Buyer

Down East Seafood Inc.; New York (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid Vacations

Paid Holidays

Health, Dental and Medical Benefits

Weekly pay

Life Insurance

Employee discounts

401k

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Job summary

The Chefs' Warehouse is seeking an experienced Purchasing professional in New York to coordinate inventory replenishment with suppliers, sales, logistics and operations.

You will manage the full Purchase-to-Pay cycle, negotiate favorable terms, and maintain critical vendor documents in a fast-paced, multi-unit distribution setting.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of buying experience in specialty food products.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Place purchase orders with vendors, using seasonal fluctuations and market conditions to prevent spoilage, overstocks and shortages.
• Manage and maintain the entire Purchase-to-Pay process, including PO Creation, Vendor Confirmation, delivery date updates, and Accounts Payable collaboration.
• Maintain purchasing system data to generate suggested POs.
• Maintain vendor documents (W-9s, indemnities, etc.).
• Collaborate with vendors, logistics, sales, and customer service to optimize supply and overcome stock risks.
• Negotiate volume discounts and price breaks with vendors.
• Manage Fusion system issues affecting Purchasing and Receiving.
• Maintain BFC dating system to minimize close-dated issues and expired product impact.

Skills

Buying experience

Vendor relations

Excel

JDE

Microsoft Suite

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Excel

JDE

Microsoft Suite

Job description

About Down East Seafood

For over 30 years, Down East Seafood has been a go-to source for the freshest, highest-quality seafood among New York’s most celebrated chefs. What began as a single van sourcing clams from Maine has grown into a full-line seafood operation, delivering sustainably sourced selections six days a week across the Tri-State area. Based in a 17,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Hunt’s Point, the Bronx, Down East combines local expertise with coastal reach—providing premium seafood to restaurants in NYC, Westchester, Long Island, Southern Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey. With a commitment to freshness, traceability, and chef-focused service, Down East continues to bring the ocean’s bounty straight to the back of house.

For over 30 years, Down East Seafood has been a go-to source for the freshest, highest-quality seafood among New York’s most celebrated chefs. What began as a single van sourcing clams from Maine has grown into a full-line seafood operation, delivering sustainably sourced selections six days a week across the Tri-State area. Based in a 17,000-square-foot facility in the heart of Hunt’s Point, the Bronx, Down East combines local expertise with coastal reach—providing premium seafood to restaurants in NYC, Westchester, Long Island, Southern Connecticut, and Northern New Jersey. With a commitment to freshness, traceability, and chef-focused service, Down East continues to bring the ocean’s bounty straight to the back of house.

Position Summary

Coordinates inventory replenishment activities with suppliers, sales, logistics and operations for assigned categories.

What you’ll do

• Place purchase orders with vendors utilizing an awareness of seasonal fluctuations, market effects and other information that require a high attention to detail to avoid spoilage, overstocks, and shortages.
• Manage and maintain the entire Purchase-to-Pay process, covering:
• PO Creation
• Vendor Confirmation
• Accurate expected delivery date updates
• Collaboration with Accounts Payable to ensure payment.
• Maintain Purchasing system data to effectively generate suggested POs.
• Maintain necessary required vendor documents (electronic and physical), such as W-9’s, Indemnities, etc.
• Work closely with:
• Vendors to ensure POs are filled and delivered in a timely fashion.
• Vendors to manage FDA issues.
• Logistics to minimize freight expenses.
• Sales Managers to manage out-of-stock or over-stock risks.
• Customer Service teams to enable sales order growth.
• Buyers to build upon best-practices.
• Build and maintain vendor relationships to not only support PO fulfillment, but also negotiate volume discounts and price breaks wherever possible.
• Manage Fusion system issues that impact Purchasing and Receiving.
• Maintain BFC dating system to minimize close dated issues and Expired product impact.

About you

• 5+ years buying experience with a focus on Specialty Food Products for a multi-unit Distribution Organization.
• Bachelor’s degree from accredited four-year college or university preferred.
• Previous food service distribution and/or food importing experience strongly preferred.
• Commodity product awareness including blanket commitments, contractual processes, and appropriate market tracking.
• Advanced Excel Skill and additional Computer skills (JDE, Microsoft Suite – Word and PowerPoint, etc.)
• Must have a sense of urgency and be able to work under pressure, be comfortable in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment.
• Flexible with the ability to work well with all departments and levels of staff both internally & externally.
• Professional demeanor during all interactions with vendors, customers and fellow employees via phone or in-person.
• Have a drive to advance within the organization.
• Must be a team player with a positive attitude.
• Excellent verbal/written communication skills and a high level of analytical capabilities within Excel
• Self-starter, professional, goal oriented and able to handle multiple tasks.

The above job description is not an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow any other instructions, and perform any other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.

Perks & Benefits

• Paid Vacations, Paid Holidays
• Health, Dental and Medical Benefits
• Weekly pay
• Life Insurance
• 5% above cost for our high-quality food products
• Employee discounts for travel and events
• 401k
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan

The Chefs' Warehouse is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate based on actual or perceived race, creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability or handicap, sex, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Our management team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities and general treatment during employment. We are dedicated to building an inclusive and diverse workforce.