Manager - Purchasing & Market Intelligence

JTM Food Group•Harrison, OH

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Purchasing & Market Intelligence Manager is responsible for managing a team of purchasing agents and market analysts who procure and monitor raw food ingredients and packaging required for production. This role ensures all purchasing activities are aligned with production schedules, quality standards, and cost objectives. In addition to overseeing daily procurement operations, the Manager leads market analysis efforts to monitor commodity trends, pricing shifts, and supply risks across food ingredient categories. The role establishes common-sense inventory levels by considering high-moving items, minimum order quantities (MOQs), and supplier lead times to balance availability, cost, and storage efficiency. The position drives sourcing strategy, evaluates supplier performance, and ensures the team delivers data-driven, compliant, and efficient ingredient purchasing operations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Food Science, Economics or related field preferred.
10+ years of purchasing or procurement experience in the food manufacturing industry.
2+ years of supervisory or team leadership experience.
Solid understanding of food ingredient supply chains, vendor management, and traceability standards.
Solid understanding of market research, market intelligence, or strategic analysis within the food or consumer goods industries.
Hands-on experience with market intelligence tools, data platforms, and reporting dashboards.
Strong leadership and people management skills.
Excellent negotiation and communication abilities.
Proficiency in ERP and procurement systems (e.g., SAP, NetSuite, Oracle, Aptean).
Familiarity with regulatory and quality standards (e.g., HACCP, FSMA, SQF).
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to prioritize in a fast-paced environment.
Market analysis and reporting skills, including forecasting, benchmarking, and trend evaluation.
Office-based, with routine visits to the production floor and occasional supplier site visits.
Occasional travel may be required for vendor meetings, industry conferences or audits.
Must adhere to company food safety and GMP policies.
This position is an onsite position.

Responsibilities

Market Analysis & Intelligence
Monitor and analyze global market trends for key food raw materials and packaging, including meat, dairy, vegetables, grains, oils, plastics and linerboard.
Track pricing movements and supply/demand fundamentals using recognized industry data sources.
Develop short- and long-term forecasts and market outlooks to support procurement strategy, sourcing decisions, and risk management initiatives.
Build and maintain market dashboards, pricing models, and benchmark indexes for internal visibility and strategic planning.
Prepare and distribute weekly and monthly market intelligence reports for internal stakeholders.
Maintain relationships with suppliers, brokers, and data providers to ensure accurate and timely market information.
Procurement Operations & Team Leadership
Lead and supervise a team of purchasing agents and market analysts responsible for raw material procurement and market intelligence.
Oversee daily purchasing operations to ensure timely and accurate ordering of materials based on production schedules.
Establish common-sense inventory levels by considering high-moving items, MOQs, and supplier lead times to balance availability, cost, and storage efficiency.
Establish team goals and performance metrics aligned with departmental KPIs such as cost savings, on-time delivery, and supplier compliance.
Collaborate with production, planning, and quality teams to anticipate and resolve supply chain disruptions.
Review and approve large or high-impact purchases, contracts, and supplier agreements.
Manage vendor relationships and support purchasing agents in resolving delivery issues, quality concerns, and non-conformance cases.
Train team members on procurement best practices, compliance requirements, ERP system usage, and market analysis methodologies.
Monitor commodity markets and support strategic sourcing initiatives to mitigate cost volatility and supply risk.
Ensure documentation and traceability of all purchasing transactions comply with food safety standards (e.g., FDA, USDA, GFSI).
Lead or support supplier qualification processes, audits, and corrective action follow-ups.