Buyer-Tea

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee; Canada; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits from day 1

Employer matched retirement savings

Wellness Spending Account

Employee discount on products

Safety Shoes Program

Tuition Assistance

Job summary

Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee in Canada is seeking a seasoned Buyer to secure tea and herbals at the best price, delivery terms, and supply continuity, aligned with management policies.

You will review demand, place contracts, negotiate savings, monitor supplier performance, foster supplier relationships, and support production, quality, and sustainability reporting to achieve cost reductions and reliable supply.

Qualifications

• University degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years procurement experience in CPG or food manufacturing.
• Strong supply chain understanding and market condition adaptability.
• Proven negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent oral and written communication.
• Commercially astute with sound financial acumen.
• Experience in the tea industry or sensory evaluation is a plus but not required.

Responsibilities

• Review demand requirements and place tea/herbal contracts to meet production needs.
• Identify opportunities to reduce supply risk and improve pricing.
• Negotiate savings and optimize total cost.
• Monitor supplier adherence to contracts and take corrective actions.
• Maintain productive supplier relationships and communicate with stakeholders.
• Collaborate with functional teams to support category, commercialization, and plant production.
• Ensure spec adherence with Sensory, Technical, Operations and QA teams and manage documentation.

Skills

Procurement

Negotiation

Supply chain

Analytical thinking

Communication

Decision making

Multi-tasking

Tea industry knowledge

Education

University degree

Tools

Reporting software

Job description

Who is Mother Parkers?

We are one of the largest tea and coffee manufacturers in North America, with a mission to create a better beverage experience for our customers. As a leading customer solutions provider to some of North America's largest retailers and foodservice chains, we use state-of-the-art technology and new product innovation to help our customers grow their business and deliver superior products to their clientele. Our team of coffee and tea experts are deeply passionate about what we do, proud of our 100+ years of business success, and excited about building a future with endless possibilities. Come join our team and work among the best, collaborate with high performers, and contribute to challenging work every day!

The Role

This Buyer will be responsible for purchasing tea and herbals to ensure uninterrupted supply at the optimum price, delivery, and terms, and within the policies and guidelines that have been established by management.

What You Get To Do

• Review demand requirements, place contracts for tea and herbals accordingly and develop effective supply chains to ensure production needs are met.
• Identify and implement opportunities to (i) improve buying patterns to reduce supply risk and improve pricing; (ii) negotiate savings; and (iii) support operations to achieve the optimal total cost solution.
• Monitor suppliers’ adherence to contracts and specifications; implementing corrective actions where necessary.
• Foster productive relationships with suppliers and maintain open communication with key stakeholders, internal and external.
• Interact with various functional departments to effectively support Category, Commercialization and plant production efforts.
• Work with the Sensory, Technical, Operational & Quality Assurance team to ensure spec adherence, resolve any ad hoc issues and manage documentation flow in timely and effective manner.
• Achieve assigned targets on commodity efficiency projects, cost reductions and savings.
• Complete necessary sustainability reporting (RFA, FT, other) and system administration.
• Completed cupping and sensory evaluation on tea and herbals to ensure quality is maintained.
• Approve invoices and ensure compliance with contract terms.

What You Bring To The Role

• University degree preferred.
• Minimum 5 years’ procurement experience, preferably in a CPG or food manufacturing company.
• Solid understanding of supply chain dynamics with an ability to make decisions under changing market conditions.
• Proven negotiation and relationship management skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Commercially astute with good financial acumen.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task, analyze complex situations and make sound decisions at pace.
• Experience in the tea Industry or a sensory evaluation experience distinct advantage but not required.
• Must be enthusiastic to learn about the nuances of tea manufacturing and the tea industry.

What We Offer You

• Competitive Total Rewards package - health benefits coverage on day 1, employer matched retirement savings plans, optional Health or Wellness Spending Accounts.
• Employee discount program on our coffee and tea products.
• Annual Safety Shoes Program - your safety is our #1 priority.
• Tuition Assistance Program - we value continuous learning and self-development.
• The hiring range for this role is $75,000- $85,000 annually.

This posting is for an existing/new vacancy.

We use AI enabled tools to support parts of our selection process; however, every hiring decision is reviewed and finalized by our people.

While Mother Parkers welcomes all applications, we do not accept unsolicited resumes from employment agencies or search firms. Only those candidates who meet the minimum requirements will be contacted. Mother Parkers is committed to providing accommodation for persons with disabilities. Accommodation is available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

By providing your information to us, you understand and agree to Mother Parkers Tea & Coffee's privacy policy: https://www.mother-parkers.com/privacy-policy/