brokers, freight forwarders and logistics providers
• Optimize landed cost, duties and tariffs, freight strategy and port-of-entry decisions

Supply Chain & Risk Management

• Lead supply planning, inventory targets and forecast accuracy, balancing service levels with working capital
• Monitor commodity markets, trade policy and geopolitical risks; build continuity plans for critical categories
• Use ERP and BI data to set KPIs and drive continuous improvement

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the procurement, sourcing and import logistics teams
• Build a category management culture of ownership, accountability and strategic thinking
• Develop talent pipelines and succession plans

Required Qualifications:

• 7–10 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, supply chain or import management
• 5+ years of experience leading teams
• Experience with industrial ingredients for the food, beverage, chemical or health and beauty markets (e.g., specialty ingredients, flavors, sweeteners, proteins, starches, oils)
• Strong experience importing products into the United States, including customs and trade compliance
• Proven success negotiating international supply agreements and managing suppliers across multiple global regions
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Procurement, Logistics, Food Science or a related field. MBA preferred.

Preferred Core Competencies:

Leadership & Business Acumen

• Builds and coaches high-performing teams that think strategically, not transactionally
• Connects sourcing decisions to margin, working capital and sales growth

Imports, International Trade & Logistics

• Deep knowledge of U.S. customs, tariff and duty programs, and import regulations (Customs, USDA and FDA/FSMA, etc.)
• Skilled in landed cost analysis, freight strategy and port-of-entry optimization

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Proven success building global sourcing strategies and diversifying supply
• Brings in new suppliers and ingredients that drive top-line growth

Category Management

• Owns ingredient categories end to end, covering strategy, cost, quality, risk and supply continuity
• Familiar with commodity market analysis, S&OP and inventory optimization; MBA and ERP experience (SAP, Dynamics, Oracle) a plus.

Benefits/Perks:

• Health | Vision | Dental Insurance ( PPO & HSA options)
• Paid Time Off
• Paid Holidays +Your birthday!
• 401k with 4% match (Roth & Traditional Options)
• Profit Sharing
• This position offers a competitive base salary commensurate with relevant experience and proven core competencies, along with the opportunity to grow with a stable, expanding industry leader.

WHO IS AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL FOODS

We are an industry-leading wholesale ingredient supplier serving food and beverage manufacturers nationwide. Our portfolio includes more than 2,500 high-quality ingredients, allowing us to meet a wide range of customer needs across the industry.

Our team is made up of passionate, knowledgeable professionals who take pride in solving critical challenges and delivering exceptional value to our customers. Guided by our mission to “perpetually create unsurpassed value in the ingredient distribution business,” we are committed to excellence in everything we do.

Headquartered in West Michigan, we leverage strong relationships with hundreds of ingredient producers around the world to provide high-quality materials to manufacturers and processors in the food and beverage, pet food, and personal care industries.

OUR INDUSTRY

Food is a powerful medium. It’s daily, it’s family, it’s cultural, it’s passionate, it’s ever evolving, it’s our connection to earth, and it’s a connection to spirit and a higher power. In the presence of food, we have birthdays, first dates, weddings, family discussions, celebrations, we conduct business lunches, and we go out to share beverages with friends. There is not a more impactful and connected industry than this.'

American International Foods, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a workplace where every employee and applicant is treated with fairness and respect. All employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline and termination, are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

American International Foods, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a workplace where every employee and applicant is treated with fairness and respect. All employment decisions, including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline and termination, are made without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.