Job Summary
Our client is a growing food manufacturing company in Dunmore, PA. We are seeking an experienced Purchasing Manager to oversee the procurement of ingredients, raw materials, packaging, production supplies, and other goods and services required to support the company's manufacturing operations. The Purchasing Manager will play a critical role in ensuring the plant has the right materials available at the right time and at the right cost to meet production requirements. This position will have responsibility for both direct materials, ingredients, spices, oils, packaging, and other food-related materials, as well as indirect materials, including production supplies, sanitation supplies, warehouse materials, uniforms, and other operational requirements.
This is a hands-on opportunity for a purchasing professional who enjoys working closely with Production, Operations, Quality, Warehouse, Finance, Sales, and senior leadership. The successful candidate will have significant ownership over supplier relationships, purchasing processes, inventory availability, pricing, and supply continuity. There is also an opportunity to improve purchasing processes, strengthen supplier partnerships, implement efficiencies, and support the company's continued growth.
Key Responsibilities
- Manage the purchasing of ingredients, raw materials, packaging, and production supplies to ensure uninterrupted manufacturing operations.
- Work closely with Production and Warehouse teams to ensure materials are available in the appropriate quantities and within required timelines.
- Monitor inventory levels, production requirements, forecasts, lead times, and purchasing schedules to optimize inventory while avoiding shortages or excess stock.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, ensuring agreed-upon pricing, quality, delivery schedules, service levels, and payment terms are maintained.
- Negotiate pricing, contracts, payment terms, freight arrangements, and other commercial conditions with suppliers.
- Evaluate existing and potential new suppliers based on cost, quality, capacity, reliability, food-safety requirements, and service.
- Coordinate the onboarding of new suppliers, including pricing agreements, credit setup, specifications, quality documentation, and other required approvals.
- Monitor supplier performance and work with Quality and Operations to address quality concerns, delivery issues, shortages, damaged materials, and other supplier-related problems.
- Track ingredient, protein, packaging, and commodity pricing and identify market trends that may impact purchasing costs and production margins.
- Research market conditions and communicate potential commodity price increases, supply constraints, shortages, and other procurement risks to management.
- Develop purchasing and supply-risk strategies to mitigate material shortages, price volatility, supplier disruptions, and changing market conditions.
- Work closely with Finance and Accounts Payable to ensure purchase orders, invoices, pricing, credits, and supplier accounts are accurate and properly managed.
- Coordinate inbound freight, including shipments of ingredients, packaging, and other raw materials as required.
- Work with transportation providers, brokers, suppliers, and warehouse personnel to resolve freight and delivery issues.
- Coordinate imported materials when applicable, ensuring the necessary documentation is available for customs clearance and product release.
- Partner with the Warehouse team to ensure incoming materials are delivered to the appropriate storage locations, and that sufficient warehouse or off-site storage capacity is available.
- Work with Production and Operations to identify opportunities to improve material utilization, purchasing efficiencies, and inventory management.
- Manage relationships with co-manufacturers, co-packers, or outside processing partners when applicable, ensuring adequate capacity and material availability to support production requirements.
- Coordinate with Packaging, Quality, Production, and other departments on new products, packaging changes, specifications, and supplier requirements.
- Ensure packaging and ingredient specifications are accurate and that approved materials are supplied according to established requirements.
- Maintain accurate purchasing records, pricing information, supplier data, and purchasing documentation.
- Prepare purchasing reports and provide management with updates regarding spend, pricing, inventory, supplier performance, and potential supply risks.
- Identify opportunities to reduce costs, improve purchasing processes, consolidate suppliers, and strengthen overall supply-chain performance.
- Perform other duties and participate in projects as assigned by management.
Requirements:
- 5+ years of purchasing/procurement experience within a food manufacturing, CPG, or related manufacturing environment.
- Strong experience purchasing ingredients, proteins, raw materials, packaging, commodities, or production supplies.
- Experience negotiating supplier pricing, contracts, terms, and service agreements.
- Understanding of food manufacturing supply chains, production requirements, inventory management, and supplier lead times.
- Experience working with commodity pricing and understanding how market fluctuations can impact food manufacturing costs is highly preferred.
- Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Microsoft Excel.
- Experience with ERP/MRP systems and purchasing or inventory-management software.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced manufacturing environment.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively with Production, Operations, Quality, Warehouse, Finance, Sales, and senior management.
- Strong negotiation and supplier-management skills.
- Ability to work independently, take ownership of responsibilities, and identify opportunities for process improvement.
- A hands-on, collaborative approach with the ability to build strong relationships across the organization.
- Strong understanding of confidentiality, business ethics, and professional supplier relationships.
