Oganic Buyer

CareersInFood.com; Michigan; On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Eden Foods in Clinton, Michigan (Lenawee Co.) seeks a Purchasing Department professional to manage supplier relationships and ensure steady supply of authentic organic items. The role emphasizes rational inventory decisions, strong supplier communication, and integration with company systems.

Responsibilities include sourcing suppliers, maintaining the PID, creating Eden Specification Sheets, issuing P.O.s, managing inventory, negotiating terms, tracking costs, and ensuring quality.

Qualifications

• Analytical and problem-solving.
• Strong interpersonal and factual communication skills are essential for interacting with vendors and colleagues.
• Effective and efficient verbal and written communication skills.
• An openness to learning Eden Foods’ business and having full command of your products and vendor relationships. Clean, authentic organic food is a core responsibility at Eden.

Responsibilities

• Source and Supplier Management: identify, evaluate, and source suppliers, negotiating prices and terms; travel as needed.
• Product Information Database: maintain PID with accurate farm, food, and packaging data.
• Product Specification: create and maintain Eden Specification Sheets and obtain supplier specs.
• P.O. Processing & Management: issue detailed purchase orders and track status for on-time delivery.
• Inventory Management: maintain intelligent inventory levels and coordinate with Operations.
• Negotiation and Contract Management: negotiate terms/prices and manage supplier contracts.
• Cost Analysis and Savings: maintain landed cost data and identify cost-reduction opportunities.
• Quality Control: ensure purchased goods meet Eden Foods’ quality standards.
• Reporting and Analysis: track P.O.s and analyze supplier performance; monitor purchasing trends.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem solving

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Job description

Eden Foods - Clinton, Mich. (Lenawee Co.) seeks reliable, competent Purchasing Dept. professional. Some travel. Accuracy, computer skill, and an eagerness to learn are essential. Buyer and supplier relationship development role. Good work, good mission.

Job Description

Purchasing Department

Reports to: Purchasing Manager

Position Objective

Eden Foods is looking for a Purchasing Department team member to manage supplier relationships and help facilitate the efficient supply of authentic, natural, and organic items for its customers. The primary goal is to make rational decisions to maintain proper inventory levels through healthy relations on the supply side while integrating these processes efficiently into the company’s business systems.

Key Responsibilities –

Source and Supplier Management

Identify, evaluate, and source suppliers, negotiating prices and terms to meet annual supply needs. Farm and vendor visits require occasional overnight travel. Interface personally and through business systems with Purchasing Department members and other company Department personnel as necessary. Travel may is required as circumstances dictate.

Product Information Database –

Maintain updated and accurate data in the Product Information Database (PID). As facts are acquired concerning farms, foods, and packaging, insert them succinctly (zero fluff facts) into the PID for access by other company Departments and company personnel who must interface with the public (example Marketing & Sales) and agencies that have jurisdiction over aspects of Eden Foods.

Product Specification –

Acquire facts and data necessary to create and maintain on file in the Purchasing Department current, up-to-date Eden Specification Sheets for items purchased on the company’s behalf. Acquiring supplier spec. sheets is helpful in completing this necessity and learning about the supplier’s and industry’s perspective on what is usually included on a spec. sheet for a given item.

P.O. Processing & Management –

Issue detailed and accurate purchase orders (P.O.s). Maintain knowledge about the order status to ensure the best on-time delivery to Eden Foods.

Inventory Management –

Maintain intelligent inventory levels, conservatively maximize inventory turns, and identify potential shortages or overstocking. Work and communicate with Operations / Inventory Management ensuring that they are in-the-loop for goods routed to them.

Negotiation and Contract Management–

Negotiating favorable terms and prices with Eden suppliers. Manage contract data and necessary/courteous communications with our suppliers. Maintain details and paperwork related to supplier contracts with Eden Foods.

Cost Analysis and Savings –

Maintain data necessary for accurate landed cost of goods purchased. Remain aware of industry and item market prices to ensure Eden Foods receives competitive pricing from suppliers. Identify opportunities for cost reductions and recommend best practices for business systems and purchased-goods handling.

Quality Control –

Ensure that purchased goods and services meet Eden Foods’ quality standards, specifications, and requirements.

Reporting and Analysis –

Track P.O.s. Prepare reports on supplier performance. Be knowledgeable about purchasing trends and Sales Department projections.

• Analytical and problem-solving.
• Strong interpersonal and factual communication skills are essential for interacting with vendors and colleagues.
• Effective and efficient verbal and written communication skills.
• An openness to learning Eden Foods’ business and having full command of your products and vendor relationships. Clean, authentic organic food is a core responsibility at Eden.

This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive or a complete explanation of duties. Employees are required to perform duties as assigned by their supervisor or management. Eden reserves the right to modify job duties and responsibilities as needed. Job descriptions do not constitute or imply an employment contract.