Buyer

Walsh Employment; Illinois; On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

401(k)

Job summary

A growing wine and spirits company is seeking an experienced Buyer to join their merchandising team in Illinois. The role involves managing procurement, supplier negotiations, and inventory planning within a fast-paced environment. Key qualifications include 3–5 years of relevant experience, strong Excel skills, and a Bachelor’s degree in a related field. The position offers a competitive salary, benefits including medical and vision insurance, and a 401(k).

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in a buying or planning related position.
• Proficiency in supplier negotiation and managing vendor relationships.
• Strong attention to detail in reporting and catalogue maintenance.

Responsibilities

• Managing purchasing aligned to a bi‑annual forecasting and distribution schedule.
• Maintaining up‑to‑date inventory reports and conducting regular analysis.
• Sourcing and managing communications with domestic and international suppliers.

Skills

Supplier negotiation

ERP systems (NetSuite)

Microsoft Excel

Inventory management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, or procurement

Job description

Buyer – Wine & Spirits Company

Location: On-site – Northern Chicago, IL.

Base Pay: $70,000.00/yr - $80,000.00/yr

Our client is a growing and dynamic wine and spirits company with a global footprint. We are now seeking an experienced Buyer to join their merchandising team based in Illinois. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone with strong procurement, supplier management and inventory planning skills who thrives in a fast‑paced, product‑driven environment.

This is a full‑time, on‑site role (five days per week) based in Illinois.

Key Requirements

• 3–5 years’ experience in a buying or planning related position.
• Strong experience in supplier negotiation, with a proven track record of managing vendor relationships both domestically and internationally (any experience of sourcing consumer goods via Asia is beneficial but not essential).
• Proficiency in inventory and purchase order management, including use of ERP systems (NetSuite preferred).
• Excellent skills in Microsoft Excel – including VLOOKUPs and Pivot Tables.
• A strong eye for detail and accuracy, especially in reporting and catalogue maintenance.
• Confident communication skills, both written and verbal.
• A Bachelor’s degree in business, supply chain, procurement or a related field.
• Ideally you will come from a consumer goods background but this is not essential.

Role & Responsibilities

• Managing purchasing aligned to a bi‑annual forecasting and distribution schedule.
• Maintaining up‑to‑date inventory reports and conducting regular analysis on levels, pricing and inbound stock status.
• Recommending continuations, withdrawals or new additions to the product assortment based on stock movement and sales feedback.
• Sourcing and managing communications with both domestic and international suppliers, ensuring pricing is competitive while maintaining production standards.
• Ensuring complete alignment between the internal item catalogue, ERP system and warehouse records.

Additional Information

• Must be able to sit at a desk and use a computer for extended periods of time.
• Merit increases in salary.
• 2 bonuses – company and performance based of approximately 10‑20% paid yearly.
• Interview with Director of Merchandising (TEAMs call).
• DISC assessment.
• Onsite meeting with HR Manager and one of the Owners.

Benefits

• Medical insurance.
• Vision insurance.
• 401(k).