Senior Buyer

Produce Careers•Contact us for more information, CT

About The Position

A well-established Produce Distributor is searching for a Senior Produce Buyer to join their team. The Senior Buyer works closely with Category Managers and the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) to translate consolidated volume and market intelligence into lower landed cost, better terms, and measurable sheltered income that supports the platform's growth and equity return goals. This position requires a strong balance of market knowledge, negotiation skill, and cross-company coordination. The Senior Buyer will actively manage supplier relationships across entities, respond to market conditions in real time, and help build and maintain the consolidated buying infrastructure that supports the platform's procurement function.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in produce buying, procurement, or category management, ideally spanning multiple regions or business units.
Demonstrated experience negotiating with suppliers at scale and delivering measurable cost savings.
Strong understanding of produce markets, seasonality, and terminal/regional market dynamics.
Comfort working with FOB costing, transfer pricing structures, and market benchmark data
Ability to operate independently across multiple business units and build trust with leadership.
Solid financial acumen, including understanding of margin and cost drivers.
Excellent negotiation, communication, and relationship-building skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and relevant procurement systems.
Willingness to travel to supplier, market, and locations as needed.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Consolidate purchase volume across all four operating companies to negotiate improved cost, terms, and service levels with suppliers.
Identify shared vendors and overlapping SKUs across entities and shift volume to create platform-wide cost advantage.
Apply the intercompany transfer pricing framework (FOB cost tiers and Quality of Buy markups) consistently across entities.
Track and report realized savings and synergies from consolidated buying against platform KPI and benchmark target.
Lead negotiations for assigned categories and commodities, using platform-wide volume as leverage.
Build and maintain strong, well-documented supplier relationships that support cost, quality, and supply reliability.
Evaluate new supply sources and alternative vendors to strengthen the platform’s negotiating position.
Identify and execute purchasing decisions that convert market and volume advantages into measurable margin and sheltered income.
Supply accurate FOB cost, transfer pricing, and market benchmark data to support the savings and KPI framework.
Work across buying teams to share market intelligence, vendor terms, and sourcing opportunities.
Maintain deep knowledge of regional growing seasons and terminal markets relevant to the platform, including Hunt’s Point/Chelsea, the Salinas Valley, and Michigan seasonal production.
Monitor USDA and market benchmark data to validate buy pricing against current market conditions.