Associate Purchasing Specialist – Korean Food

Yami; Brea (CA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health insurance

Vision insurance

PTO: vacation, sick leave, holidays

On-site gym and game rooms

Employee discount

Coffee and snacks

Job summary

The Associate Purchasing Specialist – Korean Food will support the purchasing and merchandising functions for Yami’s Korean Food and Snack categories. This role covers day-to-day purchasing activities including PO management, replenishment, vendor communication, product sourcing, cost and pricing review, new item setup, inventory monitoring, and data analysis.

The specialist will work with Purchasing Specialists and category leadership to ensure product availability, healthy inventory levels,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in a related field.
• Excellent Korean communication, and strong English skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and data analysis capabilities.
• Experience in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain roles.
• Ability to manage multiple POs and vendors in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Create, process, and maintain purchase orders based on inventory needs and plans.
• Follow up with vendors on orders, lead times, and delivery status.
• Support replenishment planning and determine order quantities.
• Monitor open orders and identify delays or supply issues.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal teams to resolve discrepancies.
• Assist with vendor performance review and cost negotiations.
• Analyze purchasing data and support planning for seasonal items.

Skills

Korean language

English communication

Excel proficiency

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business / Supply Chain / Operations / Merchandising / Economics

Tools

Microsoft Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Founded in 2013, Yami’s mission is to bring the world closer for everyone to experience and enjoy. We make it easy to discover exciting flavors and trending products from Asia.

Named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing companies on the Inc. 500 List, Yami is committed to connecting customers with authentic food, beauty, home, and wellness products through our e-commerce platform and iOS and Android apps.

Founded in 2013, Yami’s mission is to bring the world closer for everyone to experience and enjoy. We make it easy to discover exciting flavors and trending products from Asia.

Named one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest-growing companies on the Inc. 500 List, Yami is committed to connecting customers with authentic food, beauty, home, and wellness products through our e-commerce platform and iOS and Android apps.

Benefits & Compensation

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off (PTO): vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• On-site gym and game rooms
• Employee discount
• Coffee and snacks
• Salary Range: $50,000–$68,000, depending on experience

Job Summary

The Associate Purchasing Specialist – Korean Food will support the purchasing and merchandising functions for Yami’s Korean Food and Snack categories.

This role will be responsible for day-to-day purchasing activities, including purchase order management, replenishment, vendor communication, product sourcing, cost and pricing review, new item setup, inventory monitoring, and purchasing data analysis.

The Associate Purchasing Specialist will work closely with Purchasing Specialists and category leadership to maintain product availability, support healthy inventory levels, identify new Korean food products and suppliers, and assist with improving product cost, margins, and overall category performance.

This position is ideal for someone with previous purchasing, merchandising, retail, or supply chain experience who is looking to further develop their career in procurement, buying, category management, and e-commerce.

Purchasing & Procurement

• Create, process, and maintain purchase orders based on inventory needs, sales trends, and purchasing plans.
• Follow up with vendors on open purchase orders, order confirmations, product availability, lead times, shipment schedules, and delivery status.
• Support replenishment planning and determine appropriate order quantities based on sales performance, inventory levels, lead time, and demand.
• Monitor open orders and proactively identify potential delays, shortages, or supply issues.
• Coordinate with vendors and internal teams to resolve PO discrepancies, receiving issues, damaged products, shortages, pricing differences, and other purchasing-related problems.
• Maintain accurate purchasing records, vendor information, product costs, lead times, MOQ, case pack, and other purchasing data within internal systems.
• Assist with negotiating product costs, payment terms, lead time, promotional support, and other purchasing terms.
• Monitor changes and communicate significant increases or purchasing concerns to the Purchasing Specialist or category leader.
• Assist with invoice and cost discrepancies by working with vendors, Accounts Payable, warehouse, and other internal teams.
• Support purchasing planning for seasonal items, promotional products, and high-demand periods.

Product Sourcing & Assortment

• Research Korean food and snack market trends, brands, products, and consumer preferences.
• Identify potential new Korean food products, suppliers, distributors, and brands, and identify potential opportunities for expansion, replacement, or discontinuation.
• Assist with vendor outreach and collect quotations, product catalogs, samples, pricing, and commercial terms.
• Evaluate potential products based on product cost, retail pricing, market demand, competitor offerings, margin, shelf life, sales potential, and inventory risk.
• Monitor competitor product selections and market trends to identify new purchasing opportunities.

Vendor Management & Business Development

• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with domestic and international Korean suppliers.
• Communicate regularly with vendors regarding orders, pricing, product availability, new items, promotions, and operational issues.
• Follow up with vendors to ensure purchasing requirements and agreed-upon timelines are met.
• Assist with vendor performance review, including delivery performance, product availability, cost competitiveness, and responsiveness.
• Support the Purchasing team in developing new vendor relationships and expanding Yami’s Korean Food supplier network.
• Coordinate with vendors on product samples, new product information, promotional opportunities, and product launches.

Inventory & Supply Chain Management

• Monitor inventory levels and support regular replenishment to maintain healthy product availability.
• Analyze sales velocity, days of supply, inventory turnover, aging inventory, and out-of-stock risks.
• Assist in identifying slow-moving, excess, and aging inventory and recommend appropriate purchasing adjustments.
• Support efforts to reduce out-of-stock situations while minimizing overstock and inventory risk.
• Review purchasing quantities based on sales history, forecasted demand, seasonality, promotions, lead times, and inventory position.
• Coordinate with warehouse, logistics, and purchasing teams to resolve receiving and inbound shipment issues.
• Assist with improving inventory efficiency and maintaining an appropriate balance between product availability and inventory investment.

Data & Reporting

• Prepare and maintain purchasing, inventory, and vendor reports using Microsoft Excel and internal systems.
• Analyze sales, inventory, cost, margin, purchase quantities, and product performance data.
• Maintain accurate product and vendor information within internal systems.
• Track open purchase orders, incoming inventory, and purchasing status.
• Identify unusual purchasing or inventory trends and communicate findings to the team.
• Perform other purchasing-related projects and duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Operations, Merchandising, Economics, or a related field; equivalent relevant work experience may be considered.
• 1+ year of experience in purchasing, procurement, merchandising, vendor management, supply chain, retail, e-commerce, or a related field.
• Experience working with purchase orders, vendors, product costs, inventory, or purchasing-related processes.
• Excellent verbal and written Korean communication skills.
• Strong written and verbal English communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel with the ability to organize, review, and analyze purchasing and inventory data.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple purchase orders, vendors, products, and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong communication, follow-up, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work cross-functionally with purchasing, warehouse, logistics, marketing, and finance teams.
• Strong interest in Korean food products, brands, retail, and consumer trends.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in food, grocery, retail, e-commerce, purchasing, or supply chain.
• Familiarity with and Passionate for Korean food products, brands, distributors, suppliers, and consumer trends.
• Hands-on experience with purchase orders, replenishment, vendor communication, inventory planning, or product sourcing.
• Excel skills, including PivotTables, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and basic data analysis.
• Experience working with ERP, purchasing, inventory management, or merchandising systems.
• Knowledge of both Korean and U.S. consumer markets is a plus.