Produce Buyer

Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op; Middlebury (VT); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a community-focused Co-op as a Produce Buyer, where you'll manage inventory and vendor relationships in a supportive environment. Ideal for someone with a strong background in purchasing and a passion for customer service, offering competitive pay, benefits, and a $1,000 hiring bonus.

Benefits

20% store discount

Profit-sharing bonuses

3+ weeks PTO

Health, vision, and dental coverage

Qualifications

• Proven experience in purchasing and margin management.
• Knowledge of natural foods and retail grocery.
• Ability to analyze data effectively.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain inventory through strategic ordering.
• Negotiate prices with vendors and build relationships.
• Design vibrant merchandise displays.

Skills

Negotiating

Data Analysis

Customer Service

Visual Merchandising

Organizational Skills

Tools

Excel

Job description

Do organic beets make your heart beat? Do you think it's rad to source locally-grown radishes? Then keep reading because you might be the perfect fit for us!

Our growing Produce department features a vast and always changing array of fresh produce, a large majority of which is locally-sourced or organically grown, and all of it is offered at a competitive price. We are seeking a Produce Buyer to join a team known for its excellent customer service skills and enthusiastic knowledge about fruits, veggies, and more.

What You'll Do:

• create and maintain well stocked inventory through strategic ordering
• negotiate fair prices with vendors to reach our sales goals
• build effective and mutually beneficial vendor relationships
• create vibrant merchandise displays
• track product movement
• take initiative to identify and resolve problems to support a positive and professional work environment
• receive and stock product with frequent lifting of 50 lbs

What We're Looking For:

Our ideal candidate:

• Has proven experience in purchasing, negotiating, and margin management.
• Is proficient in Excel and confident in analyzing data to drive decisions.
• Possesses knowledge of natural foods, retail grocery, and Co-ops (or a strong desire to learn!).
• Thrives in a fast-paced environment while staying organized and detail-oriented.
• Is passionate about customer service and providing an exceptional shopping experience.
• Product knowledge: Understanding ripeness, seasonality and shelf life.
• Visual and creative skills: Design and implement vibrant, eye-catching merchandise displays.

Why Work With Us?

At our Co-op, we offer:

• Competitive pay and a supportive, inclusive company culture.
• A comprehensive benefits package, including group health insurance, optional vision and dental coverage, 20% store discount, profit-sharing bonuses, 3+ weeks PTO, and more.
• Opportunities to learn something new every day in a growing, community-focused workplace.

This is a full-time, 40-hour-per-week role. If you're ready to bring your expertise and enthusiasm to a team that values community and quality, we'd love to hear from you!

$1,000 hiring bonus available. $500 pays out after 90 days of employment. $500 pays out after 1 year of employment.

Learn more about our organization at middlebury.coop