Senior Commodity Buyer
Role Summary
Starwest Botanicals is an industry leader within the organic herb, botanical, spice, and tea industry. Located in Sacramento, California, Starwest has grown to become a global player in wholesale, e-commerce, and manufacturing. With nearly 50 years of experience, the company is well positioned in a $100+ billion dollar industry.
The Senior Commodity Buyer position will help develop and execute the sourcing strategy for the company’s global agriculture purchases. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in sourcing global commodities, importation in the US, price negotiations, contract execution, and transportation. This position is located in Sacramento, California.
Key Responsibilities
- Obtain the right product, in the right quantity, at the right quality, delivered at the right time, from the right partner, at the right price.
- Evaluate and handle strategic supplier selection based on quality, food safety, price, operational execution criteria, and social/sustainability factors.
- Negotiate annual contracts based against agricultural crop cycles.
- Create and track purchase orders.
- Resolve quality and delivery issues with suppliers.
- Proactively develop cost reduction projects with suppliers by:
- Moving processing back to origin
- Pushing products into a RTE program
- Specification changes/updates as needed and as acceptable by the business
- Navigate a constantly changing regulatory environment, weather patterns impacting crop harvests, supplier financial stability, international trade requirements and market trends to stay ahead of potential supply disruptions.
- Food Safety and Product Quality
- Review supplied vendor documentation to determine vendor fit against Starwest food safety criteria.
- Assist in root cause analysis of out of stocks and work with suppliers to improve quality and delivery performance.
- Recover cost of internal rework due to vendors delivering product that fails to meet agreed upon specifications.
- Assist in reviewing product specifications and establishing best in industry quality requirements and procedures.
- Logistics
- Coordinate with logistics team as needed to ensure timely delivery of goods.
- Provide product information as needed by sales, inventory, finance and production departments
- Provide landed cost inputs on customer requests for quotes.
- Collaborate with Sales regarding incoming delivery dates.
- Assist with monthly metrics reporting regarding inventory dollars, cash flow projections, etc.
- Complete all other miscellaneous duties as assigned
- Support and follow all Company Policies and Procedures
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business administration, agriculture, or a related field.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience purchasing agricultural goods and/or food grade raw materials.
- Strong negotiation and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficiency in MRP and ERP systems.
- Must be highly proficient in Microsoft Office, Excel, database management, spreadsheet creation, email, and internet.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Familiarity with regulatory requirements and compliance standards related to global trade and the food and/or organic industry.
Supervisory Responsibilities
- Oversees the daily workflow of the company’s raw materials and packaging purchases.
- Provides constructive and timely feedback to improve performance to various stakeholders.
Physical Demands
- Prolonged periods of sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds at times.
Travel Required
- Travel between company facilities within the Sacramento, CA area.
- May be required to attend training and industry events as directed by supervisor.
- May be required to travel to supplier locations.
Work Location and Reporting Relationship
- This position requires the candidate to be on site in Sacramento, CA daily.
- Work from home or remote work is not available for this position.
- This position reports to the Purchasing Manager.
Other Responsibilities
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
Starwest Botanicals is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. All aspects of employment decisions will be based on merit, competence, performance, and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of any status protected under federal, state, or local law. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our colleagues.
