Search Jobs

Food Ingredient Buyer
Location: Boston, MA

Must-Have Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of raw material purchasing or procurement experience
• Proven experience in vendor negotiation and supplier management
• Strong background in inventory management and replenishment planning
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Ability to manage multiple vendors, lead times, and material availability
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
• Excellent communication skills with cross-functional teams and suppliers

Position Overview

We are seeking a detail-oriented Food Ingredient Buyer to manage procurement and inventory of raw materials supporting manufacturing operations. This role is critical in ensuring continuous material availability, optimizing costs, and maintaining strong vendor relationships. Ideal candidates will bring experience in food or commodity purchasing and thrive in a fast-paced production environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage timely replenishment of raw materials based on production needs, lead times, and storage constraints
• Negotiate pricing and identify cost-saving opportunities through supplier strategies and freight optimization
• Act as the primary liaison between internal teams and vendors to resolve material issues, returns, and credits
• Partner with Quality Assurance on vendor audits and R&D on sourcing new ingredients
• Monitor inventory levels to prevent shortages, excess, or expired materials
• Coordinate interfacility material transfers as production needs evolve
• Collaborate with Logistics to optimize freight and backhaul efficiencies
• Resolve invoice discrepancies in partnership with Accounting (DocuWare or similar systems)
• Generate weekly supply variance reports and maintain accurate inventory records
• Lead quarterly inventory counts and reconciliations
• Provide backup support for other buyers as needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Mathematics, or related field
• Experience in food manufacturing or commodity purchasing
• Familiarity with ERP systems and inventory management tools
• Understanding of shelf-life management and perishable goods logistics

Why Join

• Key role impacting production continuity and cost optimization
• Collaborative environment across operations, QA, R&D, and logistics
• Opportunity to work with national vendor networks and sourcing strategies
• High visibility role with measurable business impact

If you’re an experienced buyer with a strong analytical mindset and a background in raw materials or food ingredients, this is an excellent opportunity to make a direct impact on supply chain performance and operational success.