Buyer Field

US Foods•Perth Amboy, NJ

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Area Buyer role is situated within the Replenishment Buying organization at the Area level. This position leverages category expertise and vendor-specific knowledge to manage inventory levels for assigned items, suppliers, and/or categories, while ensuring service level targets for customers are met. The Area Buyer is a standardized role focused on high-value buying actions, including PO management, inventory monitoring, and core KPI reporting. They will act as the primary point of contact for vendor POs within an Area and collaborate with Replenishment operations to resolve issues and ensure positive customer experiences. For external candidates, the role requires the ability to commute to Perth Amboy, NJ, with a hybrid work model involving two days onsite per month. Internal candidates must be located near a US Foods location, work EST hours, and also adhere to the hybrid model with two days onsite per month.

Requirements

1+ years of direct inventory management/supply chain experience required.
Possess superior oral and written communication skills.
Possess strong analytical skills.
Ability to communicate clearly and professionally with suppliers, sales, field partners, and other business contacts via telephone, email, and video conferencing.
Must have a general understanding of logistics and its connection to an efficient distribution model.
Must be able to deal with high-pressure situations to meet daily/weekly timelines with a high sense of urgency.
Ability to function in Microsoft Excel.
Ability to quickly learn new technologies.

Nice To Haves

SCPO experience heavily preferred.
Four-year degree is highly preferred.
Equivalent work experience and applicable certifications may be considered (Military Service, APICS, CPM, etc.).
Minimum 3 years purchasing experience preferred.
Food service experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Drive core Replenishment buying work and ensure key functions are being fulfilled.
Deliver on KPIs for desk-specific goals such as Service Level, Days-Inventory-On-Hand (DIOH), Excess and Obsolete inventory (E&O), and Spoilage.
Analyze economic order quantities, forecasts, lead times, vendor set-up, safety stock, etc., and use discretion to create efficient purchase orders.
Execute forward-buy opportunities to achieve profitability based on targeted goals, controlling PO execution and timing to balance KPIs with business needs.
Proactively review projected out-of-stock reports daily and make purchasing decisions, including finding substitute products, to ensure customer order fulfillment.
Routinely monitor and escalate crucial inventory health reports such as stock outs, waitlists, and subgroup exception reports.
Establish communication with internal partners regarding supplier production delays or order shortages, and pursue recovery options with urgency.
Coordinate cross-functionally to manage and improve key drivers of company performance.
Collaborate with internal and external business partners to reduce overstock, slow-moving, and obsolete inventory, and initiate product returns.
Utilize understanding of product shelf life and manufacturing dates to prevent spoilage for specific buying categories.
Communicate closely with cross-functional partners to capture seasonal trends and events, and drive profitability with accurate costs.
Partner with the product/category management team to maintain supplier relationships and accountability.
Cooperate with Logistics and Replenishment Excellence teams to identify and achieve freight consolidation for maximum net income and best cost of goods.
Evaluate inbound volume and purchase history to collaborate with warehouse operations on efficient receiving practices.
Participate on a team of 3-10 Buyers and drive continuous improvement within the team.
Share current challenges, operational learnings, and opportunities with Area Replenishment staff to recommend standard process improvements.
Ensure smooth coordination and information flow between Replenishment Operations, cross-functional partners, and Area Buying operations.
Contribute to a strong culture of customer service orientation, collaboration, performance, and continuous improvement within the team.