Procurement Assistant — Japanese Foods & Global Sourcing

Mutual trading company; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 51,577,000 - 65,904,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

401k with company match

Job summary

Mutual Trading Co., Inc. in Houston, TX is seeking a Purchasing Assistant to support procurement of food and non-food items across locations.

The role focuses on inventory monitoring, planning, and timely problem resolution to ensure smooth supply chains. You will interact with vendors nationwide, analyze lead times, negotiate favorable terms, and assist in ensuring product quality and regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; business or related field preferred.
• 1+ years of purchasing experience preferred.
• 2+ years longevity within a company preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assists with procurement of food and non-food items from company locations and vendors nationwide to secure supplies.
• Monitors daily inventory and creates purchasing plans based on order volume, assortment and lead time for products.
• Handles shipment issues promptly and escalates issues to management when needed.
• Answers questions in regards to products, shipping schedules, item statuses, inventory discrepancies, substitute items.
• Assists with food safety related issues and collaborates with Sales on returns and complaints; escalates issues to management when needed.
• Works with the Warehouse Department to ensure correct inventory quantity, satisfactory quality for physical inventory, expiration dates, damages, missing products and conducts adjustments as needed.
• Assists in developing new suppliers and procurement resources.
• Assists in researching new products, and provides sales representatives with information of products and how to introduce them to customers.
• Negotiates price and deals with vendor for competitive cost.
• Attends Company events and functions outside of normal working hours,
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Skills

Business level English

Business level Japanese or Chinese

Analytical math skills

Problem-solving

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Time management

Attention to detail

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Business or related field

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Mutual Trading Co., Inc. in Houston, TX is seeking a Purchasing Assistant to support procurement of food and non-food items across locations.

The role focuses on inventory monitoring, planning, and timely problem resolution to ensure smooth supply chains. You will interact with vendors nationwide, analyze lead times, negotiate favorable terms, and assist in ensuring product quality and regulatory compliance.