Buyer

Skychefs; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

SkyChefs, a long-standing aviation catering partner, is hiring a Buyer in San Francisco. You will source food products and materials, maintain supply continuity, and support retail customers. Hours: 7am to 3:30pm, with shifts subject to business needs.

Join a fast-paced, team-driven environment across 43 sites in the U.S. You will negotiate with suppliers, manage costing, and collaborate with Category Managers to validate costs and ensure compliance with pricing agreements.

Qualifications

• 1–3 years in purchasing, procurement, or supply chain.
• Working knowledge of SAP.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal stakeholders.
• Team-oriented collaboration.
• Strong multitasking and prioritization.
• Excellent analytical skills to interpret data.
• Strong verbal and written communication.
• Proficient in MS Office, esp. Excel.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Source market data to identify suitable suppliers and sources.
• Monitor costs and market trends; propose cost-saving measures.
• Source ingredients to balance cost, quality, and availability.
• Coordinate purchasing with vendors and manage changes.
• Maintain ingredient costing during menu development.
• Share insights on product availability and supplier capabilities.
• Align purchases with negotiated pricing and sourcing strategies.
• Support menu prep with samples and cost validation.
• Partner with PM and Pricing to meet program requirements.
• Create and maintain new product records in systems.
• Collaborate with CSC to reduce dead stock via resale/inventory transfers.
• Negotiate supplier terms; evaluate quotes.
• Support QA by maintaining product specs and nutrition data.

Skills

Purchasing experience

SAP knowledge

Stakeholder management

Team collaboration

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Excel expert

Detail-oriented

Tools

SAP

Job description

Requisition ID8184-Posted -San Francisco-Operations-CA

Job Title:Buyer
Job Location:San Francisco-USA-94128
Work Location Type:On-Site
Salary Range:$26.00 - 32.00per hour

About us

Since 1942, SkyChefs has taken culinary excellence to new heights. As a trusted partner to the nation's leading airlines and retailers, we proudly deliver millions of meals and exceptional service experiences every year across 43 sites throughout the United States. Built on a legacy of operational excellence, culinary expertise, and continuous innovation, we are committed to setting the industry standard in aviation culinary, airline services, last-mile logistics, and retail commerce. From the kitchen to the runway, our teams work together to deliver quality, reliability, and service at every altitude. Our people are the heart of everything we do. At SkyChefs, a career is more than a job - it’s an opportunity to grow, lead, and make an impact in a fast-paced, team-driven environment. Join America's first, foremost, and finest and take your career to new heights.

Role Purpose Statement

As a Buyer, you will be responsible for sourcing assigned food products and materials through effective procurement practices, helping to maintain an efficient supply chain and ensuring consistent product availability for retail customers.

Hours: 7am to 3:30pm however, hours may change depending on business needs

Main Accountabilities

• Conduct market research on products, suppliers, and pricing to identify sources that meet customer specifications, quality standards, and business requirements.
• Monitor product costs and market trends, proactively recommending solutions to mitigate the impact of price fluctuations.
• Strategically source food ingredients and products to achieve the optimal balance of cost, quality, and availability while meeting customer and Retail Sales requirements.
• Coordinate purchasing activities with vendors, including pricing updates, order cancellations, discontinued items, approved substitutions, backorders, delivery schedule changes, and invoice discrepancy resolution.
• Prepare, analyze, and maintain ingredient costing throughout the menu development process, incorporating supplier cost revisions as needed.
• Leverage knowledge of product availability, supplier capabilities, and industry innovations to recommend standardized products and value-driven solutions to customers.
• Support customer projects by ensuring purchases align with negotiated pricing agreements and established sourcing strategies.
• Assist with menu presentation preparation, including ordering product samples, confirming receipt, and collaborating with Category Managers to validate ingredient and packaging costs.
• Partner with Program Management and Pricing teams to ensure sourced products meet customer specifications and program requirements.
• Establish and maintain new product records within distribution and internal LSG systems.
• Collaborate with Customer Service Centers (CSC) to minimize dead stock inventory through resale opportunities, inventory transfers, or salvage solutions.
• Negotiate supplier agreements, evaluate vendor quotations, and ensure competitive pricing and product specifications through strategic sourcing and supplier benchmarking.
• Support Quality Assurance initiatives by collecting and maintaining product specifications, nutritional information, and related documentation.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Customer satisfaction and responsiveness
• On-time and within-budget completion of sourcing and customer projects
• Product cost optimization and savings achievement
• Supplier performance and service levels
• Inventory management and reduction of excess/dead stock
• Process efficiency and continuous improvement initiatives
• Compliance with customer specifications, quality standards, and purchasing policies

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

1 to 3 years of purchasing, procurement, supply chain, or related experience required

Working knowledge of SAP preferred

Demonstrated ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal stakeholders and business partners

Proven ability to collaborate successfully in a team-oriented environment

Strong multitasking, prioritization, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to perform effectively in a fast-paced setting

Excellent analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and support informed business decisions

Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively across all levels of the organization

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, including advanced skills in Excel, as well as Word and PowerPoint

Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills and a commitment to accuracy

Ability to manage multiple priorities while meeting deadlines and maintaining high-quality work standards

SkyChefs is an EEO and Affirmitive Action Employer of Women/Minorities/Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities.