Food Buyer
Apply NowCompany: Kommissary
Location: Bronx, NY 10467
Description:
Job Type
Full-time
Description
Job Title: Food Buyer
Reports to: Director of Operations
Location: LIC and Bronx, NY
Position Summary:
Kommissary is a social enterprise on a mission to spread joy through food. We produce and deliver high volumes of meals spanning a diverse array of cuisines to every demographic in New York City.
We are a rapidly growing organization and need a buyer who is passionate about sourcing the best product available, creating mutually beneficial relationships with vendors, and working collaboratively with others to create value for our customers and Kommissary. The ideal candidate knows how to source high quality food, has excellent negotiation skills, can quickly pivot whenever there is a shortage in food supply, and maintain longstanding relationships. This role will require commuting to our facilities in the Bronx and Queens.
You'll love this role if you're incredibly organized, detail oriented and have a drive for "getting things done!" You have a "no job too small" mentality with an ability to effectively and professionally interface with Kommissary team members and clients.
We are a proud minority owned business that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Success in this Role:
Onboarding Period:
As you step into the role of Buyer in our rapidly growing organization, your initial focus will be on acclimating to our culture, processes, and industry nuances. During this period, you'll dive into understanding our sourcing strategies and operational workflows, leveraging your existing connections and expertise to contribute meaningfully from day one. Building collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams, including production, inventory, and quality control, will be essential in gaining insights into our supply chain ecosystem. Through active participation in team meetings and hands-on experience, you'll quickly familiarize yourself with our product offerings, customer demands, and market dynamics.
3rd Month Goals:
By the end of 3 months, you will have established a solid foundation for effective buying practices and vendor management. You'll take ownership of purchasing all produce for our facility, ensuring appropriate inventory levels based on production needs and perishability. You'll also have established a routine in coordination with the finance team to record purchases and track pricing. Utilizing your strong analytical and negotiation abilities, you'll lead communication with inventory and operations teams to optimize inventory handling and minimize product shrinkage. Your attention to detail and organizational skills will be critical as you monitor product yields, analyze weekly food costs, and identify cost-saving opportunities.
1st Year Goals:
Over the course of your first year, your success will be measured by your impact on our procurement processes, vendor relationships, and overall business performance. Leveraging your deep understanding of the produce industry, you'll proactively monitor market conditions to avoid price fluctuations and availability issues, while also identifying favorable purchasing opportunities. Your ability to find alternative sources for short or hard-to-find products will be instrumental in maintaining uninterrupted supply chains and meeting production demands. By analyzing and owning weekly food costs, you'll ensure alignment with budgetary constraints while upholding quality standards. Additionally, your collaboration with Quality Control will ensure incoming products meet or exceed quality specifications, minimizing shrinkage and spoilage. By the end of your first year, you'll have established yourself as a trusted leader in our procurement team, driving efficiency, cost savings, and operational excellence.
Future Growth:
Looking ahead, your role as a Buyer offers ample opportunities for personal and professional growth within our organization. As you continue to excel in sourcing the best products and fostering mutually beneficial vendor relationships, you'll have the chance to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles. Whether it's spearheading new initiatives, mentoring junior team members, or contributing to cross-functional projects, your passion for excellence and collaborative spirit will set the stage for continued success. Embracing ongoing learning and development opportunities, you'll stay ahead of industry trends and market dynamics, positioning yourself as a subject matter expert in produce procurement. With each milestone achieved and challenge overcome, you'll play an integral role in shaping the future of our organization and driving sustainable growth for years to come.
Must Have:
Bachelor's Degree in related field.
Strong analytical and negotiation abilities.
3+ years of relevant buying experience.
Deep understanding of the food distribution industry.
Attention to detail and excellent organization skills.
Capacity to multitask to meet multiple demands and instructions coming from both the production facility and corporate headquarters.
Strong communication skills-must have good listening skills in addition to excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
Ability to self-motivate and problem solve in a fast-paced setting filled with hard deadlines.
Must possess strong computer skills.
Excellent Microsoft Office, specifically Excel and Google Suite skills.
Passion for food.
Nice to Have:
Experience building software systems for buying.
Experience with Produce Pro or any robust WMS systems specific to food.
Physical Demands:
Generally, presents standard office environment. Must be able to remain in a stationary position >95% of the time. Continually operates a computer, keyboard and mouse, and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, printer, and mobile Smartphone device. Constantly positions self to comfortably maintain computer equipment. May occasionally be required to move about in an office setting or position office equipment weighing between 10-25 pounds. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Ability to operate a motor vehicle. The person in this position frequently communicates with other people. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.
Other Duties:
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Compensation & Benefits:
$80,000.00-$125,000.00/Annual commensurate with experience
PTO, Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, and more!
Equal Employment Opportunity: Kommissary does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Kommissary is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact us at HR@kommissary.com.
