Buyer at Imperial Trading – Elmwood, Louisiana

Imperial Trading Co., LLC is seeking a Buyer to join our Purchasing team in Elmwood, Louisiana. This role is designed to grow our team with someone early in their career who is interested in developing a strong foundation in purchasing, inventory management, and supplier coordination within the wholesale food distribution industry.

The Buyer supports day-to-day purchasing and replenishment activities and works closely with senior buyers and category management with our cross-functional partners in sales, inventory, and operations. This position provides hands-on exposure to supplier relationships, product setup, inventory planning, and sales trend analysis, with the opportunity to grow into broader category responsibilities over time.

Imperial Trading has served customers for more than 100 years and continues to grow as one of the nation’s leading food distributors.

• Work in a robust purchasing software to replenish and maintain product availability in order to meet customer demands.

• Be responsible for placing purchase orders, reviewing pricing, and maintaining accurate item and vendor information

• Analyze sales and inventory data to identify trends and support buying recommendations

• You will work with the purchasing team on planning promotional activities and events.

• Coordinate with sales, operations, customer service, and inventory teams to ensure great service to our customers

• Participate in continuous improvement efforts related to purchasing team processes and inventory controls

• College degree or experience in business, supply chain, finance, marketing, and merchandising preferred, but not required.

• Basic understanding of purchasing, inventory, or supply chain concepts with an openness for growth.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint

• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively across teams

• Organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities

• Ability to work independently while contributing as part of a collaborative team

• Ability to travel up to 10 percent for regional trade shows or vendor meetings

• Begin in foundational, lower-complexity categories to build a strong understanding of purchasing processes, vendor relationships, forecasting, and inventory management, with the opportunity to cross-train and progressively develop buying expertise in more complex and regulated categories such as tobacco.

• As experience, product knowledge, and independent decision-making skills are established, advance into a Category Manager role with increased ownership of category strategy, vendor negotiations, and data-driven business decisions that directly impact company profitability and execution.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans (eligibility requirements apply)

• Wellness program

• Employer-paid basic life insurance with voluntary buy-up options

• Disability insurance

• 401(k) plan with employer match

• Hands-on training in a collaborative team environment

• Opportunities for long-term growth within purchasing and category management

• Stable organization with a strong reputation and over a century of success