Purchasing Manager in Costa Mesa, California at AVANTI RESTAURANT SOLUTIONS INC

The Purchasing Manager is responsible for developing and executing Avanti's purchasing and supply chain strategy. This role establishes and maintains strategic vendor relationships, negotiates pricing and purchasing programs, and leads the Purchasing team to ensure products are purchased efficiently, delivered on time, and managed at the lowest total cost. The Purchasing Manager works cross-functionally with Sales, Project Management, Warehouse, Finance, and Operations to improve profitability, inventory performance, and customer satisfaction.

Job Duties

• Review and negotiate programs for Avanti’s top 100 vendors, including discounts, rebates, specification and freight programs, and payment terms
• Review project and stocking purchases for savings, accuracy, timing, inventory allocation, alternative specifications and potential bulk purchases
• Evaluate vendor spend and recommend alternative brands to maximize earnings and rebates
• Lead, coach, and develop the Purchasing and Supply Chain team.
• Own vendor management, measure vendor performance, including pricing, quality, lead times, and service levels. Conduct periodic business reviews and work to resolve performance issues.
• Responsible for inventory stocking strategies that balance service levels and inventory investment. Utilize obsolete inventory. Partner with warehouse leadership on inventory accuracy and cycle counts.
• Lead process improvements for department. Improve purchasing workflows through ERP automation. Standardize purchasing processes across the company. Partner with IT on ERP enhancements.
• Partner with Sales and Project Management to ensure customer commitments are met while maximizing purchasing efficiencies and company profitability.
• Maintain up to date pricing and program information in Avanti systems

This position will supervise the purchasing and supply chain teams

Required Qualifications

• Commercial kitchen industry experience
• This position will supervise the purchasing and supply chain teams
• 5+ years purchasing and/or supply chain experience
• 2+ years managerial experience
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Experience managing vendor contracts.
• Experience with inventory planning and forecasting.
• Experience using ERP systems (Epicor, NetSuite, Acumatica, etc.).
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills.
• Strong analytical and financial skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Proven leadership and team development experience.
• Experience in commercial foodservice equipment distribution.
• Existing relationships with major foodservice manufacturers.
• Experience with AutoQuotes and kitchen equipment specification.

REQUIREMENTS: To comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, it is necessary to specify the physical and intellectual essential duties of the job.

• Hearing. Perceiving the nature of sounds at normal speaking levels with or without correction. Ability to receive detailed information through oral communication, and to make the discriminations in sound.
• Hand dexterity and eye and hand coordination is critical.
• Lifting. Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
• Use of one or both arms and wrists to lift parts, fixtures, and tools on a frequent basis.
• Sitting. Must be able to sit for long periods of time, but at least 50% of the time.
• Standing. Particularly for sustained periods of time.
• Talking. Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word. Those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately or quickly.
• Required to have visual acuity to determine the accuracy, neatness, and thoroughness of the work assigned or to make general observations of structures. Must be able to read a computer screen for long periods of time.
• Walking. Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one workstation to another.