Procurement Senior Buyer

Premier ProduceOne•Columbus, OH

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Buyer executes high-volume, cross-entity purchasing strategies that leverage the combined buying power of the Produce One Family of Companies (POFOC) operating companies: Premier Produce One, Carbonella & DeSarbo, Native Maine, and Brophy Brothers. The role uses platform-wide purchasing scale and market intelligence to negotiate lower landed costs and improved terms, capture measurable savings and sheltered income, and support the platform’s growth and equity return goals. The Senior Buyer works closely with Category Managers and the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), manages supplier relationships across entities, responds to changing market conditions, and helps build and maintain consolidated procurement infrastructure. The role includes consolidating purchasing volume, identifying shared vendors and overlapping SKUs, applying intercompany transfer-pricing frameworks, leading supplier negotiations, evaluating alternative sources, and monitoring vendor performance. It also requires regional produce-market knowledge, use of USDA and market benchmarks, and coordination across operating-company buying teams. Travel to supplier, market, and operating-company locations is required as needed. Success is measured by cost savings and sheltered income from consolidated buying, supplier relationships and terms across the operating companies, accurate and timely KPI and savings information, effective cross-platform collaboration, and sound judgment in response to market changes. The work includes office and computer use as well as movement through office, warehouse, supplier, and operating-company facilities and regular travel by car or plane. Occasional light lifting may be required, and some operational environments may involve noise, temperature variations, machinery, or outdoor conditions.

Requirements

At least 7 years of experience in produce buying, procurement, or category management.
Demonstrated experience negotiating with suppliers at scale and delivering measurable cost savings.
Strong understanding of produce markets, seasonality, and terminal and regional market dynamics.
Comfort working with FOB costing, transfer-pricing structures, and market benchmark data.
Ability to work independently across multiple business units and build trust with operating-company 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 operating-company locations as needed.
Ability to meet the stated physical and sensory demands, including prolonged desk and computer work, frequent communication, movement around facilities, regular travel, and occasional lifting of light materials.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree preferred.
Experience spanning multiple regions or business units.

Responsibilities

Consolidate purchase volume across the four operating companies to negotiate improved supplier costs, terms, and service levels.
Identify shared vendors and overlapping SKUs across entities and shift volume to create platform-wide cost advantages.
Apply the intercompany transfer-pricing framework, including 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 targets.
Lead negotiations for assigned categories and commodities, using platform-wide volume as leverage.
Build and maintain documented supplier relationships that support cost, quality, and supply reliability.
Evaluate new supply sources and alternative vendors to strengthen the platform’s negotiating position.
Monitor vendor performance against scorecard criteria, including fulfillment, quality, food safety, pricing, and service.
Identify and execute purchasing decisions that turn market and volume advantages into measurable margin and sheltered income.
Provide accurate FOB cost, transfer-pricing, and market benchmark data for the CPO’s savings and KPI framework.
Identify and act on buying opportunities related to harvest timing, regional sourcing shifts, and transportation costs.
Maintain knowledge of regional growing seasons and terminal markets, including Hunt’s Point/Chelsea, the Salinas Valley, and Michigan seasonal production.
Monitor USDA and market benchmark data to validate purchase pricing against current conditions.
Anticipate transitions, shortages, weather impacts, and pricing changes, and communicate implications to the CPO and procurement leadership.
Coordinate with operating-company buying teams to share market intelligence, vendor terms, and sourcing opportunities.
Follow procurement processes, transfer-pricing rules, and reporting standards established by the CPO’s office.
Support the development of PROPCO’s consolidated buying infrastructure, tools, and documentation.
Serve as a resource and informal mentor to operating-company buyers on platform sourcing practices.
Travel to supplier, market, and operating-company locations as needed.
Use office equipment and computer systems and participate in meetings, site visits, walk-throughs, and relationship-building activities.