Buyer

**Summary**

The role of the Buyer is to utilize analytical, market, ingredient, sales, and buying knowledge and information to cost-effectively source, procure and secure raw materials, packaging, and supply items in support of Haliburton’s existing and new business. The buyer will have a positive impact on company financial performance and customer satisfaction by ensuring timely purchases at competitive prices. The buyer will deploy an analytical strategy of buying, ensuring “best pricing” is obtained through a review of a variety of buying options including category bundling, volume discounts, freight optimization, opportunity buying, contracting, etc.

**Essential Duties & Job Responsibilities**
- Proactively purchase a variety of ingredients, packaging, supply, and miscellaneous items typical of a food manufacturing plant
- Through appropriate forward planning, knowledge of inventory management, and understanding of vendor lead times, shelf life, and minimum order quantities; ensures there are no gaps in supplies that might otherwise negatively impact costs, the production schedule, or customer orders
- Ensures ordering frequency is in alignment with Haliburton demand planning and ingredient carrying protocols
- Is capable of analyzing past and projected purchases individually or by category to identify cost-saving opportunities via contracts, “spot buys”, use of multiple vendors, or other techniques aimed at reducing costs
- Is capable of generating, implementing, and managing requests for proposals (RFPs) for any ingredients
- Understands and can demonstrate appropriate vendor negotiating skills
- Is a liaison between Haliburton and vendor representatives. Ensures cross-functional team members are engaged with vendors as needed. Schedules annual vendor meetings with Haliburton senior management
- Develops and maintains a network of approved vendors
- Conduct regular Vendor performance reviews ensuring the best value and service
- Conducts vendor spend analysis, identify over-purchases and look for cost savings opportunities
- Utilizes cross-functional teams e.g. R&D, culinary, supply chain, etc., to assist in sourcing new ingredients.
- Ensures purchases are only made with approved Haliburton supplies and in accordance with Haliburton’s vendor approval policy and procedure
- Adheres to Haliburton’s purchasing standards and guidelines
- Ensures a clear understanding of supply requirements by continually and proactively communicating with scheduling, customer service, inventory management, and other procurement team members
- Works with Quality team management in updating ingredient specifications, ensuring ingredients meet quality standards, and addressing vendor non-compliance
- Is capable of generating and internally communicating useful commodity market reports for all categories with emphasis on produce
- Work with logistics personnel to obtain cost-effective transportation
- Works with R&D and scheduling to ensure pack sizes are optimized for Haliburton customer costing quotes and RFPs, production batch volume requirements, and the prevailing pack size needs of the manufacturing plant
- Under the direction of the Director of Culinary and R&D, assist the innovation team in sourcing and procurement of raw materials for new products, cost optimizing existing products, and replacing ingredients that are cost negative, have long lead times, or high minimum order quantities.
- Participates in the development of specifications for products, supplies, or substitute materials
- Present comprehensive data to management for buying and contracting decisions
- Other duties as assigned

**Education & Experience**
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Operations Management, or relevant field preferred
- 2 or more years of experience in procurement, supply chain, commodities, or related food purchasing
- Experience and working knowledge relating to the purchase of fresh produce, frozen fruits, and vegetables, edible oils, sweeteners, spices, functional ingredients, packaging
- Experience buying and importing food ingredients
- Purchasing certification e.g. CPM, CPP preferred
- PACA, GFSI (SQF), and FSMA-related purchasing knowledge preferred
- Must possess effective influencing and negotiating skills
- Strong ability to collaborate and build internal and external relationships and build and establish strategic relationships with key suppliers
- Highly motivated with the ability to multi-task and provide timely feedback on all projects
- Proficient in addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, ratios, and percentages
- Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communications skills, including the ability to lead effective, dynamic, and engaging meetings and presentations and to create clear and concise reports as needed. Able to read and interpret complex financial/numerical data and technical information.
- Spanish bilingualism preferred

**Job Types**: Full-time, Permanent

**Salary**: $65,