Meat & Protein Purchasing Director — Strategic Leader

Demakes Bros.; Lynn (MA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Demakes Bros. is seeking an experienced Director of Purchasing to lead our procurement function and develop a strategic, scalable approach across the organization.

This hands‑on leadership role blends strategic thinking with day‑to‑day execution in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment. The role oversees meat and protein purchasing, supplier negotiations, contract management, market analysis, and supply risk management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Operations, or a related field.
• 8+ years of progressive purchasing, procurement, sourcing, commodity trading, or supply chain experience.
• Experience leading a purchasing function or team.
• Strong experience purchasing meat, proteins, or other food commodities.
• Experience with international protein sourcing, trading, or commodity merchandising.
• Proven experience negotiating supplier contracts, pricing, terms, and strategic agreements.
• Experience evaluating commodity risk, purchasing positions, and sourcing strategies to manage cost and supply exposure.
• Strong commercial and financial acumen and an understanding of how purchasing decisions impact margins and overall business performance.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to turn market, inventory, forecast, and financial data into actionable decisions.
• Hands-on approach and willingness to work at both strategic and tactical levels.

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop a small team of purchasing professionals while actively involved in day-to-day purchasing.
• Take direct ownership of meat and protein purchasing while overseeing other categories.
• Develop and execute short- and long-term purchasing and sourcing strategies.
• Monitor meat and protein markets, pricing trends, supply/demand dynamics, and market conditions.
• Translate market intelligence into actionable purchasing recommendations and supplier selections.
• Develop commodity risk management strategies to mitigate price volatility and disruptions.
• Evaluate domestic and international sourcing opportunities and supplier options.
• Lead supplier negotiations including pricing, contracts, terms, and volume commitments.
• Build strong supplier relationships and continually evaluate alternative sources.
• Balance cost, quality, inventory and service levels in decisions.
• Identify cost savings opportunities while aligning with business needs.
• Identify supply risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Align purchasing with forecasts, production schedules, and changing needs.
• Partner with Sales and Finance to understand customer requirements and margins.
• Document and monitor supplier contracts and terms.
• Establish KPIs, supplier performance, and cost trends.
• Improve analytical tools and reporting to support purchasing decisions.
• Conduct post-purchase analysis and identify improvements.
• Improve purchasing processes, reporting, controls, and systems as the business grows.
• Provide leadership visibility into commodity markets and cost changes.
• Support budgeting and forecasting with market outlooks and cost projections.
• Collaborate with Quality to ensure supplier materials meet requirements.
• Support new product development by evaluating sourcing options and costs.
• Handle tactical purchasing needs and supplier issues when needed.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Team leadership

Meat/protein purchasing

Supplier negotiations

Contract management

Market analysis

Inventory management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Job description

Demakes Bros. is seeking an experienced Director of Purchasing to lead our procurement function and develop a strategic, scalable approach across the organization.

This hands‑on leadership role blends strategic thinking with day‑to‑day execution in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment. The role oversees meat and protein purchasing, supplier negotiations, contract management, market analysis, and supply risk management.