Food Ingredient Buyer (Manufacturing)

Food Ingredient Buyer

Location: Boston, MA

Must-Have Qualifications

• 3–5 years of purchasing or procurement experience, preferably in food manufacturing or food ingredients
• Experience managing raw material or commodity purchasing
• Strong vendor negotiation and supplier management skills
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel
• Experience coordinating with multiple suppliers, logistics teams, and internal departments
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and inventory management skills
  
  

Position Summary

The Food Ingredient Buyer is responsible for managing the procurement, inventory, and supplier coordination for raw materials used in the production of finished food products. This role ensures the timely availability of ingredients while optimizing cost, maintaining quality standards, and minimizing inventory risks.

The position works closely with suppliers, quality teams, logistics, and internal departments to support uninterrupted production and efficient supply chain operations.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement & Supplier Management

• Manage the procurement and replenishment of raw materials required for production.
• Coordinate with vendors nationwide to ensure timely delivery while accounting for lead times, storage capacity, and shelf-life requirements.
• Negotiate pricing and evaluate cost-saving opportunities including freight optimization, pricing brackets, and alternate sourcing strategies.
  
  

Vendor & Cross-Functional Coordination

• Serve as the primary liaison between internal teams and suppliers to resolve material issues and coordinate returns or reimbursements.
• Work closely with Accounting to communicate vendor credits and resolve invoice discrepancies using DocuWare.
• Partner with Quality Assurance during vendor audits and collaborate with R&D to source new ingredients for product development initiatives.
  
  

Inventory & Supply Management

• Maintain constant visibility into raw material availability to prevent shortages that could disrupt production.
• Coordinate inter-facility transfers of raw materials to support changing production needs and formulation adjustments.
• Monitor inventory for short shelf-life materials and slow-moving or obsolete inventory.
  
  

Logistics & Freight Coordination

• Work with Logistics teams to manage collect freight and identify opportunities for backhaul optimization in coordination with the packaging team.
• Ensure accurate pricing of materials, including freight and associated costs.
  
  

Reporting & Inventory Control

• Generate and submit weekly supply variance reports, verify counts, and make inventory adjustments as necessary.
• Lead quarterly inventory counts and reconciliation processes.
• Provide cross-coverage for other buyers as needed to maintain supply chain continuity.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Mathematics, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• Experience in food ingredient sourcing or commodity purchasing
• Familiarity with inventory management systems and procurement platforms
• Strong ability to analyze data and make cost-effective purchasing decisions
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across departments and external suppliers