Bilingual Purchasing Assistant (Japanese / English)

Staffmark; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 30,000 - 39,000; Full time

Job summary

Staffmark in Torrance, CA is seeking a self-motivated Japanese bilingual Purchasing Assistant to support international and domestic purchasing activities. The role focuses on administrative and operational tasks within the purchasing department and requires strong English/Japanese communication.

Prior purchasing experience is not required, making it an ideal entry into the purchasing field in the food and beverage industry.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher is required.
• Bilingual Japanese and English (business level) is required.
• Office experience with transferable skills; purchasing background not required.
• Strong interest in learning and growing a career in purchasing.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Must be able to work onsite five days per week.

Responsibilities

• Obtain quotes from freight forwarders for air shipments, process orders, and track status through delivery.
• Review forwarder invoices for accuracy, receive products into the system, and route invoices to accounting.
• Calculate shipping costs, quote sales teams, and prepare shipping documentation for international destinations.
• Coordinate label and packaging material orders and maintain inventory levels with overseas headquarters in Japan.
• Communicate with co-packers, vendors, and logistics personnel to ensure timely deliveries and quality standards.
• Generate discrepancy reports for shortages, delays, or damaged goods.
• Process co-packer and vendor invoices, verifying pricing and quantities.
• Track raw material inventory with co-packers and assist management with performance evaluations.
• Print and order product pouches, inner case labels, and shipping labels; maintain U.S. inventory levels.
• Provide translation support for cross-border communications.

Skills

Excellent communication

Presentation

Negotiation

Team-oriented

Self-motivated

Organizational abilities

Data entry accuracy

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Microsoft Outlook

Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central

Job description

Summary:

A global food & beverage manufacturing and distribution organization is seeking a self-motivated, outgoing Japanese Bilingual Purchasing Assistant to join their team in Torrance, CA. This role provides essential administrative and operational support to the Purchasing Department across domestic and international functions. The Purchasing team is a small, close-knit group that works closely together every day and enjoys spending time together outside of daily tasks, such as stretching, casual walks and team dinners. Prior purchasing experience is not required. This is a great opportunity for a bilingual professional with office experience who wants to build a career in purchasing and supply chain within the food and beverage industry.

Team & Culture:

• Family-oriented, warm and highly collaborative work environment
• Team members support each other closely and regularly take part in team bonding activities together
• Great fit for someone who enjoys being part of a tight-knit team and builds relationships easily

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

International Purchasing Support:

• Obtain quotes from freight forwarders for air shipments, process orders, and track status through delivery.
• Review forwarder invoices for accuracy, receive products into the system, and route invoices to accounting.
• Calculate shipping costs, quote sales teams, and prepare shipping documentation for international destinations.
• Coordinate label and packaging material orders and maintain adequate inventory levels with overseas headquarters in Japan.

Domestic Purchasing Support:

• Communicate with co-packers, vendors, and logistics personnel to ensure timely product deliveries and adherence to quality standards.
• Generate discrepancy reports for shortages, delays, or damaged goods.
• Process co-packer and vendor invoices, verifying pricing and quantities before receiving products into the system.
• Track raw material inventory (flavors, ingredients, components) with co-packers and assist management with co-packer performance evaluations.
• Print and order product pouches, inner case labels, and shipping labels, maintaining adequate U.S. inventory levels.

Administrative & Relationship Support:

• Research required materials and ingredients, request samples, and follow up as needed.
• Maintain supplier and pricing lists, process inventory adjustments, and prepare requisitions/purchase orders.
• Build and maintain positive communication channels with vendors, clients, and cross-functional teams.
• Provide fluent English and Japanese translation support for cross-border communications.

Qualifications:

• Outgoing, friendly, and team-oriented personality; enjoys working closely with others and taking part in team activities.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and able to work independently.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Demonstrated understanding of, or keen interest in, the dynamics and trends of the food and beverage industry.
• High ethical standards, strong organizational abilities, and meticulous data entry accuracy.
• Ability to work effectively in a moderate-noise office environment and lift up to 50 lbs. as needed.

Required:

• Language: Bilingual proficiency in Japanese and English (reading, writing, and speaking). Business or native level Japanese and business level English.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree from a four-year college or university, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Experience: Office experience with transferable skills such as order processing, invoice handling, data entry, vendor or customer communication, scheduling/coordination, or inventory tracking. Purchasing background is not required.
• Interest: Strong interest and eagerness to learn and grow a career in purchasing.
• Software/Technical: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Able to commit to working fully onsite, 5 days a week.

Preferred:

• Minimum of 1 year of office experience.
• Experience in purchasing, procurement, logistics, import/export, or supply chain is a plus.
• Experience in food and beverage ingredients, value-added ingredients, or nutraceutical industries.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central or similar ERP systems.