Purchasing Specialist- Southeast Asia Market

Socket.dev; Brea (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

Health insurance: medical, vision, and

Paid time off

On-site gym/pool

Employee discount

Coffee and snacks

Job summary

Yami is seeking a Purchasing Specialist to source, purchase, and manage product categories focused on Thailand and Southeast Asia for the U.S. e-commerce market.

The role involves identifying new brands, negotiating terms, and coordinating with vendors to optimize assortment and profitability. The ideal candidate has background in retail buying, merchandising, and vendor management, with strong English communication.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience in retail buying, purchasing, merchandising, sourcing, category management, or vendor management.
• Experience with Thai or Southeast Asian products is highly preferred.
• Strong negotiation, vendor management, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical skills using sales, inventory, pricing, and market data.

Responsibilities

• Source and identify new products, brands, suppliers, and opportunities from Thailand and Southeast Asia.
• Develop and manage vendor relationships and negotiate costs and terms.
• Generate purchase orders and coordinate with vendors for timely delivery.
• Monitor performance, lead times, and product availability with vendors.

Skills

Retail buying

Vendor management

Negotiation

Category management

Sourcing

Analytics

English communications

Education

Bachelor’s degree preferred

Job description

ABOUT YAMI

Founded in 2013, Yami’s mission is to bring the world closer for everyone to experience and enjoy. We make it easy to discover exciting flavors and trending products from Asia. We connect customers with authentic food, beauty, home, and wellness experiences through our e-commerce platform and mobile apps.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Purchasing Specialist will be responsible for sourcing, purchasing, and managing product categories within the Southeast Asia market, with a primary focus on Thailand. This role will identify new products and brands, develop and manage vendor relationships, negotiate pricing and purchasing terms, manage purchase orders, and help develop product assortment strategies for Yami’s U.S. e-commerce customers.

The ideal candidate has previous experience in retail buying, merchandising, purchasing, category management, sourcing, or vendor management, preferably involving Thai products or Southeast Asian consumer goods.

Strong English communication skills are required. Thai language skills are preferred but not required.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

Sourcing & Purchasing

• Source and identify new products, brands, suppliers, and business opportunities from Thailand and other Southeast Asian markets.
• Research trending Thai and Southeast Asian products that may appeal to consumers in the U.S. market.
• Develop and maintain relationships with domestic and international vendors, distributors, brands, and suppliers.
• Negotiate product costs, payment terms, lead times, minimum order quantities, and other commercial terms.
• Generate purchase orders, follow up on PO status, and coordinate with vendors to ensure timely delivery.
• Maintain and optimize existing product lines while continuously identifying opportunities to expand the assortment.
• Evaluate potential products based on customer demand, pricing, quality, availability, market trends, competition, and business potential.

Category Strategy & Market Analysis

• Develop and execute purchasing and category strategies for assigned Southeast Asian product categories.
• Monitor Thai and Southeast Asian retail, food, consumer, and e-commerce trends to identify emerging brands and products.
• Analyze sales performance, customer buying behavior, pricing, inventory levels, inventory turnover, and margins.
• Use data and market insights to optimize product assortment, purchasing quantities, pricing, and inventory.
• Identify opportunities to grow sales, GMV, customer engagement, and category profitability.
• Understand the preferences of U.S. consumers purchasing Asian products and translate those insights into sourcing and assortment decisions.

Vendor Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with vendors, suppliers, distributors, and brand partners.
• Monitor vendor performance including pricing, fill rate, lead time, product availability, and delivery performance.
• Work with vendors to resolve purchasing, pricing, supply, and product-related issues.
• Maintain confidence and professionalism during price negotiations, tight deadlines, and changing business requirements.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Marketing, Operations, Inventory, Finance, and other internal teams on product launches, promotions, pricing, inventory planning, and category initiatives.
• Support promotional planning, markdowns, marketing activities, and other initiatives designed to increase product visibility and sales.
• Share market insights, product trends, competitor information, and sourcing opportunities with internal teams.
• Perform other related duties and projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 1+ years of experience in retail buying, purchasing, merchandising, sourcing, category management, vendor management, or a related field.
• Experience working with Thai products, Thai brands, Southeast Asian products, or Asian retail is highly preferred.
• Strong knowledge of or interest in Thai consumer products, brands, food, snacks, beverages, or other trending products.
• Understanding of Southeast Asian consumer trends and the U.S. Asian consumer market is a strong plus.
• Strong negotiation, vendor management, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to use sales, inventory, pricing, and market data to support purchasing decisions.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced e-commerce environment and manage multiple projects and priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English are required.
• Thai language proficiency is preferred but not required.
• Self-motivated, adaptable, and comfortable identifying new opportunities and taking ownership of assigned categories.

BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

• 401(k) matching
• Health insurance: medical, vision, and dental
• Paid time off (PTO): vacation, sick, and holidays
• On-site gym/pool and game rooms
• Employee discount
• Coffee and snacks
• $ 60-80K