Senior Flavor Procurement Strategist

Florida Food Products; Melville (NY); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Vibrant Ingredients, formerly Florida Food Products (FFP), based in Melville, NY, is seeking a Sr. Buyer to manage procurement of raw materials, flavors, packaging, and services for our production demands.

You will collaborate with R&D, QA, and cross-functional teams to ensure quality, regulatory compliance, and cost optimization. The role reports to the VP of Strategic Sourcing and requires 3–5 years in flavor or food & beverage procurement, strong negotiation skills, and ERP/MRP proficiency.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Management, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience specifically in flavor(s) and/or other food & beverage ingredient procurement.
• Strong tactical negotiations and vendor management skills.
• Strong cross functional team player
• Ability to multi-task and manage high volume part numbers, low volume demand mix
• Knowledge of ERP/MRP systems is preferred.
• Proficiency in MS Office applications, particularly Excel.

Responsibilities

• Place and track purchase orders for raw materials, flavors, packaging, and other goods.
• Schedule goods delivery in accordance to production demand requirement needs
• Cross-functional collaboration with R&D, food scientists, and QA teams to ensure materials meet specs and regulatory standards
• Primary supply chain liaison with local manufacturing site
• Maintain strong relationships with existing suppliers
• Support Enterprise Strategic Sourcing Initiatives utilizing qualified strategic sources
• Negotiate with suppliers to ensure cost efficiency and service excellence.
• Ensure all sourced flavors and other ingredients comply with FDA, safety, and labeling regulations
• Monitor supplier performance using corporate metrics such as on-time delivery, quality, and pricing consistency.
• Collaborate with Supply Chain and Operations to maintain inventory vs production needs
• Address potential supply disruptions and resolve procurement timeline issues
• Support planning and forecasting by aligning purchase schedules with demand
• Ensure PO deliveries align with supplier commitments and issue change orders as needed
• Ensure compliance with trade regulations and import/export requirements
• Maintain procurement records and generate reports on supplier performance and costs
• Use ERP/MRP systems to manage procurement activities and data integrity
• Track tariffs, freight surcharges, and other charges
• Identify opportunities to streamline procurement processes and reduce costs
• Assist in developing procurement policies and best practices
• Contribute to cross-functional supply chain optimization

Skills

Negotiation

Vendor management

Cross-functional teamwork

MS Excel

Education

Bachelora0 degree in Supply Chain Management

Tools

Microsoft Dynamics 365

SAP

Great Plains

Job description

Vibrant Ingredients, formerly Florida Food Products (FFP), based in Melville, NY, is seeking a Sr. Buyer to manage procurement of raw materials, flavors, packaging, and services for our production demands.

You will collaborate with R&D, QA, and cross-functional teams to ensure quality, regulatory compliance, and cost optimization. The role reports to the VP of Strategic Sourcing and requires 3–5 years in flavor or food & beverage procurement, strong negotiation skills, and ERP/MRP proficiency.