Gourmet Food Purchasing Lead

CentricitiHR; Florida; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee discount

Health insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Paid time off

Job summary

CentricitiHR seeks an experienced Buyer Coordinator to manage day-to-day purchasing for gourmet markets, restaurants, prepared foods, and catering operations. You will source local, domestic, and international vendors, negotiate terms, and collaborate with chefs to align menus with inventory and cost targets.

The role requires hands-on food service purchasing experience, strong Excel skills, and the ability to coordinate deliveries while maintaining accurate records and controlling costs.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of purchasing, procurement, or buying experience in restaurant, hospitality, food service, or food distribution purchasing.
• Experience sourcing food from local, domestic, and international sources, including specialty distributors, importers, or overseas vendors.
• Knowledge of fresh, specialty, and imported foods, perishable inventory, purchasing practices, and food-cost controls.
• Ability to translate menus, recipes, and catering requirements into accurate purchasing quantities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate purchasing of fresh produce, meat, seafood, dairy, specialty and imported ingredients, beverages, and operating supplies across all operations.
• Identify and evaluate local, domestic, and international food sources based on quality, pricing, availability, and delivery reliability.
• Compare vendor quotes and negotiate pricing and purchasing terms, considering pack sizes, yield, freight, minimum orders, and total landed costs.
• Prepare, process, and track purchase orders; maintain vendor records, product specifications, pack sizes, and pricing.
• Monitor inventory and coordinate replenishment based on sales, production needs, shelf life, and catering commitments while minimizing spoilage.
• Work with chefs and department managers to plan purchases around menus, recipes, and catering events.
• Obtain culinary approval for substitutions that affect product quality, yield, allergens, or food cost.
• Coordinate deliveries and resolve shortages, quality concerns, returns, and supplier credits.
• Review invoices against purchase orders; resolve pricing and quantity discrepancies with vendors and accounting.
• Track purchasing costs, price changes, and vendor performance; identify savings opportunities without compromising quality.
• Coordinate imported-product purchases, including lead times, freight, origin information, and required documentation.

Skills

Purchasing

Vendor management

Negotiation

Excel

Food service purchasing

Education

BA/BS in Business

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

CentricitiHR seeks an experienced Buyer Coordinator to manage day-to-day purchasing for gourmet markets, restaurants, prepared foods, and catering operations. You will source local, domestic, and international vendors, negotiate terms, and collaborate with chefs to align menus with inventory and cost targets.

The role requires hands-on food service purchasing experience, strong Excel skills, and the ability to coordinate deliveries while maintaining accurate records and controlling costs.