Lead Buyer
About The Position
The Van Drunen Family of Companies is growing! Lead Buyer This role is Hybrid (3 on‑site / 2 WFH), based in Momence, IL; 5–10% travel. No relocation or visa sponsorship. Make global ingredient supply chains better—every day. At Van Drunen Family of Companies, we're not just providing ingredients; we're providing people with purpose and possibility. We are a trusted partner in delivering fruit, vegetable, herb, and grain-based ingredient solutions to companies around the globe. Our mission is to honor God in all we do, help people develop, strive for excellence, serve world class products, and grow profitably guided by humility, integrity, passion, and excellence. What you’ll do Lead a team of three buyers and keep production moving with accurate POs, clean ERP data, and strong supplier relationships. You’ll bring structure to the Execution & Delivery rhythm, partner closely with Supply Chain, and turn KPIs into actions—not just reports. Coach buyers with clear standards and feedback loops. Improve the claim process, embedding templates, SLAs, and ownership. Operationalize KPIs (OTIF, PPV, cost/soft savings) into day‑to‑day routines. Resolve vendor issues, protect service, and support cross‑functional planning. Who you are You connect daily purchasing signals to broader sourcing strategy, influence change‑resistant stakeholders, and sweat the details. You’ve led teams in procurement (5–7+ years total; 2+ leading), know food/production environments, and are comfortable with ERP systems. In the Van Drunen Family of Companies, commitment to excellence is in everything we do! As a global ingredient and nutritional supplement supplier to the world’s best companies, we thrive on nourishing others with our products and our care for people. If you are looking to make an impact and grow with a family-friendly, values-driven company, you'll fit right in with the Van Drunen Family of Companies! Our employees are the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, creativity, innovation, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our Company’s achievement as well. The Van Drunen Family of Companies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. If you are an individual with a disability in need of assistance or an accommodation during the application process, please contact us at [email protected]. Van Drunen Family of Companies does not accept unsolicited resumes. Any resumes, CV’s, and other unsolicited assistance from search firms that do not have a submitted request and written search agreement for a position-specific requisition will be deemed the sole property of Van Drunen Family of Companies and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by our Company. Equal Opportunity Employer: Disability/Veteran Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that’s unique about our culture, our core values, our commitment to success, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it’s our people. Our employees are self-disciplined, hardworking, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference. To all recruitment agencies: Van Drunen Family of Companies does not accept unsolicited resumes. Any resumes, CV’s, and other unsolicited assistance from search firms that do not have a written and approved search agreement for a position-specific requisition will be deemed the sole property of Van Drunen Family of Companies and no fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by our Company
Requirements
- Connect daily purchasing signals to broader sourcing strategy
- Influence change‑resistant stakeholders
- Sweat the details
- Led teams in procurement (5–7+ years total; 2+ leading)
- Know food/production environments
- Comfortable with ERP systems
Responsibilities
- Lead a team of three buyers and keep production moving with accurate POs, clean ERP data, and strong supplier relationships.
- Bring structure to the Execution & Delivery rhythm, partner closely with Supply Chain, and turn KPIs into actions—not just reports.
- Coach buyers with clear standards and feedback loops.
- Improve the claim process, embedding templates, SLAs, and ownership.
- Operationalize KPIs (OTIF, PPV, cost/soft savings) into day‑to‑day routines.
- Resolve vendor issues, protect service, and support cross‑functional planning.
Benefits
- This role may further qualify for supplemental compensation in the form of bonus and incentive programs, contingent upon achieving pre-established individual and company performance metrics.
- Benefits Eligible: Yes
- Benefits Available: 2026-benefits-summary.pdf
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
Education Level
No Education Listed
Number of Employees
501-1,000 employees
