What are the responsibilities and job description for the Purchasing Agent position at Imperial Dade?
Imperial Dade is the leading independently owned and operated distributor of foodservice packaging and janitorial supplies in North America. As a provider of customized supply chain solutions, we serve customers in many business-to-business market segments, including restaurants, grocery stores, healthcare, sports and entertainment, and cruise lines. Founded in 1935 and headquartered in New Jersey, Imperial Dade serves as a mission-critical partner to more than 120,000 customers through our footprint of 130 branches.
A successful Purchasing Agent combines strategic and tactical expertise, with experience in vendor relations, new item setup, and purchase order management for Kitchen Smallwears. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong prioritization and negotiation skills, maintains a sense of urgency in resolving issues, and has experience with Kitchen Smallwares.
You Will
We offer a dynamic environment for our more than 7,500 employees to work, learn, and grow professionally. We value our people and strive to create rewarding career opportunities by offering competitive salaries and benefits (medical, dental, vision), a 401(k) program with company match, life insurance, a generous paid time off package, educational reimbursement, paid family leave, and adoption assistance. We are excited to invite talented individuals with a passion for excellence to join our team.
Imperial Dade is an EEO Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, status as a parent, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), family medical history, or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.
Our company is a Fair Chance employer, committed to providing opportunities for qualified individuals with past justice system involvement. We believe in assessing candidates based on their skills and experience. A conditional offer of employment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Massachusetts Applicants
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
- All correspondence will come directly from Imperial Dade and not a personal email address.**
A successful Purchasing Agent combines strategic and tactical expertise, with experience in vendor relations, new item setup, and purchase order management for Kitchen Smallwears. The ideal candidate demonstrates strong prioritization and negotiation skills, maintains a sense of urgency in resolving issues, and has experience with Kitchen Smallwares.
You Will
- Source and purchase Smallware category, managing vendor relationships and ensuring product availability to meet customer and operational needs.
- Collaborate with Sales leads, Designers and suppliers to support the quoting process, item set-up, purchase order writing and tracking for the Commercial Equipment program.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, distributors, and internal Sales teams to ensure alignment on priorities and customer needs.
- Create, release, and track purchase orders accurately and on time, ensuring compliance with procurement policies and inventory requirements.
- Monitor and manage supplier performance, negotiating and resolving issues that impact cost, quality, delivery, or service levels.
- Maintain up-to-date purchase records, inventory levels, and reporting to ensure visibility and accuracy.
- Define, track, and continuously improve key performance metrics (e.g., fill rates, in-stock levels, lead times, inventory turns).
- 3 years of buying Kitchen Smallwares is required, inventory management, or supply chain experience; commercial equipment experience is a big plus.
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, or related field (preferred).
- High proficiency in Microsoft Excel; aptitude to quickly learn other technical applications and ERP/procurement systems.
- Effective collaborator, able to build strong working relationships with Sales, Design, Buying teams, suppliers, and ensure alignment and maintain clear lines of contact with both suppliers and internal teams.
We offer a dynamic environment for our more than 7,500 employees to work, learn, and grow professionally. We value our people and strive to create rewarding career opportunities by offering competitive salaries and benefits (medical, dental, vision), a 401(k) program with company match, life insurance, a generous paid time off package, educational reimbursement, paid family leave, and adoption assistance. We are excited to invite talented individuals with a passion for excellence to join our team.
Imperial Dade is an EEO Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, status as a parent, national origin, age, disability (physical or mental), family medical history, or genetic information, political affiliation, military service, or other non-merit-based factors.
Our company is a Fair Chance employer, committed to providing opportunities for qualified individuals with past justice system involvement. We believe in assessing candidates based on their skills and experience. A conditional offer of employment will be contingent upon the successful completion of a background check, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
Massachusetts Applicants
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.