Buyer

Barrett Petfood•Brainerd, MN

11d

About The Position

Buyer Position Overview The Buyer position plays a key role in procurement activities, ensuring consistent, cost‑effective sourcing of raw materials required for customer-owned formulations and production schedules. This role works closely with Operations, Quality, R&D, Supply Chain, and Customer Account teams to maintain supply continuity, support customer-specific formulations, and uphold safety and regulatory compliance standards unique to the pet food industry.

Requirements

5+ years of purchasing or supply chain experience in manufacturing , ideally with exposure to food or pet food.
Strong negotiation skills and previous supplier management responsibility.
Experience working with ERP/MRP systems and strong Excel skills.
Knowledge of food/pet food safety requirements or willingness to learn industry regulations.

Nice To Haves

Direct experience in pet food , food manufacturing, or ingredient procurement.
Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (AAFCO, FDA/FSMA, USDA handling guidelines, HACCP, GMP).
Certifications such as CPSM, CPIM, CSCP, or SQF Practitioner background.
Experience managing protein markets, agricultural commodities, or custom nutritional blends.

Responsibilities

Raw Material Procurement Source and purchase pet food raw materials such as proteins, meals, grains, functional ingredients, supplements, and vitamins.
Conduct supplier evaluations focused on ingredient quality, traceability, safety certifications, and overall performance.
Negotiate pricing, contracts, and supply agreements while maintaining market competitiveness.
Supplier Management & Quality Alignment Partner with QA to ensure all suppliers meet industry standards and food safety requirements.
Maintain documentation including COAs, SDS, specifications, and traceability + origin data (e.g., animal proteins).
Monitor supplier OTIF, quality issues, service levels, and overall reliability.
Inventory & Material Planning Maintain proper inventory levels for raw materials with variable shelf-life constraints (e.g., fats, fresh meats, premixes).
Adjust purchasing strategy based on production forecasts, customer demand, seasonality, and raw material market fluctuations.
Collaborate with the scheduling team to manage long-lead materials, frozen/fresh ingredient deliveries, and JIT supply needs.
Optimize inventory to minimize obsolescence, shrink, and disposal costs.
Cost Management & Budgeting Lead cost-reduction initiatives that do not compromise nutrition, palatability, or product quality.
Track ingredient market trends (e.g., protein markets, grain pricing, oils & fats) to anticipate cost impacts.
Support new product launches with cost modeling and supplier quoting.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration Work with R&D and Quality on ingredient sourcing for new formulas and reformulations.
Partner with Operations to anticipate material bottlenecks and ensure continuous production flow.
Communicate material risks or delays to Customer Account teams and develop alternatives or contingency plans.
Systems, Reporting & Compliance Use ERP/MRP systems to maintain accurate material master data, lead times, MOQs, and pricing.
Ensure traceability requirements are met for all raw materials, particularly proteins and animal-derived ingredients.
Support regulatory documentation needs for audits and customer requirements.
Track KPIs such as cost savings, PO cycle time, supplier performance, and inventory turns.