Senior Buyer

Job Title : Senior Buyer – ++++MUST HAVE FOOD & BEVERAGE EXPERIENCE++++

Food & Beverage Manufacturing Location : Rock Hill, SC | Reports to : Director of Procurement Experience Level : 5–10 Years

Job Summary

We are seeking a data-driven Senior Buyer with deep expertise in procurement analytics to optimize sourcing, cost management, and supplier performance in a fast-paced food & beverage manufacturing environment. This role combines strategic category management with advanced data analysis to drive cost savings, mitigate supply risks, and ensure compliance with FDA, USDA, and other regulatory standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Procure raw materials, packaging, ingredients, and MRO supplies for multiple production facilities, targeting $15M–$30M in annual spend.
• Lead procurement analytics : Build and maintain dashboards (Power BI / Tableau) to track spend visibility, price volatility, supplier OTIF, and contract compliance.
• Conduct spend analysis, should-cost modeling, and TCO evaluations to identify 5–10% annual savings opportunities.
• Negotiate long-term agreements (LTAs), volume discounts, and risk-sharing clauses with Tier 1 suppliers (e.g., corn syrup, flex packaging, spices).
• Manage supplier relationships : Scorecards, QBRs, audits, and corrective actions to ensure 98%+ OTIF and zero critical FDA / USDA non-conformances.
• Collaborate with R&D, QA / QC, and plant operations to qualify new ingredients and ensure seamless scale-up from trial to production.
• Monitor commodity markets (dairy, grains, sugars, freight) and hedge price exposure via forward contracts or index-based pricing.
• Ensure full compliance with FDA FSMA, USDA, DOT, OSHA, and GFSI standards in all sourcing decisions.
• Drive sustainability initiatives : Source RSPO palm oil, cage-free eggs, or recyclable packaging per corporate ESG goals.

Qualifications