Buyer

VITA FOOD PRODUCTS; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vita Food Products in Chicago seeks a detail-oriented Buyer to manage purchasing and material-planning for ingredients, packaging materials, and MRO across production and other departments. You will create and track purchase orders, coordinate with suppliers, analyze pricing and lead times, and use Dynamics GP and Excel to support material requirements.

This role partners with Production, Sales, Accounting, QA, Shipping and Maintenance to keep operations running smoothly in a fast-paced food

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or 3–5 years in purchasing or procurement in manufacturing.
• Experience in food manufacturing or regulated environments preferred.
• Strong negotiation and vendor-management skills.
• Proficient with ERP systems and Excel PivotTables.

Responsibilities

• Plan and process purchases of ingredients, packaging materials, and MRO supplies.
• Create and maintain accurate purchase orders and requisitions.
• Coordinate with suppliers and communicate delivery requirements.
• Review pricing, lead times, and supplier proposals.
• Monitor open POs and ensure timely delivery.
• Collaborate with Production, Sales, Accounting, QA, Shipping, and Maintenance.
• Maintain procurement records and participate in ongoing process improvements.

Skills

Purchasing

Inventory control

Material planning

Supplier negotiation

ERP (Dynamics GP)

Excel (PivotTables)

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics GP

ERP systems

Excel

Job description

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Buyer to support purchasing and material-planning activities for our Chicago food manufacturing facility. This position is responsible for planning and processing purchases of ingredients and packaging materials used in Salmon and Herring production, as well as supporting MRO purchasing needs across multiple departments.

The Buyer will manage purchase orders, coordinate with suppliers, monitor material requirements, maintain accurate procurement records, and collaborate with Production, Sales, Accounting, Quality Assurance, Shipping, Maintenance, and Operations. The ideal candidate will combine strong purchasing knowledge with excellent organization, communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.

Duties

Job Overview

We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Buyer to support purchasing and material-planning activities for our Chicago food manufacturing facility. This position is responsible for planning and processing purchases of ingredients and packaging materials used in Salmon and Herring production, as well as supporting MRO purchasing needs across multiple departments.

The Buyer will manage purchase orders, coordinate with suppliers, monitor material requirements, maintain accurate procurement records, and collaborate with Production, Sales, Accounting, Quality Assurance, Shipping, Maintenance, and Operations. The ideal candidate will combine strong purchasing knowledge with excellent organization, communication, negotiation, and analytical skills.

Duties

• Plan and process purchases of ingredients and salmon packaging materials based on production schedules, inventory requirements, budgets, and operational priorities.
• Create, enter, and maintain accurate purchase orders for ingredients, packaging materials, and MRO supplies.
• Communicate new purchase orders, revisions, specifications, and delivery requirements to suppliers.
• Review purchase requisitions and confirm pricing, quantities, approvals, availability, and delivery schedules.
• Obtain product and service information from vendors, including pricing, availability, lead times, and delivery terms.
• Prepare purchase orders, requests for quotations, and bid requests.
• Review supplier proposals and negotiate pricing, contracts, delivery terms, and other conditions within established budgets and levels of authority.
• Monitor open purchase orders and follow up with suppliers to support accurate and timely delivery.
• Maintain direct-material reports for Magnús and other applicable production departments.
• Use system-generated reports, Excel, and PivotTables to update material requirements planning information.
• Coordinate ingredient and packaging-material requirements for the Salmon and Herring departments.
• Process MRO purchase orders in Microsoft Dynamics GP and place online orders for Maintenance, Shipping, Quality Assurance, and Operations.
• Partner with Accounting to resolve purchase-order variances, invoice discrepancies, and supplier payment-status questions.
• Collaborate with Sales regarding material requirements for new products and customer projects.
• Work with internal departments to resolve purchasing issues, material shortages, and other operational needs.
• Maintain the integrity and accuracy of electronic procurement and business recordkeeping systems.
• Support warehouse and inventory-control processes related to purchased materials.
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing, planning, and administrative processes.
• Support colleagues in implementing operational improvements and effective working practices.
• Assist with the development and implementation of Food Safety Fundamentals and the Food Safety Plan under the BRCGS system.
• Take appropriate action within the position’s authority to protect the integrity of the BRCGS system.
• Follow all applicable environmental, workplace safety, food safety, legal, and corporate ethics requirements.
• Provide purchasing support to other departments as business needs require.
• Perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or three to five years of related purchasing, procurement, material-planning, or supply-chain experience; an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience will also be considered.
• Purchasing experience in a food manufacturing or similarly regulated production environment is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of purchasing policies, procedures, and procurement practices.
• Understanding of warehouse operations, inventory control, material planning, and manufacturing processes.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate competitive pricing, supplier terms, and delivery schedules.
• Experience creating and managing purchase orders through an electronic business or ERP system.
• Experience with Microsoft Dynamics GP, formerly Great Plains, is preferred.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including experience using PivotTables and system-generated reports.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to maintain accurate records and manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent written, verbal, telephone, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to build professional relationships with suppliers and collaborate effectively across all levels of the organization.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to address purchasing discrepancies, delivery delays, and material shortages.
• Familiarity with food safety programs, including BRCGS, HACCP, GMP, and allergen-control requirements, is a plus.
• Join Vita Food Products as a Buyer and help ensure our production teams have the ingredients, packaging materials, and operational supplies needed to maintain efficient, safe, and reliable food manufacturing operations.