Strategic Buyer: Inventory & Vendor Partnerships

Sysco Corp.; New Jersey; On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Sysco in New Jersey is seeking a procurement professional to buy quality products on time and at competitive prices to support growth and margin goals, using only approved vendors and corporate contracts.

You will review item movement, issue and confirm POs, conduct daily inventory reviews, manage credits/returns, and collaborate with pricing, transportation, sales, and operations to maximize turns, reduce shrink, and maintain accurate item maintenance records.

Qualifications

• High School diploma or equivalent.
• College degree preferred.
• 3 to 5 years purchasing in like field and/or working within a retail, wholesale, or distribution environment.
• Proficiency in Excel, Word; 10-key; typing at least 30 words per minute.
• Ability to determine how much of any given item to have on hand which can carry a great dollar value.
• Rejection of product, protection on the troubled product, inability to recover shrink, substitute items when short of stock item.

Responsibilities

• Review item movement to determine purchase needs, cut PO’s (purchase order), review PO (purchase order) confirmations.
• Physically review inventory daily with a larger focus on more critical/sensitive items
• Handle all credits and returns promptly to minimize shrink
• Work with pricing department, vendors and corporate to ensure all PO’s (purchase order) priced correctly
• Work with Transportation to maximize profitability.
• Coordinate with Sales to maximize the timely utilization of all inventories, maximize inventory turns and reduce inventory shrink
• Maintain the accuracy and stay up to date on all item maintenance, including COO (chief operating officer), local, etc.

Education

High School diploma or equivalent

College degree preferred

Tools

Excel

Word

10-key

Typing 30 wpm

Job description

JOB SUMMARY

Support the sourcing and supplier management of plastic packaging components and other assigned commodities to help ensure competitive cost, quality, supply continuity, and alignment with company requirements.

Work with approved and prospective suppliers to obtain quotations, analyze costs, support new product and tooling requirements, identify alternative sources, and coordinate sourcing activities with internal cross-functional teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support strategic sourcing activities for assigned plastic packaging components, including bottles, caps and closures, pumps, tubes, brackets, and related components.
• Prepare and issue supplier RFQs for new products, existing business, cost-reduction initiatives, and alternative sourcing opportunities.
• Analyze supplier quotations, including piece price, tooling, MOQ, lead time, freight, payment terms, and other relevant commercial considerations.
• Develop supplier and cost comparisons to support sourcing recommendations and business decisions.
• Monitor supplier pricing and evaluate cost changes against material indices, market conditions, and other applicable cost drivers.
• Support supplier negotiations involving pricing, tooling, commercial terms, rebates, and cost-reduction opportunities.
• Identify and evaluate secondary and alternative suppliers to improve competitiveness, strengthen supply continuity, and reduce sole-source risk.
• Support the qualification, vetting, and onboarding of new suppliers in accordance with company requirements.
• Coordinate sourcing requirements with other cross-functional teams as applicable.
• Partner with suppliers and technical teams on new component development, samples, specifications, material requirements, tooling, testing, and commercialization activities.
• Track tooling quotations, sourcing projects, supplier deliverables, and key project milestones.
• Maintain supplier quotations, pricing history, sourcing documentation, RFQ comparisons, and other commercial records.
• Identify, quantify, and support cost-savings and cost-avoidance opportunities.
• Monitor supplier-related risks, including cost changes, capacity, lead time, geographic concentration, and sole-source exposure, escalating concerns as appropriate.
• Support supplier performance discussions involving quality, delivery, commercial issues, and corrective actions.
• Participate in sourcing initiatives involving sustainability, recyclable materials, PCR content, material changes, and packaging optimization.
• Develop and maintain effective supplier relationships while supporting company expectations for cost, quality, service, and supply continuity.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business, or a related field preferred.

Experience

• 3 to 5 years of experience in sourcing, procurement, packaging, manufacturing, supply chain, or a related field.
• Experience with plastic packaging, closures, bottles, or other manufactured components preferred.
• Experience working with domestic and/or international suppliers preferred.
• Experience supporting RFQs, supplier negotiations, cost analysis, or new-product sourcing preferred.

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

• Strong Microsoft Excel skills with the ability to analyze supplier quotations and cost comparisons.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple sourcing projects, RFQs, suppliers, and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with suppliers and cross-functional internal teams.