Senior Buyer – Packaging & Indirect Materials

Santa Monica Seafood; East Compton (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Santa Monica Seafood in Rancho Dominguez, CA seeks a Senior Buyer — Packaging & Indirect Materials to lead strategic sourcing for packaging, PPE, MRO, and other indirect materials across our locations.

The role aims to consolidate purchasing, reduce costs, and ensure reliable supply while maintaining quality and service. The ideal candidate has 5+ years in procurement, strong negotiation, and hands-on experience with packaging materials in food manufacturing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Procurement, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent education and relevant professional experience will be considered.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive purchasing, strategic sourcing, or procurement experience.
• Experience purchasing packaging materials, PPE, MRO supplies, or other indirect materials strongly preferred.
• Experience in food processing, manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, or related industries preferred.
• Experience supporting purchasing activities across multiple facilities is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead company-wide sourcing and procurement activities for packaging materials, PPE, MRO supplies, sanitation products, and other indirect purchasing categories.
• Develop sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality, service, supply continuity, and operational requirements.
• Identify, evaluate, and qualify suppliers to improve purchasing leverage and reduce supply risks.
• Conduct competitive bidding, RFQs, RFPs, and supplier selection processes.
• Monitor market trends, material costs, and supplier capabilities to support purchasing decisions.
• Establish and maintain productive relationships with key suppliers.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, supply agreements, rebates, and service-level commitments.
• Manage supplier contracts, renewals, and compliance with negotiated terms.
• Evaluate supplier performance using cost, quality, delivery, and service metrics.
• Address supplier performance issues and develop corrective action plans when necessary.
• Identify and implement measurable cost-reduction and cost-avoidance initiatives.
• Consolidate suppliers and standardize purchasing practices across company locations.
• Analyze purchasing expenditures to identify savings and process improvement opportunities.
• Develop annual procurement savings objectives and track results.
• Support inventory optimization and working capital improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Distribution, Finance, Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and other departments to understand purchasing requirements.
• Coordinate procurement activities across multiple facilities to maximize purchasing leverage.
• Support packaging specifications, new product introductions, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Assist with inventory planning to minimize shortages, excess inventory, and operational disruptions.
• Resolve supplier-related issues affecting production, distribution, or customer service.

Skills

Negotiation

Supplier management

Contract administration

Analytical abilities

Excel proficiency

ERP systems familiarity

Communication & collaboration

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management or related field

Tools

ERP purchasing systems

Microsoft Excel

Job description

Company Description

Santa Monica Seafood is a family-owned company with over eight decades of experience supplying high-quality fresh and frozen seafood at fair prices while prioritizing environmental conservation. As the largest specialty wholesale seafood distributor in the Southwestern U.S., the company operates a 120,000-square-foot corporate office and main processing facility in Rancho Dominguez, California, along with additional locations across several states. Santa Monica Seafood also runs a retail store and café in Santa Monica, CA, focused on seafood and related products. The company is distinguished by industry-leading certifications, including FSSC 22000 for food safety, ISO 14001 for environmental management, and BAP certification for repacking key seafood products.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced Senior Buyer — Packaging & Indirect Materials to lead strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, and procurement activities for packaging, personal protective equipment (PPE), maintenance, repair and operating (MRO) supplies, and other indirect materials across our operations.

This position will play a key role in consolidating purchasing activities across company locations, leveraging our collective buying power, reducing costs, and ensuring reliable supply to support our production and distribution operations.

The ideal candidate combines strong negotiation and analytical skills with hands‑on procurement experience and a demonstrated ability to deliver measurable cost savings while maintaining quality, service, and supply continuity.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Lead company-wide sourcing and procurement activities for packaging materials, PPE, MRO supplies, sanitation products, and other indirect purchasing categories.
• Develop sourcing strategies that balance cost, quality, service, supply continuity, and operational requirements.
• Identify, evaluate, and qualify suppliers to improve purchasing leverage and reduce supply risks.
• Conduct competitive bidding, RFQs, RFPs, and supplier selection processes.
• Monitor market trends, material costs, and supplier capabilities to support purchasing decisions.

Supplier Relationship & Contract Management

• Establish and maintain productive relationships with key suppliers.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, supply agreements, rebates, and service-level commitments.
• Manage supplier contracts, renewals, and compliance with negotiated terms.
• Evaluate supplier performance using cost, quality, delivery, and service metrics.
• Address supplier performance issues and develop corrective action plans when necessary.

Cost Optimization & Purchasing Efficiency

• Identify and implement measurable cost-reduction and cost-avoidance initiatives.
• Consolidate suppliers and standardize purchasing practices across company locations.
• Analyze purchasing expenditures to identify savings and process improvement opportunities.
• Develop annual procurement savings objectives and track results.
• Support inventory optimization and working capital improvement initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Operations, Manufacturing, Distribution, Finance, Food Safety, Quality Assurance, and other departments to understand purchasing requirements.
• Coordinate procurement activities across multiple facilities to maximize purchasing leverage.
• Support packaging specifications, new product introductions, and operational improvement initiatives.
• Assist with inventory planning to minimize shortages, excess inventory, and operational disruptions.
• Resolve supplier-related issues affecting production, distribution, or customer service.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Evaluate supplier reliability, financial stability, and business continuity capabilities.
• Ensure purchased materials and suppliers meet applicable food safety, regulatory, quality, and company standards.
• Maintain accurate purchasing documentation, contracts, and supplier records.
• Develop alternative sourcing arrangements for critical materials.

Reporting & Analytics

• Prepare purchasing reports, supplier scorecards, spend analyses, and savings summaries.
• Monitor supplier performance and purchasing trends using ERP and related systems.
• Present sourcing recommendations, cost-saving opportunities, and procurement improvement initiatives to management.

QualificationsEducation

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Procurement, Operations Management, or a related field preferred.
• Equivalent education and relevant professional experience will be considered.

Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of progressive purchasing, strategic sourcing, or procurement experience.
• Demonstrated success negotiating supplier agreements, managing vendor relationships, and achieving cost savings.
• Experience purchasing packaging materials, PPE, MRO supplies, or other indirect materials strongly preferred.
• Experience in food processing, manufacturing, distribution, consumer products, or related industries preferred.
• Experience supporting purchasing activities across multiple facilities is highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong negotiation, supplier management, and contract administration skills.
• Excellent analytical abilities, financial acumen, and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and execute cost-saving opportunities.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and familiarity with ERP purchasing systems.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and problem‑solving skills.
• Ability to influence decisions and coordinate activities across multiple departments and locations.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities.

Key Performance Indicators

• Documented purchasing cost savings and cost avoidance.
• Supplier service, quality, and on‑time delivery performance.
• Improved purchasing leverage through supplier consolidation.
• Supply continuity and reduction of material shortages.
• Contract compliance and favorable purchasing terms.
• Inventory optimization and working capital improvements.
• Purchasing process efficiency and standardization across facilities.

Physical & Work Requirements

• Primarily office‑based at our Rancho Dominguez corporate headquarters.
• Periodic travel to company facilities, suppliers, and industry events.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, multi‑location operating environment.

Starting base annual salary $100,000 to $115,000 plus incentive opportunity

Santa Monica Seafood Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified applicants without regard to any legally protected characteristic.