Senior Buyer

Australian Fine Foods; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Australian Fine Foods is seeking a Senior Buyer in Melbourne to drive purchasing, supplier relationships and strategic sourcing. You will coordinate with the Supply Chain Manager to secure timely, cost-effective procurement, ensure quality, and maintain reliable supply for a fast-paced international food trading environment.

The role emphasizes leadership in purchasing strategies, cost management, and continuous improvement to support business growth.

Qualifications

• Minimum 3–4 years purchasing or procurement experience in FMCG, food manufacturing, distribution or international trading.
• Proven experience managing local and/or international suppliers.
• Strong negotiation skills achieving competitive commercial outcomes.
• Experience in purchasing planning, inventory management and supplier performance monitoring.
• Understanding of product costing, margins and commercial decision-making.
• Experience with ERP systems and advanced Excel.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills under pressure.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High attention to detail and proactive problem-solving.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day purchasing across local and international suppliers.
• Prepare requisitions, issue and manage purchase orders per policy and terms.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms and supply agreements.
• Ensure purchasing aligns with customer requirements, forecasts and objectives.
• Monitor supplier lead times and mitigate supply disruptions.
• Review costs and identify profitability improvements.

Skills

Negotiation

Procurement planning

ERP systems

Excel

Time management

Communication

Vendor management

Tools

SAP Business One

Asana

Job description

The Senior Buyer will play a key role in managing purchasing activities, supplier relationships, product sourcing, cost negotiations and inventory planning.

Working closely with the Supply Chain Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the timely and cost-effective procurement of products while maintaining product quality, competitive pricing and reliable supply.

The role requires strong commercial awareness, excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced international food trading environment.

The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to purchasing strategies, identify opportunities for improvement and demonstrate the leadership capabilities required to take on greater responsibilities as the business grows.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Senior Buyer will play a key role in managing purchasing activities, supplier relationships, product sourcing, cost negotiations and inventory planning.

Working closely with the Supply Chain Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring the timely and cost-effective procurement of products while maintaining product quality, competitive pricing and reliable supply.

The role requires strong commercial awareness, excellent organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced international food trading environment.

The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to purchasing strategies, identify opportunities for improvement and demonstrate the leadership capabilities required to take on greater responsibilities as the business grows.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Purchasing & Procurement Management

• Manage day-to-day purchasing activities across local and international suppliers.
• Prepare purchase requisitions, and raise, approve and issue purchase orders in accordance with company policy, procedures and negotiated terms and conditions.
• Negotiate competitive pricing, payment terms and supply agreements.
• Ensure purchasing activities align with customer requirements, sales forecasts and business objectives.
• Monitor supplier lead times and proactively manage potential supply disruptions.
• Review purchasing costs and identify opportunities to improve profitability.

2. Supplier Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain strong, mutually beneficial relationships with existing local and international suppliers.
• Identify and evaluate new suppliers, new items and alternative supply sources for existing items.
• Monitor supplier performance, including pricing, product quality, delivery reliability and service.
• Resolve supplier-related issues, including product shortages, quality concerns, pricing discrepancies and delivery delays.
• Manage supplier claims and grievances, and implement corrective and preventative actions for defective or unacceptable goods.
• Maintain the Samples Register and ensure suppliers are notified of relevant customer feedback.
• Conduct regular supplier reviews and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

3. Commercial & Cost Management

• Analyse purchasing costs, supplier pricing and market trends to support commercial decision-making.
• Work closely with the Sales and Finance teams to maintain competitive pricing and target profit margins.
• Identify cost‑saving opportunities without compromising product quality or service.
• Review freight and other landed costs when evaluating sourcing options.

4. Inventory & Supply Planning

• Work closely with Sales, Logistics and Warehouse teams to ensure product availability and timely deliveries.
• Review sales forecasts and purchasing requirements to maintain appropriate stock levels.
• Review stock on hand on a regular basis and report any anomalies or potential stock issues.
• Monitor inventory movements, product shelf life and expiry dates.
• Minimise excess inventory, stock shortages, product wastage and obsolescence.
• Coordinate purchasing schedules with supplier production and shipping lead times.
• Assist in forecasting annual volume projections for suppliers and in‑house products.
• Identify potential supply chain risks and implement appropriate preventative measures.

5. Leadership & Continuous Improvement

• Support the Supply Chain Manager in overseeing purchasing activities and departmental priorities.
• Assist in developing and implementing purchasing strategies and operational improvements.
• Identify opportunities to streamline processes and improve efficiency.
• Provide guidance and support to other team members when required.
• Demonstrate strong ownership, accountability and decision‑making capabilities.
• Contribute to departmental planning and business growth initiatives.

Essential Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 3–4 years of purchasing or procurement experience, preferably within FMCG, food manufacturing, food distribution or international trading.
• Proven experience managing local and/or international suppliers.
• Strong negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to achieve competitive commercial outcomes.
• Experience in purchasing planning, inventory management and supplier performance monitoring.
• Strong understanding of product costing, profit margins and commercial decision‑making.
• Experience working with ERP systems and advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines under pressure.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• High attention to detail, accuracy in data entry and a proactive approach to problem‑solving.

Highly Desirable

• Previous experience in dairy or food‑related industries.
• Experience sourcing products from international suppliers.
• Knowledge of international shipping, Incoterms and import/export processes.
• Experience using SAP Business One and Asana.
• Previous supervisory or team leadership experience.
• Experience implementing procurement improvements and cost‑saving initiatives.
• Understanding of food safety requirements, product shelf life and stock rotation.
• Knowledge of export documentation and international market compliance requirements.