Procurement & Inventory Manager

HR Soul; Town of Florida (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

A client in fresh food production is seeking a Procurement & Inventory Manager. The role involves sourcing raw ingredients and packaging while managing supplier relationships in a fast-paced environment. Successful candidates will have 5-8 years of experience in fresh food manufacturing and strong negotiation skills. The position is crucial for maintaining food quality and managing inventory to meet production needs. The role emphasizes strong organizational skills and teamwork across departments.

Qualifications

• 5–8 years of procurement and inventory experience in fresh food manufacturing.
• Direct experience sourcing raw food ingredients and packaging for daily production.
• Strong understanding of shelf life, yields, and their impact on cost.
• Proficiency in Excel and purchasing or inventory systems (ERP experience preferred).

Responsibilities

• Source and manage suppliers for fresh ingredients and packaging.
• Negotiate pricing and maintain quality and consistency.
• Forecast and manage inventory to minimize waste.
• Partner with Culinary and Product teams to source ingredients with defined specifications, yields, and pack sizes aligned to production requirements.
• Manage substitutions with a clear understanding of impacts on recipes, labeling, nutrition, and production flow.
• Maintain visibility into theoretical vs. actual food costs tied to recipes and batch production.
• Forecast and manage inventory to support daily production while minimizing waste and spoilage.
• Partner with Finance on invoice accuracy, cost validation, and budget alignment.
• Support clean data flow between recipe, purchasing, and production systems (ERP or similar).
• Provide clear weekly updates on purchasing trends, risks, and cost drivers.

Skills

Procurement experience

Inventory management

Strong communication

Organizational skills

Detail-oriented

Education

Experience in fresh food manufacturing

Tools

Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Overview

Here at HR Soul our solutions amplify the performance of people and the soul of company culture. From strategic planning with CEO’s, partnering with HR leaders on key projects, building high performing teams to coaching and recruiting the future of our client’s organization.

HR Soul is currently recruiting for a Procurement & Inventory Manager on behalf of a client operating within a fast-moving, fresh food production environment where accuracy, timing, and communication matter every single day.

Our client is a centralized meal production organization producing fresh, chef-driven food with short shelf life and daily batch production requirements. Ingredients move quickly. Decisions have consequences. Procurement in this environment is operational and production-critical, not theoretical or menu-driven.

This role is ideal for someone who understands the dynamics of fresh food manufacturing and thrives where supply, cost, and production must stay tightly aligned.

What This Role Owns

This position serves as the connector between Culinary, Production, and Finance, ensuring purchasing decisions support food quality, cost control, and production readiness.

This is a hands-on, production-driven procurement role responsible for sourcing raw ingredients, proteins, produce, and packaging used in daily batch production. Success requires understanding how variables such as yields, substitutions, lead times, and shelf life impact cost, waste, and execution.

This is not a retail, front-of-house, or menu-planning procurement position.

Key Responsibilities

• Source and manage suppliers for fresh ingredients and packaging used in centralized meal production.
• Negotiate pricing and terms while maintaining quality, consistency, and reliable supply.
• Maintain accurate purchasing timelines and proactively communicate risks or changes.
• Partner with Culinary and Product teams to source ingredients with defined specifications, yields, and pack sizes aligned to production requirements.
• Manage substitutions with a clear understanding of impacts on recipes, labeling, nutrition, and production flow.
• Maintain visibility into theoretical vs. actual food costs tied to recipes and batch production.
• Forecast and manage inventory to support daily production while minimizing waste and spoilage.
• Partner with Finance on invoice accuracy, cost validation, and budget alignment.
• Support clean data flow between recipe, purchasing, and production systems (ERP or similar).
• Provide clear weekly updates on purchasing trends, risks, and cost drivers.

Operational Discipline & Communication

• Lead regular procurement touchpoints with Culinary, Production, and Finance.
• Document decisions and action items to ensure accountability.
• Apply LEAN thinking to improve accuracy, reduce manual work, and streamline processes.

What You Bring

• 5–8 years of procurement and inventory experience in fresh food manufacturing, commissary, or centralized meal production.
• Direct experience sourcing raw food ingredients and packaging for daily production environments.
• Strong understanding of how shelf life, yields, substitutions, and prep loss impact cost and execution.
• Comfortable operating in production environments where predictability and accuracy matter more than variety or merchandising.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and proactive communicator.
• Collaborative partner who brings clarity and follow-through across teams.
• Proficiency in Excel and purchasing or inventory systems (ERP experience preferred).

Why This Role Matters

Procurement decisions for our client directly impact food quality, waste, cost performance, and the ability to hit daily production targets. This role brings structure, visibility, and accountability to a fresh food operation that depends on precision.

Experience limited to retail foodservice, front-of-house operations, convenience environments, or menu-driven buying without direct responsibility for sourcing raw ingredients for centralized production will not be sufficient.

Diversity Commitment

At HR Soul, we embrace a rich tapestry of backgrounds and experiences within our workplace. We actively encourage applications from women, individuals of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, ethnic minorities, immigrants, and veterans.

Equal Opportunity Employment Statement

HR Soul proudly upholds its status as an Equal Opportunity Employer. We prohibit discrimination against any employee or candidate based on various attributes, including but not limited to race (encompassing characteristics historically associated with race such as hair texture and style), color, gender (including pregnancy and related conditions), religion or belief, national origin, citizenship, age, disability, veteran status, union membership, ethnicity, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, or any other protected characteristics as required by applicable laws.

Inclusivity Commitment

HR Soul and its partners are fully committed to ensuring that all qualified individuals are included. We provide reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you need assistance during the job application or interview process, or require accommodations to perform essential job functions, please reach out via our contact page: Contact HR Soul.

Your Rights

HR Soul is dedicated to ensuring that all applicants are aware of their rights concerning workplace discrimination, which is unlawful.

Application Agreement

By applying for this position, you authorize HR Soul to exclusively consider you as a candidate for the specified opportunity. You affirm that the information you provided about your qualifications is true and that you have not misrepresented yourself. Additionally, you agree to keep confidential any details regarding the position that you may learn from HR Soul, sharing such information only as necessary to support your application process. In exchange, HR Soul pledges to make reasonable efforts to represent you throughout the job screening and resume distribution stages.

Salary Transparency Statement

Compensation for this position (and others) at HR Soul is based on multiple factors, including:

• The candidate’s skill set, experience, and education
• Required licenses and certifications
• Geographic location of the office
• Additional business and organizational considerations

In line with local regulations, HR Soul provides a salary range that reflects a reasonable estimate of the base pay for this role in areas where salary disclosure is mandated.