What are the responsibilities and job description for the Materials Buyer position at Scooter's Coffee?
Location
This position is considered office-first. An office-first employee can flex between in-office work and working from home based on personal or professional need, at the discretion of their supervisor. An office-first employee maintains an office presence at least three days per week at their designated Scooter’s Coffee office location. Scooter’s Coffee is headquartered in Omaha, NE. The successful candidate lives in Omaha, NE. Relocation is not available for this role.
Description
The Buyer will oversee procurement activities, ensuring optimal inventory levels, cost-effectiveness, and supplier performance. The Buyer will be responsible for purchasing raw materials, supplies, and other necessary goods while maintaining strong vendor relationships and mitigating supply chain risks. The Buyer will require strong negotiation with suppliers, ensuring timely delivery, and maintaining compliance with quality and safety standards.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Execute purchasing strategies to support company operations and production requirements.
- Maintain appropriate inventory stock levels while minimizing excess and shortages.
- Monitor supplier performance and ensure compliance with contractual agreements.
- Develop and maintain strong relationships with vendors to optimize pricing, quality, and delivery schedules.
- Identify supply issues and work proactively to assess root causes and implement improvements.
- Conduct market analysis to assess trends, costs, and availability of goods.
- Participate in the RFP process for new and existing products and services, including evaluation and selection of vendors.
- Collaborate with internal teams, including Manufacturing, Menu, Research & Development, Quality, and Operations, to align purchasing activities with business needs, qualify new ingredients, evaluate substitutes, and support formulation changes.
- Lead ingredient sourcing and purchasing to meet production schedules, menu timelines, and new product launches.
- Ensure compliance with all food safety, regulatory, and labeling requirements across ingredient categories.
Qualifications
- 3 years of experience in procurement or purchasing, preferably in a food distribution/ manufacturing environment
- Strong negotiation and vendor management skills
- Ability to analyze market trends and make data-driven purchasing decisions
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong attention to detail and ability to follow special instructions
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
- Ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced environment
- Ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive cost reduction and process improvement
- Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Food Science, Business, or a related field is preferred.
Disclaimer
The functions and skills described here are general in nature and represent the type of work performed, but they do not constitute an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities performed on the job. A successful candidate must be able to meet the listed essential duties and physical demands of the position, either with or without reasonable accommodation.