Vegetable Purchasing Lead

McCain Foods USA • Appleton, WI

13h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Vegetable Purchasing Lead is a critical role for a self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, field-connected environment and enjoys balancing independent ownership with strong cross-functional collaboration. This role partners closely with growers, suppliers, and internal stakeholders to drive crop success, ensuring supply continuity, quality, and cost effectiveness. Blending hands-on agricultural experience with financial acumen, data-driven decision-making, and digital tools, the Vegetable Purchasing Lead uses sound business judgment to solve complex challenges and deliver sustainable outcomes. With a strong customer-focused mindset—viewing manufacturing facilities as key internal customers—this role requires the ability to build trust, inspire partners across regions, and clearly communicate insights that translate into measurable business results.

Requirements

• Self-starter mindset with the ability to work independently, prioritize effectively, and solve problems in a fast-paced environment
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence without authority
• Ability to build trust, inspire growers, and align partners around a shared vision for crop success
• Creative and analytical problem-solving skills grounded in sound business judgment
• Strong financial and analytical acumen, including comfort with Excel and forecasting
• Customer-focused mindset, with manufacturing facilities viewed as key internal customers
• Bachelor’s degree in Agriculture, Agronomy, Agricultural Economics, or a related field
• Hands-on experience working with one or more specialty crops and directly with growers or IQF suppliers
• Passion for digital tools, data-driven decision-making, and sustainable agriculture practices
• Proven ability to analyze data and translate insights into clear, actionable recommendations that drive business results
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook) to enhance productivity and communication
• Strong communication skills with the ability to engage professionally and respectfully with growers across regions

Nice To Haves

• Spanish language fluency would be be helpful to support our growers in Mexico, Central America and South America, but is not required.

Responsibilities

• Build and manage strong relationships with sweet potato growers and suppliers through regular field, storage, and plant visits
• Own sweet potato crop oversight, including COP management, raw scheduling, quality checks, storage monitoring, and load-out execution
• Partner closely with manufacturing to review raw material performance and support factory customer service needs
• Lead supplier onboarding, new vendor/item approvals, and support new product and R&D initiatives
• Manage SAP and Coupa processes including contracts, forecasting, purchase orders, and payment workflows
• Drive inventory management, inbound logistics coordination, and raw material ordering as needed
• Identify regional and supplier synergies while leading continuous improvement and cost-savings initiatives
• Collect and analyze on-farm data using digital tools to generate insights and support sustainability programs and storytelling
• Serve as backup support for senior agricultural leadership and related procurement responsibilities
• Own and lead SOE meetings and cross-functional agricultural workstreams

Benefits

• health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription drug)
• retirement savings benefits
• leave support including medical, family and bereavement
• Well-being programs include vacation and holidays, company-supported volunteering time, and mental health resources.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees