Beverage Buyer

Jetro Restaurant Depot; New York (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Restaurant Depot in New York is seeking an analytical Beverage Buyer to source beverage categories, negotiate terms with suppliers, and manage pricing and margins. You will leverage sales and inventory data to guide purchasing strategies and ensure product availability.

This role focuses on cost optimization, vendor negotiations, and detailed cost analysis, with opportunities to grow into broader buying responsibilities and category ownership within a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in SCM, business, hospitality, or related field preferred.
• 3–6 years in purchasing, procurement, or category management (food & beverage preferred).
• Strong Excel skills (pivot tables, lookups, data analysis).
• Demonstrated interest in vendor negotiations and cost optimization.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

Responsibilities

• Source beverage products across categories including soft drinks, water, juices, alcohol (where applicable), and specialty beverages.
• Develop and execute purchasing strategies aligned with cost targets, margin goals, and demand forecasts.
• Create, manage, and optimize purchase orders to ensure product availability and efficient inventory flow.
• Lead and support negotiations with suppliers on pricing, rebates, freight terms, and promotional support.
• Analyze supplier cost structures and market conditions to strengthen negotiation positioning.
• Build and maintain strategic vendor partnerships to improve service levels, pricing consistency, and supply reliability.
• Evaluate vendor performance using KPIs such as fill rates, lead times, and cost competitiveness.
• Conduct detailed cost analysis, including landed cost, margin impact, and pricing trends.
• Monitor market pricing, commodity fluctuations, and competitor benchmarks to inform buying decisions.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and implement pricing strategies to maximize profitability.
• Prepare and present pricing comparisons, variance reports, and savings analyses.
• Analyze sales data, historical trends, and seasonal demand to forecast inventory needs.
• Optimize stock levels to balance product availability with inventory carrying costs.
• Collaborate with operations teams to align purchasing with store-level demand patterns.
• Ensure all beverage products meet company quality standards and regulatory requirements.
• Verify product specifications and address quality or compliance issues with suppliers.
• Mitigate supply chain risks by identifying alternate vendors and contingency plans.
• Develop and maintain reports on pricing trends, vendor performance, and category profitability.
• Maintain accurate product, cost, and supplier data within purchasing systems.
• Utilize data analytics to drive continuous improvement in purchasing decisions.
• Strong negotiation and vendor management capabilities.
• Advanced analytical and data interpretation skills.
• Financial acumen with understanding of margins, cost structures, and pricing strategy.
• High proficiency in Excel and purchasing/inventory systems.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills.
• Ability to influence stakeholders and communicate effectively across teams.

Skills

Excel

Vendor negotiations

Cost optimization

Data analysis

Communication

Problem solving

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

Restaurant Depot is the nation’s leading members-only, wholesale cash-and-carry supplier serving independent restaurants, caterers, delis, convenience stores, and other foodservice businesses across 165+ locations in 35 states. Our stores offer bulk quantities of fresh meat, seafood, produce, dairy, frozen foods, grocery items, beverages, paper goods, cleaning supplies, restaurant equipment, and more.

Open seven days a week, we are committed to delivering consistent quality and competitive pricing to support small business success. As we continue to expand, we are seeking analytical, commercially driven professionals with a passion for supplier strategy and cost optimization.

Position Summary

As a Beverage Buyer, you will be responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing beverage categories to ensure optimal pricing, product availability, and margin performance. This role emphasizes vendor negotiations, cost analysis, and data-driven decision-making. You will partner closely with suppliers to secure favorable terms while leveraging sales and inventory data to guide purchasing strategies. This position offers a clear path for growth into expanded buying responsibilities and category ownership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Hospitality, or a related field preferred
• 3–6 years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or category management (food & beverage preferred)
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, lookups, data analysis)
• Demonstrated interest in vendor negotiations and cost optimization
• Excellent communication, analytical, and problem-solveing skills
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment

Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Source beverage products across categories including soft drinks, water, juices, alcohol (where applicable), and specialty beverages
• Develop and execute purchasing strategies aligned with cost targets, margin goals, and demand forecasts
• Create, manage, and optimize purchase orders to ensure product availability and efficient inventory flow
• Lead and support negotiations with suppliers on pricing, rebates, freight terms, and promotional support
• Analyze supplier cost structures and market conditions to strengthen negotiation positioning
• Build and maintain strategic vendor partnerships to improve service levels, pricing consistency, and supply reliability
• Evaluate vendor performance using KPIs such as fill rates, lead times, and cost competitiveness
• Conduct detailed cost analysis, including landed cost, margin impact, and pricing trends
• Monitor market pricing, commodity fluctuations, and competitor benchmarks to inform buying decisions
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and implement pricing strategies to maximize profitability
• Prepare and present pricing comparisons, variance reports, and savings analyses

Inventory Planning & Demand Forecasting

• Analyze sales data, historical trends, and seasonal demand to forecast inventory needs
• Optimize stock levels to balance product availability with inventory carrying costs
• Collaborate with operations teams to align purchasing with store-level demand patterns

Quality, Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure all beverage products meet company quality standards and regulatory requirements
• Verify product specifications and address quality or compliance issues with suppliers
• Mitigate supply chain risks by identifying alternate vendors and contingency plans

Reporting & Data Management

• Develop and maintain reports on pricing trends, vendor performance, and category profitability
• Maintain accurate product, cost, and supplier data within purchasing systems
• Utilize data analytics to drive continuous improvement in purchasing decisions
• Strong negotiation and vendor management capabilities
• Advanced analytical and data interpretation skills
• Financial acumen with understanding of margins, cost structures, and pricing strategy
• High proficiency in Excel and purchasing/inventory systems
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational and time management skills
• Ability to influence stakeholders and communicate effectively across teams

Compensation and Benefits

• Competitive salary commensurate with experience