Junior Procurement Coordinator (Food & Dietary Supplies) - EST Hours (Remote)

ISTA Personnel Solutions; South Africa; Remote; ZAR 240,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

ISTA Personnel Solutions South Africa is seeking a detail-oriented Procurement Coordinator (Food and Dietary Supplies) to support a US-based client’s dietary purchasing for healthcare facilities. You will review orders, monitor budgets and coordinate with vendors to ensure timely deliveries.

The role suits someone with purchasing experience in food service, catering, hospitality or healthcare, who enjoys numbers, problem solving and building strong relationships. Remote work is required.

Qualifications

• Previous experience in purchasing, procurement or purchasing administration.
• Experience with food and beverage supplies, catering, hospitality or healthcare purchasing advantageous.
• Understanding of purchase orders, invoices, budgets and supplier coordination.
• Strong numerical ability and attention to detail.
• Clear spoken and written English with US-based staff and suppliers.
• Strong organisation and time management skills.
• Ability to investigate discrepancies and make practical recommendations.
• Confidence learning and using purchasing systems and online vendor platforms.
• A supportive approach to customer service and ownership of workload.

Responsibilities

• Review food and dietary supply orders for accuracy, appropriate quantities and budget compliance.
• Check orders against facility menus, resident numbers and previous purchasing patterns.
• Research product information, including pack sizes and quantities, to support informed purchasing decisions.
• Check stock availability and coordinate suitable substitutions for unavailable products.
• Communicate with facility dietary managers and vendors by phone, email and system tickets.
• Investigate unusual quantities or spending and work with facilities to make practical adjustments.
• Escalate over-budget orders for approval and maintain clear supporting records.
• Process invoices and investigate discrepancies in purchasing and spending reports.
• Participate in weekly team reviews and explain budget variances for assigned facilities.

Skills

Numerical ability

Attention to detail

English communication

Organization

Time management

Problem solving

Customer service mindset

Job description

ISTA Personnel Solutions South Africa is a dynamic and fast-growing BPO company based in South Africa, specialising in providing top-tier operational support to U.S.-based companies. We are not a recruitment agency — we act as a dedicated extension of our clients’ teams, delivering high-quality service with precision, efficiency, and a personal touch.

ISTA Personnel Solutions South Africa is seeking a detail-oriented Procurement Coordinator (Food and Dietary Supplies) to support our US-based client’s dietary purchasing operations for healthcare facilities.

In this role, you will review food orders, monitor spending, coordinate with suppliers and work closely with facility dietary managers. Your focus will be to ensure facilities receive the supplies they need on time, in suitable quantities and within budget.

This opportunity would suit someone with purchasing or procurement experience in food service, catering, hospitality or healthcare who enjoys working with numbers, solving problems and building strong working relationships.

PLEASE NOTE:

• Working Hours: This role requires you to work EST hours Mon - Fri from 9am to 6pm EST (3:00 PM to 00:00 AM South African time - subject to change in accordance with daylight savings in the United States).
• Public Holidays: This role requires you to work on both South African and US public holidays (compensation for SA public holidays in accordance with the BCEA)
• Internet Requirements: A fixed fibre line with a minimum speed of 25 Mbps (upload & download) and the ability to support a wired Ethernet connection is mandatory. Applicants without a fixed fibre line cannot be considered.
• Power Backup: A reliable power backup solution is required to manage load shedding and power outages. Applicants without a power backup cannot be considered.
• Work Environment: This is a fully remote working role.

Key Responsibilities:

• Review food and dietary supply orders for accuracy, appropriate quantities and budget compliance.
• Check orders against facility menus, resident numbers and previous purchasing patterns.
• Research product information, including pack sizes and quantities, to support informed purchasing decisions.
• Check stock availability and coordinate suitable substitutions for unavailable products.
• Communicate with facility dietary managers and vendors by phone, email and system tickets.
• Investigate unusual quantities or spending and work with facilities to make practical adjustments.
• Escalate over-budget orders for approval and maintain clear supporting records.
• Process invoices and investigate discrepancies in purchasing and spending reports.
• Participate in weekly team reviews and explain budget variances for assigned facilities.
• Manage deadlines and follow-ups to help prevent food shortages and delivery disruptions.

• Previous experience in purchasing, procurement or purchasing administration.
• Experience with food and beverage supplies, catering, hospitality or healthcare purchasing would be advantageous.
• An understanding of purchase orders, invoices, budgets and supplier coordination.
• Strong numerical ability and attention to detail.
• Clear spoken and written English, with confidence communicating with US-based facility staff and suppliers.
• Strong organisation and time management skills.
• The ability to investigate discrepancies and make practical recommendations.
• Confidence learning and using purchasing systems and online vendor platforms.
• A supportive approach to customer service and ownership of your workload.

Key Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving ability.
• Logical judgment and attention to detail.
• Ability to think “outside the box” and apply concepts across scenarios.
• Fast learner with quick mental processing.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented.