Purchasing & Data Analyst

The Hangout•Gulf Shores, AL

22d

About The Position

The Purchasing & Data Analyst plays a key role in optimizing purchasing, controlling costs, and improving operational performance across all Hangout Hospitality Group locations. This position combines purchasing analytics, data intelligence, and modern AI-supported tools to deliver accurate insights that guide decision-making across Operations, Finance, Culinary, and Purchasing. Candidates must have hands-on experience with Restaurant365 (R365), Aloha NCR POS, advanced Excel skills, and the ability to leverage AI tools to support forecasting, reporting, automation, and process improvement.

Requirements

Strong analytical skills and familiarity with predictive modeling.
Hands-on experience with AI-supported tools for forecasting, anomaly detection, and automation.
Advanced proficiency in R365, Aloha NCR, Excel, and BI platforms.
Excellent communication, vendor relationship-building, and negotiation skills.
High attention to detail and accuracy.
Bachelor’s degree in Data Analytics, Finance, Business, Supply Chain, Hospitality Management, or a related field.
2–5+ years of data or purchasing experience (multi-unit restaurant experience strongly preferred).
Required: Experience with R365 and Aloha NCR.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Power BI, Tableau, SQL, or Python
familiarity with AI tools.

Responsibilities

Procurement Analysis & Strategy
Analyze purchasing, usage, and cost trends to identify inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities.
Use historical purchasing data and AI-assisted forecasting to recommend procurement improvements.
Monitor product movement and proactively suggest alternatives when pricing, quality, or availability changes.
Vendor Performance, Relationship Management & Sales Associate Engagement
Maintain strong working relationships with vendors and sales associates to ensure service, communication, and support remain consistent.
Evaluate supplier performance based on pricing accuracy, delivery reliability, product quality, and overall value.
Support negotiations using data-backed insights.
Collaborate with sales representatives on product updates, promotions, availability issues, and market trends.
Serve as a point of contact between HHG locations, suppliers, and sales teams.
Inventory & Cost Management
Use POS data and predictive analytics to forecast demand and optimize inventory levels.
Track food, beverage, and retail cost trends across all units.
Utilize AI-powered variance alerts to detect waste, shrinkage, receiving issues, or ordering patterns that require correction.
Collaborate with Culinary and Operations teams to improve portioning, receiving accuracy, and waste reduction.
Data Reporting, Insights & AI Integration
Build dashboards and automated reporting tools with AI-driven insights and forecasting.
Utilize AI tools for predicting sales and usage, improving par levels, detecting cost anomalies, and automating routine data tasks.
Present operational and financial insights to leadership in a clear and visually organized format.
Software Utilization & System Optimization
Restaurant365 (R365) — Required
Manage purchasing, inventory, AP automation, and COGS reporting modules.
Ensure accuracy of PO workflows, receiving, transfers, and invoicing.
Use R365 Intelligence features for forecasting and variance identification.
Aloha NCR POS — Required
Integrate POS sales and product mix data into purchasing and forecasting.
Use POS trends to support menu engineering and ordering strategy.
AI & Automation Tools — Required
Apply AI tools (Excel AI features, Power BI forecasting, ChatGPT-style analysis, R365 Intelligence) to enhance accuracy, forecasting, and efficiency.
Identify new opportunities for AI integration across purchasing, inventory, reporting, and operations.
Excel / Power BI / Data Visualization
Build advanced financial and operational models.
Create dashboards using pivot tables, PowerQuery, and BI tools.
Issue Resolution & Cross-Functional Operations
Investigate pricing discrepancies, delivery issues, invoice errors, or inventory variances using AI-assisted diagnostics.
Work closely with GMs, Chefs, Operations, Finance, and Accounting to ensure data accuracy and operational consistency.
Train managers and team members on using dashboards, AI-assisted forecasting, and purchasing best practices.