Salary Description
$80,000.00-$125,000.00
Full-time
Description
Job Title: Food Buyer
Reports to: Director of Operations
Location: LIC and Bronx, NY
Position Summary:
Kommissary is a social enterprise on a mission to spread joy through food. We produce and deliver high volumes of meals spanning a diverse array of cuisines to every demographic in New York City.
We are a rapidly growing organization and need a buyer who is passionate about sourcing the best product available, creating mutually beneficial relationships with vendors, and working collaboratively with others to create value for our customers and Kommissary. The ideal candidate knows how to source high quality food, has excellent negotiation skills, can quickly pivot whenever there is a shortage in food supply, and maintain longstanding relationships. This role will require commuting to our facilities in the Bronx and Queens.
You'll love this role if you're incredibly organized, detail oriented and have a drive for "getting things done!" You have a "no job too small" mentality with an ability to effectively and professionally interface with Kommissary team members and clients.
We are a proud minority owned business that celebrates diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Success in this Role:
Onboarding Period:
As you step into the role of Buyer in our rapidly growing organization, your initial focus will be on acclimating to our culture, processes, and industry nuances. During this period, you'll dive into understanding our sourcing strategies and operational workflows, leveraging your existing connections and expertise to contribute meaningfully from day one. Building collaborative relationships with cross-functional teams, including production, inventory, and quality control, will be essential in gaining insights into our supply chain ecosystem. Through active participation in team meetings and hands-on experience, you'll quickly familiarize yourself with our product offerings, customer demands, and market dynamics.
3rd Month Goals:
By the end of 3 months, you will have established a solid foundation for effective buying practices and vendor management. You'll take ownership of purchasing all produce for our facility, ensuring appropriate inventory levels based on production needs and perishability. You'll also have established a routine in coordination with the finance team to record purchases and track pricing. Utilizing your strong analytical and negotiation abilities, you'll lead communication with inventory and operations teams to optimize inventory handling and minimize product shrinkage. Your attention to detail and organizational skills will be critical as you monitor product yields, analyze weekly food costs, and identify cost-saving opportunities.
1st Year Goals:
Over the course of your first year, your success will be measured by your impact on our procurement processes, vendor relationships, and overall business performance. Leveraging your deep understanding of the produce industry, you'll proactively monitor market conditions to avoid price fluctuations and availability issues, while also identifying favorable purchasing opportunities. Your ability to find alternative sources for short or hard-to-find products will be instrumental in maintaining uninterrupted supply chains and meeting production demands. By analyzing and owning weekly food costs, you'll ensure alignment with budgetary constraints while upholding quality standards. Additionally, your collaboration with Quality Control will ensure incoming products meet or exceed quality specifications, minimizing shrinkage and spoilage. By the end of your first year, you'll have established yourself as a trusted leader in our procurement team, driving efficiency, cost savings, and operational excellence.
Future Growth:
Looking ahead, your role as a Buyer offers ample opportunities for personal and professional growth within our organization. As you continue to excel in sourcing the best products and fostering mutually beneficial vendor relationships, you'll have the chance to take on additional responsibilities and leadership roles. Whether it's spearheading new initiatives, mentoring junior team members, or contributing to cross-functional projects, your passion for excellence and collaborative spirit will set the stage for continued success. Embracing ongoing learning and development opportunities, you'll stay ahead of industry trends and market dynamics, positioning yourself as a subject matter expert in produce procurement. With each milestone achieved and challenge overcome, you'll play an integral role in shaping the future of our organization and driving sustainable growth for years to come.
Must Have:
Bachelor's Degree in related field.
Strong analytical and negotiation abilities.
3+ years of relevant buying experience.
Deep understanding of the food distribution industry.
Attention to detail and excellent organization skills.
Capacity to multitask to meet multiple demands and instructions coming from both the production facility and corporate headquarters.
Strong communication skills-must have good listening skills in addition to excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
Ability to self-motivate and problem solve in a fast-paced setting filled with hard deadlines.
Must possess strong computer skills.
Excellent Microsoft Office, specifically Excel and Google Suite skills.
Passion for food.
Nice to Have:
Experience building software systems for buying.
Experience with Produce Pro or any robust WMS systems specific to food.
Physical Demands:
Generally, presents standard office environment. Must be able to remain in a stationary position >95% of the time. Continually operates a computer, keyboard and mouse, and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, printer, and mobile Smartphone device. Constantly positions self to comfortably maintain computer equipment. May occasionally be required to move about in an office setting or position office equipment weighing between 10-25 pounds. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision. Ability to operate a motor vehicle. The person in this position frequently communicates with other people. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this job.
Other Duties:
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive list of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.
Compensation & Benefits:
$80,000.00-$125,000.00/Annual commensurate with experience
PTO, Health, Dental and Vision Insurance, and more!
Equal Employment Opportunity: Kommissary does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. Kommissary is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, contact us at HR@kommissary.com.
Salary Description
$80,000.00-$125,000.00