Purchasing Department Team Member

Position Title: Purchasing Specialist

Location: Metz Culinary Management Corporate HQ, Dallas Pa

Salary: 45-60K (This is a range and will be based on comprehensive scope of experience)

Reports to: Vice President, Procurement | Culinary

Job Summary

The Purchasing Specialist uniquely blends operational procurement with financial oversight, requiring the candidate to conduct regular vendor audits to ensure contract pricing compliance, rebate fulfillment and accuracy, vendor set-ups, and adherence to quality standards. The ideal candidate will leverage a background in accounting and/or finance to reconcile and identify cost-saving opportunities within the supply chain.

Key Responsibilities
1. Strategic Procurement & Vendor Management

• Evaluate and onboard new suppliers based on capacity, food safety certifications, and diversity status.
• Account set up alignment with national GPO's (Group Purchasing Organization) to ensure correct pricing tiers with distributor partners
• Responsible for maintaining an up-to-date vendor contact listing with key contact information

2. Financial Oversight & Compliance (Accounting Focus)

• Resolve price discrepancies when identified and obtain credits from vendors.
• Accounting Integration: Collaborate with the accounting department to ensure vendors are correctly set up in the finance system
• Manage and track vendor rebates, volume discounts, and growth incentives to ensure all credits are captured and applied to the bottom line.

3. Vendor Audit & Risk Mitigation

• Conduct systematic audits of primary and secondary distributors to verify that 'contract price' matches 'invoice price' and account is compliant with preferred vendors
• Responsible for acquiring and recording vendor paperwork for adherence to HACCP and company-specific food safety standards.
• Document and report audit findings to senior leadership, initiating corrective action plans (CAPs) for non-compliant vendors.

4. Operational Support & Analytics

• Utilize purchasing software and industry data to provide menu costing support to the field by analyzing current market volatility (e.g., Beef/Egg price trends).
• Source, order, and track equipment and supplies (e.g., ovens, refrigerators, smallwares) to meet operational demands. Create, manage, and track Purchase Orders (PO's).

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or Supply Chain Management.
• Experience: 3-5 years of procurement experience, preferably in a high-volume foodservice, hospitality, or distribution environment.
• Technical Skills: Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (VLOOKUPs, Pivot Tables, Macro-enabled workbooks) and experience with ERP systems.
• Auditing Mindset: Proven ability to analyze large datasets to find 'red flags' or billing errors.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in Contract Foodservice Management (Higher Ed, Healthcare, K-12, or Corporate Dining).
• Knowledge of USDA NSLP (National School Lunch Program) procurement regulations and 'Buy American' provisions.

Core Competencies

• Analytical Thinking: Ability to bridge the gap between Kitchen Operations and Corporate Purchasing / Accounting.
• Negotiation Skills: Ability to drive value while maintaining strong long-term vendor partnerships.
• Attention to Detail: High degree of accuracy in data entry and financial reporting.

Metz Culinary Management Values are what separates us from the competition. Our Leaders share our Values, Attributes, and Strategic Focus reinforcing our culture and values every day to our Team Members creating an environment for personal growth, enrichment and career success.

As one of the fastest growing companies in the industry, we continually seek talented and dedicated individuals who share our commitment to excellence. Join our team of over 7,000 team members who share a passion for Onsite Dining and Support Services, working together toward one common goal, excellence, in quality and service. We are committed to providing the atmosphere, opportunity, and benefits that enable us to be an employer of choice in the industry.

Metz Culinary Management is a FAMILY-DRIVEN company that collaborates with its partners to deliver RESTAURANT-INSPIRED hospitality to each, and every guest