THE DIRECTOR OF SUPPLY CHAIN & PROCUREMENT ROLE

Director of Supply Chain and Procurement will plan, develop, lead, coordinate, and implement all activities related to purchasing for the company, including all major supplier relationships at the culinary center, retail locations, and corporate office.

This position reports to the COO and is vital to both long term strategic planning while also being hands-on on a day-to-day basis.

It is essential that this leader is an expert in contract management, demand planning, inventory management, financial management and relationship building. The Director of Supply Chain & Procurement will work across functional boundaries to ensure high levels of customer service and satisfaction relative to inventory turns, management and communication of inventory. This position will also work closely with our VP of Operations and operations team. They will develop tools to improve both the speed and the quality of our purchasing decisions and will be expected to quickly identify and implement process improvements for ordering, information and inventory management.

KEY INITIATIVES & RESPONSIBILTIES

• Develop and communicate a purchasing business plan; establish, communicate and implement long-term goals for the department in order to promote effectiveness and efficiency.
• Manage current purchasing, policies, procedures and programs with a focus on their ability to enhance organizational value and efficiency; meet regularly with respective departments regarding procurement for their understanding and/or recommendations to enhance policies, procedures and develop, communicate and implement new/revised policies, procedures and programs as needed.
• Determine buying strategy and applicable repeatable processes across multiple spends to determine and deliver best quality, service, and costs.
• Determine delivery logistics and manage lead times of domestic and international supply chain with supply partners. Assess, manage, and mitigate risks to stock outs that hinder production
• Determines, places and confirms all purchase orders with Purchasing Coordinator - correct/efficient ordering patterns/cycles i.e. even pallets. Schedules deliveries.
• Manages the procedures for ordering, receiving, storing, and packaging meals and foods items in large quantities. Implements and maintains “first in first out” principles of inventory management.
• Books freight when needed. Coordinates shipping/receiving of product to/from off-site facilities.
• Drives positive results by supporting the project coordination related to procurement
• Identify opportunities; assist with problem solving/root cause analysis, offer solutions and process improvements for consideration
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with all internal departments and team members.

SUPPLY PARTNER MANAGEMENT

• Ensure all vendors meet FDA & USDA guidelines, including up-to-date vendor traceability plans with QA Manager and Corporate
• Lead and manage the RFP process for new and existing products and services including distribution, evaluation and selection of vendors
• Build positive and productive relationships with external partners (vendors)
• Work with new and existing partners to obtain the best pricing, quality and service through negotiated discounts and contracts
• Inventory management and process flow including monitoring the inventory levels in our internal and external partner warehouses.
• Manages frequency of delivery vs. storage space

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COLLABORATION

• Works with culinary team to determine value and yield for new and existing products purchased
• Orders new products in a timely manner to arrive prior to menu date. Discontinues products as planned by Product Marketing.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Develop and maintain key item sourcing calendar to maximize market low buys
• Implement processes for JIT purchasing schedules while managing freight and distribution costs
• Strategically develop and implement commodity/supply chain strategies covering all commodities to deliver maximum value, leverage, and standardization
• Ensures food and packaging returns and credits are accurately processed
• Establishing and maintaining measurable performance metrics for all levels of procurement activities including, but not limited to, supplier performance, supplier quality, internal order placement performance, buyer activity levels, inventory turns, and fill rates
• Drives usage of cost models to validate commodity strategies and to understand significant cost drivers
• Develop and provide various reporting and analytics as required (i.e. inventory, spend profile, costing, etc.) Perform cost and scenario analysis, market trends and benchmarking

Candidate Qualifications

• 7-10 years of related experience, with at least 3 years of supervisory experience in purchasing & sourcing with a focus in planning and/or distribution with proven success.
• Experience in sourcing and partner relationship building / vendor management
• Ability to lead and manage contract negotiations
• Working experience of inventory management software
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills with superior positive communication style
• Strong leadership capabilities with a positive mindset and emotional intelligence
• Ability to quickly learn and utilize various software platforms
• Ability to coordinate multiple group efforts within the company to achieve objectives
• Embraces change with a positive mindset and can implement changes and quickly adapts
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, with ability to meet deadlines
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills
• Developing and managing an inventory department
• Strong working knowledge of inventory planning, forecasting techniques as well as operational systems and warehouse management
• Ability to create structure and to develop sustainable processes for fast-growing organization
• U.S. citizen with the ability to pass a background investigation

Educational And Certification Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Purchasing, Production/Operations Management, Engineering or equivalent business experience

Physical Requirements

• Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
• Must be able to lift 15 pounds at times.