Produce Buyer

FreshDirect; New York (NY); On-site; USD 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Onsite parking

Employee shuttle service

Job summary

FreshDirect is seeking a Produce Buyer to drive procurement across all Fruit & Vegetables categories, manage purchase orders, track inbound orders, and monitor vendor performance. Youll influence inventory levels, forecast accuracy, and supplier negotiations within a fast-paced NYC food tech environment.

The role requires a Bachelors degree and 5+ years in food/grocery retail or related fields, with ERP experience (SAP/Oracle) and strong analytical, communication, and cross-functional

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required.
• Experience with ERP systems (SAP, Oracle) preferred.
• Proficiency in inventory management, vendor negotiation and purchasing processes.

Responsibilities

• Manages supply planning and procurement for the Produce department.
• Tracks vendor performance (on time, in full) and supports reviews.
• Collaborates with Merchants to optimize procurement costs and vendor performance.
• Coordinates with Demand Planning for forecast optimization and new product introductions.
• Coordinates with Receiving and Ground Ops to optimize inbound processes.
• Maintains target in-stock levels across multiple warehouses.
• Manages and reduces excess inventory.
• Ensures cross-training within the Supply Planning team and trains staff.
• Develops and mentors Supply Planning team members.
• Manages key vendor accounts and supports seasonal crop planning with growers.

Skills

Analytical skills

Vendor negotiation

Inventory management

Communication

Stakeholder management

Decision making

Adaptability

Education

Bachelors degree

Tools

SAP

Oracle

MS Office

Job description

About Us

At FreshDirect, we are reinventing the grocery experience. Since day one, our mission has been simple: bring the best, freshest food directly from the farm to people’s homes — faster, fresher, and smarter than anyone else. We’re not just a food company. We’re a technology-powered, customer-obsessed team building one of the most innovative end-to-end food supply chains in the industry. From proprietary routing systems to our state-of-the-art fulfillment center, every part of our business is designed to deliver unmatched quality, convenience, and care. We partner directly with farmers, fishermen, and artisans to source the highest quality ingredients — then use smart data, automation, and logistics to deliver them at peak freshness. It’s grocery shopping reimagined — and we’re just getting started. If you’re passionate about innovation, care deeply about what people eat, and want to help build the future of food, we’d love to meet you.

The Role

The Produce Buyer is responsible for all purchasing activities across all Fruit & Vegetables categories. This includes creating and monitoring purchase orders, tracking inbound orders and capacity, and managing vendor performance. The Buying Manager is responsible for inventory levels in multiple warehouses, through direct management of in-stock position, inventory turns and expiring stock, incorporating business intelligence and forecast information in the overall Produce supply planning.

• Manages supply planning and procurement process for the Produce department.
• Supports vendor performance reviews. Track vendor on time, in full metrics.
• Work with Merchant team to improve vendor performance and deliver best cost procurement strategies.
• Coordinate with Demand Planning team on forecast optimization, promotional forecasting, and new product introduction.
• Coordinate with Receiving and Ground Ops teams on inbound process optimization.
• Maintain target in-stock levels across multiple warehouse locations, while balancing inventory days on hand metrics.
• Manage and reduce excess inventory on-hand.
• Ensure all Supply Planning team members are cross trained in adjacent category processes.
• Train and develop Supply Planning team members.
• Manage key vendor accounts and support seasonal availability/crop planning with grower partners.

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Prior experience working with advanced ERP systems such as SAP, Oracle, etc.
• Knowledge of SAP MM PP modules preferred
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Experience managing procurement and vendor management across multiple departments
• 5+ years of experience in the Food / Grocery Retail / CPG industry, or related industry
• Demonstrated proficiency in inventory management, vendor negotiation and purchasing processes, with an understanding of their financial and operational impacts
• Strong analytical, organizational, decision-making
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities
• Adept at working in a fast-paced and ever-changing work environment, with an appetite for continuous learning

Our Values at FreshDirect

A Passion for our customers

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do. We listen, innovate, and act quickly to exceed expectations with every order and interaction.

One team, one mission

Everyone contributes & every role matters. We break silos, lift each other up, and share a relentless focus on delivering results. That way, we win together.

Delivering excellence, every time

We take pride in the quality of our food, service, and the experience we create. Our team goes above and beyond to earn trust and guarantee 100% freshness.

Act with integrity

We operate with honesty, respect, and accountability in how we treat our customers, teammates, and partners. We own our outcomes and always do what’s right, even when no one is watching.

Make fast, bold decisions

We challenge the status quo, embrace technology, and take smart risks to build a better future. At the same time, we stay true to our NYC roots and care for our community.

We love food. Yes, literally all of us.

What You’ll Love About Working Here

• A fast-paced, innovative environment where ideas turn into action
• Opportunities for growth — many of our leaders have risen through the ranks
• Direct impact on how thousands of customers experience food every day

Salary

$72,000 – $85,000

Total Rewards & Benefits

• Competitive compensation and comprehensive benefits
• PTO, Safe & Sick Time, and Paid Holidays
• Medical, Vision, Dental, and Voluntary Disability coverage
• 401(k) with employer match and Life Insurance
• State-of-the-art Bronx campus with on-site basketball court, cafeteria, and employee market
• Onsite FREE parking
• FREE employee shuttle bus service from nearby Subway station
• Training, leadership development, and tuition discount at local colleges
• 20% employee discount on FreshDirect online orders and Brooklyn wine store
• Minimum 50% employee discount at our onsite employee market
• Mobile phone discounts through partnerships with T-Mobile and Verizon
• Gym membership discounts through NYSC

Our Culture

We embrace an in-office culture, composed of individuals who thrive on the collaboration and energy that comes from working together in a shared space. We are looking for people who excel in this environment, where physical presence enhances connections and engagement. At FreshDirect, we’ve created an environment that thrives on teamwork, where associates can innovate, grow, and have successful careers. Many of our leaders have successfully come up through our ranks. Because of our team’s extraordinary efforts, we are a leading innovator in the e-commerce and grocery industries.

Equal Opportunity

We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Fresh Direct, LLC and its affiliates do not discriminate against applicants or employees because of their race, color, citizenship status, national origin, ancestry, gender, disability, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, marital status, veteran status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, or any other factor protected by federal, state, or local law.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by the Team member(s) assigned to this position. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of individuals in this position. Position expectations may be subject to change as the needs of the organization changes.