Regional Produce Purchasing Supervisor

Gordon Food Service - Canada; Milton; On-site; CAD 100,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary + bonus potential

Medical & dental benefits

Full flex benefits program

RRSP match

Family culture

Advancement opportunities

Profit sharing

Company history (129 years)

Job summary

Gordon Food Service Canada is seeking a National Produce Purchasing Supervisor in Milton to lead regional buyers, drive category strategy, and optimize replenishment, vendor management and inventory health. You will partner with cross-functional teams to achieve KPI targets, cost competitiveness, and profitable growth.

Responsibilities include executing regional sourcing plans, managing supplier relations, and ensuring service levels across distribution centers while leveraging local and

Qualifications

• Produce procurement experience and product knowledge with regional dynamics.
• Ability to lead teams and influence across regional departments.
• Strong data analytics to interpret pricing, margin performance, and customer needs.

Responsibilities

• Achieve Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for the region.
• Lead, develop, and manage a team of Divisional Buyers.
• Execute seasonal and regional sourcing plans.
• Govern regional buying parameters to maintain high service levels and optimize inventory.
• Collaborate with marketing, sales, supply chain, and warehouse ops to ensure product flow and quality.
• Monitor regional market conditions and adjust sourcing to minimize losses.

Skills

Produce expertise

Leadership

Analytical skills

Supply chain management

Communication

Category management

Business acumen

Critical thinking

Data analysis / analytics

Managing relationships

Tools

SAP

MicroStrategy

AR

Job description

Welcome to Gordon Food Service! We are excited that you are thinking about opportunities with us, and we have an amazing story to share. Here's a quick glance of who we are and the impact you could have on the food service industry. There's a seat at our table for you...

Position Summary

The National Produce Purchasing Supervisor is responsible for the execution of the Fresh Produce Category strategy within their assigned region. They lead a team of Divisional Produce Buyers, overseeing day-to-day replenishment, vendor management and regional inventory health. Responsible for ensuring cost competitiveness and driving profitable growth within their region. This role acts as the bridge between national strategy and local execution, ensuring regional divisions achieve KPIs related to category growth objectives (sales dollars, cases, margin, brand and product mix targets), fill rate, liquidation, market relevance and cost competitiveness by leveraging a defined mix of sourcing solutions (including Markon, Specialty Companies, and local/regional partners). The Regional Produce supervisor develops regional sourcing plans, fosters relationships with local/regional suppliers and provides support to Produce specialists to drive market relevance and competitive pricing. To achieve this, decisions need to be informed by knowledge of current trends, internal and external category data, and feedback from engaged relationships with GFS Stakeholders. Collaborates with internal stakeholders (NA Category Team, Merchandising, Revenue Management, Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Capstone and Operations) to execute the strategy and ensure all KPIs are met.

What We Offer

• The salary range for this position is $100,000 to $110,000 plus a 15% bonus potential.
• Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and EFAP Benefits after 30 days of employment
• FULL flex benefits program
• Company matching RRSP
• Family culture
• Advancement opportunities
• Profit Sharing
• 129 year, family owned and operated company history

Essential Functions

• Responsible for achieving Key Performance Indicators( KPI)
• Team Leadership: Leads, develops, and manages a team of Divisional Buyers, overseeing performance appraisals and day-to-day workload delegation.
• Regional Sourcing: Executes seasonal and regional sourcing plans, identifying local sourcing opportunities for direct or fill-in purchasing to complement the national portfolio.
• Inventory & Service Levels: Governs regional buying parameters to ensure high service levels (in-stock %) while minimizing spoilage, liquidation, and right-sizing inventory across regional distribution centers and aligns with Regional Supply Chain Managers.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partners with Divisional Supply chain, Regional Sales, Marketing, Merchandising and Warehouse Operations (DOWs, QA, IC) to ensure proper product flow and quality standards that meet customer expectations.
• Market Awareness: Maintains real-time awareness of regional market conditions, including weather and seasonality, to proactively adjust sourcing and minimize product loss.
• Operational Excellence: Directs the resolution of quality or service problems with regional suppliers and ensures compliance with enterprise procurement and finance philosophies.
• Ensures strict alignment with, and supports, enterprise procurement and finance philosophies while consistently achieving divisional business objectives.
• Leads strategic collaboration with Marketing, Merchandising, Revenue Management, Inventory Teams, Sales, Supply Chain and key customers to proactively plan future events, determine product trends and validate new product requirements and opportunities within the region.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Produce Expertise: Extensive produce procurement experience and product knowledge, including regional terminal buying and source-region dynamics.
• Leadership: Proven ability to lead and develop teams and manage by influence across regional departments.
• Analytical Skills: Proficient in data analytics (SAP, AR, Microstrategy) to interpret regional pricing, margin performance, and customer needs.
• Supply Chain Management: Advanced knowledge of perishable supply chain principles, including regional freight networks and inventory flow optimization.
• Communication: Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills to share strategies and resolve issues with regional GMs, Directors, and Sales teams.
• Category Management — Proficient category management skills including product lifecycle management, sourcing and procurement, cost and pricing, sales and marketing metrics, strategies and tactics.
• Business Acumen — Proficiency of business and management principles involved in strategic planning to inject creativity, fresh thinking, new perspectives and to generate new and imaginative ideas.
• Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Data Analysis / Analytics Skills — Proficiency in analyzing information; able to use analytics and associated tools to analyze and interpret data related to industry trends, pricing, margin performance, customer needs, etc.
• Managing Relationships — Must be able to build relationships, network, influence and link resources to plan and execute business practices.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only those selected for the next stage will be contacted.

Gordon Food Service is an equal opportunity employer who strives to provide an inclusive work environment that involves everyone and embraces the diverse talent of its people. All qualified applicants and employees will receive consideration for employment, or in terms or conditions of employment, without regard to any enumerated or analogous grounds of discrimination, including race, religious beliefs, colour, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, age, ancestry, place of origin, marital status, source of income, family status, sexual orientation or status as a qualified individual with disability.

If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please submit your request to [e-mail] and use the words "Accommodation Request" in your subject line.