What You'll Do:Lead & Develop a High-Performing Buying Team- Directly manage, coach, and develop all Category Buyers.
- Set clear expectations, daily priorities, standard work, and accountability measures for the buying team.
- Build buyer capability through coaching, cross-training, development plans, performance conversations, and succession readiness.
- Lead regular buyer huddles focused on service level, forecasting exceptions, vendor issues, shrink risk, and inventory health.
- Ensure backup coverage and continuity across categories.
Drive Forecasting & Replenishment- Own replenishment execution and inventory planning across all categories for multiple facilities.
- Hold buyers accountable for forecast review, demand signal interpretation, system exceptions, and replenishment discipline.
- Monitor demand shifts, seasonality, promotions, customer changes, vendor lead times, and service risks.
- Drive continuous improvement in forecast accuracy, forecast bias, and replenishment compliance.
Optimize Inventory Investment and Management- Optimize inventory investment while maintaining service-level commitments and minimizing inventory carrying costs.
- Monitor turns, days on hand, on-hand inventory, excess inventory, and category-level inventory health.
- Review forward-buy opportunities and ensure purchasing decisions to balance cost savings with inventory risk.
- Support appropriate inventory positioning across distribution locations as the business grows.
Improve Service Levels & Supply Chain Performance- Own purchasing service-level performance and drive improvement in fill rate and stockout prevention.
- Identify supply risks early and lead corrective action with buyers, vendors, and cross-functional partners.
- Escalate and resolve vendor or supply disruptions that could impact customer service.
Reduce Shrink & Obsolescence- Establish and maintain consistent processes to reduce shrink, spoilage, product aging, and obsolescence.
- Monitor slow-moving, short-coded, aged, obsolete, and at-risk inventory.
- Partner with Sales and Category Management on exit strategies for excess or obsolete inventory.
- Hold buyers accountable for timely action on inventory risk.
Strengthen Systems & Supplier Performance- Establish supplier performance scorecards measuring service, fill rate, quality, lead-time reliability, responsiveness, and shortage recovery.
- Partner with buyers to address vendor performance issues and improve supplier accountability.
- Proactively identify and mitigate supply risks that could impact service, inventory availability, shrink, or profitability.
- Develop recovery plans for critical supply disruptions and vendor performance issues.
Lead Continuous Improvement- Enhance purchasing processes, workflows, and reporting.
- Identify opportunities to improve service levels, inventory productivity, forecasting accuracy, and buyer effectiveness.
- Collaborate with Operations, Sales, Transportation, Finance, and Supply Chain teams to support business growth and customer success.
What We're Looking For:- 5+ years of experience in purchasing, inventory management, replenishment, demand planning, category management, or a related supply chain function.
- Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or a related field preferred.
- Proven ability to lead, coach, mentor, or develop purchasing professionals.
- Strong knowledge of forecasting, inventory management, supplier performance, and supply chain operations.
- Exceptional analytical and problem-solving skills with advanced Excel proficiency.
- Ability to make informed decisions in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Experience with Blue Ridge or similar forecasting and replenishment systems.
- Experience within foodservice distribution, wholesale distribution, or other inventory-intensive industries.
- Strong understanding of item master management, replenishment parameters, lead times, vendor minimums, and order cycles.
Why Join Us?This is more than a purchasing role. It's an opportunity to build processes, develop people, influence strategy, and create a scalable purchasing operation that supports the next phase of company growth.
If you're a hands-on leader who enjoys solving complex supply chain challenges, improving performance, and creating lasting impact, we invite you to apply.
Ready to lead, improve, and grow with us? Apply today. 
