Procurement Buyer - Ingredients

Foster Farms; Livingston (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 82,000; Full time

Job summary

Foster Farms in Livingston, CA is seeking a Purchasing professional to manage daily ingredient buying, SAP-based MRP support, and supplier documentation to ensure timely deliveries across facilities.

The role involves onboarding suppliers, assisting with RFPs/RFQs, market analysis of grains and oils, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to meet quality and safety standards. A Bachelor's degree is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Statistics, Supply Chain, or related field.
• Strong Excel and MS Office proficiency; ability to learn SAP and BW.
• Excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Execute daily ingredient purchasing activities, including requisition support, PO creation, order confirmations, and invoice resolution.
• Ensure on-time delivery of ingredients and maintain procurement records; approve POs up to $100,000.
• Support SAP MRP settings and inventory parameters across locations.
• Maintain supplier compliance with BRC, FSQA and internal standards, including documentation and risk evaluations.
• Lead supplier onboarding, transitions, and material changes for new or updated ingredients.
• Support RFPs/RFQs, bid analysis, contract development, and pricing updates.
• Monitor key commodity markets to inform purchasing decisions and support value-based agreements.
• Perform data analysis using Excel and SAP to support material setup and reporting.

Skills

Excel proficiency

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Statistics, Supply Chain, or related field

Tools

SAP

BW

Microsoft Excel

MS Office

Job description

Salary Range $70,304-$82,285 per year

About Foster Farms

At Foster Farms, our mission is creating great food and serving great moments. Our vision is to be the best and most trusted food company, empowering and nourishing the lives of those we serve. We measure our success by how well we protect and care for our team, our consumers, our animals, and our environment, while delivering operational excellence and exceptional value to our customers.

Purpose of Position

Supports the Purchasing Manager in managing the food ingredients category by handling daytoday purchasing execution and operational support activities. Responsibilities include supplier coordination, Material Requirements Planning (MRP) support, food safety compliance, and participation in sourcing initiatives, supplier performance management, and market analysis. As experience is gained, the role is expected to evolve to include greater account ownership, leading strategic sourcing initiatives, and contributing to the development of category strategies.

Essential Job Functions

• Execute daily ingredient purchasing activities, including purchase requisition support, purchase order creation, order confirmations, and invoice issue resolution.
• Ensure on time delivery of ingredients to all facilities while maintaining accurate procurement records; authorized to approve purchase orders up to $100,000.
• Support material planners and site teams with SAP Material Requirements Planning (MRP) settings, inventory parameters, and bestpractice standardization across locations.
• Maintain supplier compliance with BRC, FSQA, and internal food safety standards, including documentation, assessments, and risk evaluations.
• Lead supplier onboarding, transitions, and material changes for new or updated ingredients.
• Support the Purchasing Manager with RFPs/RFQs, bid analysis, contract development, and pricing updates.
• Monitor key commodity markets (e.g., wheat, corn, soy) to inform purchasing decisions and support valuebased agreements.
• Perform data analysis using Excel and SAP to support material setup, supplier master data, reporting, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Statistics, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Strong proficiency in Excel and the Microsoft Office suite, with the ability to learn SAP and BW.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and organizational skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with crossfunctional teams.
• Ability to thrive in a fastpaced, teamoriented, valuedriven environment.
• Preferred: Experience with SAP and a background in contracting or supplier negotiations.
• Prior experience in purchasing or sourcing-particularly involving traded or commoditybased materials-is a plus.

Work Requirements

• Ability to perform the essential functions of the position in an office environment, including prolonged periods of computerbased work.
• Ability to work effectively in a fastpaced environment with shifting priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to maintain regular, reliable, and predictable attendance.
• Ability to travel occasionally to offsite meetings, supplier locations, or audits, either independently or in coordination with Quality/Food Safety teams.

Foster Farms ACTION Guiding Principles

• Accountability: Deliver on commitments.
• Collaboration: Achieve more by working as a team.
• Truth-Seeking: Be open-minded and act with humility.
• Initiative: Be proactive and lead with a growth mindset.
• Ownership: Take responsibility for results.
• Nimble: Operate with speed and agility.

Why Join Foster Farms?

This is a high-impact opportunity to shape the future of the ready-to-eat business at a leading food company, directly supporting our mission, vision, and values. You will play a critical role in delivering safe, high-quality food and great moments for millions of families.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.

For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.