Associate Buyer - Anchorage

Charlie's Produce • Seattle, WA

1d • $27 - $30

About The Position

The Associate Buyer provides administrative and operational support to procurement staff. The role supports purchasing and inventory processes, confirms purchase orders for receiving accuracy and timely delivery, makes daily inventory adjustments, and prepares key departmental reports. It requires understanding the purchasing cycle for assigned products and communicating potential inventory issues, prorates, and cost changes to the Procurement Manager and Sales in a timely manner.

The Associate Buyer supports logistics procedures for product arrivals and works with vendors to address freight damage, product damage or quality issues, and quantity discrepancies, including assisting with related claims. When assigned vendor accounts, the role follows approved supplier onboarding and ongoing vendor requirements, maintains appropriate inventory levels, and monitors vendor performance. The position also manages costs in accordance with program stipulations and best practices, including contract pricing changes and off-invoice pricing or advertising cycles, and works toward assigned KPIs.

All employees are responsible for food safety and must notify appropriate personnel if they witness a compromise to food safety or product quality. Other tasks and special projects may be assigned by the Procurement Manager. This is a safety-sensitive position.

Requirements

• High school education preferred.
• Computer competency, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and 10 Key.
• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Ability to multitask and work well under pressure.
• Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and accomplish team objectives.
• Strong math and writing skills, including quickly multiplying and adding cases or pallets and calculating product cost, market, and margin.

Nice To Haves

• Purchasing experience desired but not required.
• Knowledge of Power Enterprise is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative support to procurement staff.
• Confirm purchase orders for receiving accuracy and on-time deliveries; make daily inventory adjustments and pull key departmental reports.
• Understand the relevant purchasing cycle for each item purchased.
• Communicate potential inventory issues, prorates, and cost changes promptly to the Procurement Manager and Sales.
• Support logistical procedures for product arrival and work with vendors to resolve freight damage, product damage or quality issues, and quantity discrepancies; assist with related claims.
• When assigned vendor accounts, adhere to approved supplier onboarding and continuing requirements, maintain appropriate inventory levels, and monitor vendor performance.
• Notify appropriate managers, supervisors, or key personnel of any observed compromise to food safety or product quality.
• Manage costs according to program stipulations and best practices, including escalated or de-escalated contract pricing and off-invoice price cycles or ads.
• Understand and achieve assigned KPIs, including fill rate, variance management, inbound freight maintenance, PO accuracy, and contract compliance.
• Complete other tasks and special projects as assigned by the Procurement Manager.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage beginning the first of the month following hire.
• ESOP (profit sharing) and 401(k).
• Paid vacations and paid holidays.
• Sick time.
• 100% prepaid college tuition for employees and their dependents.
• Employee assistance program (EAP).
• Yearly review with the possibility of an increase based on performance and tenure.
• Company culture described as fostering loyalty, stability, innovation, and growth.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED