Coffee Buyer

Coffee Buyer/Procurement Manager

Reports To:

Director of Procurement

Department / Group:
Procurement - Position Type:
Full-Time

Location:

Preferred:
San Antonio, TX (Glenview, IL and Remote Options Considered)

Exemption Status:
Exempt

Travel Required:

Yes, 25%

About Us:

Finlays Solutions is a leading partner to the B2B beverage manufacturing industry, recognized for its deep expertise, strong industry relationships, and commitment to innovation. The company plays a central role in supporting beverage brands, flavor houses, private label partners, and manufacturers through high-quality products, technical capabilities, and collaborative problem-solving. With a strong presence in the ready-to-drink beverage market, Finlays Solutions focuses on identifying emerging opportunities, expanding into new market spaces, and delivering solutions that meet evolving customer and consumer needs.

Finlays Solutions operates with a strong commitment to its mission, values, ethics, and long-term goals, ensuring that every initiative reflects the company's dedication to integrity, partnership, and sustainable success.

Job Summary:

In this role, you will be responsible for procuring Green Coffee Beans and/or Soluble Coffee and other related products. This role requires deep understanding of Coffee pricing and buying approaches, commodity market dynamics, pricing history, value opportunities, and overall risk management. The ideal candidate is both analytically strong and operationally grounded. This person will create and execute strategies to optimize value, reduce costs, manage inventory, create and maintain pricing transparency, drive supplier innovation, ensure supply continuity, work cross-functionally with internal stakeholders, and maintain/develop strong supplier relationships.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop comprehensive category strategy for Coffee inclusive of spend analytics, identifying procurement methods, current and/or new supply partners to support company objectives.
• Monitor coffee market, commodity pricing trends and related cost drivers to manage risks and ensure competitive costs advantage. Provide regular updates to leadership on coffee market dynamics.
• Negotiate contract types (spot buys, futures, and coverage agreements) and terms with suppliers in compliance with food-grade specifications, regulatory requirements and Finlay Solution standards and policies.
• Issue purchase orders, resolve supplier issues, and verify contract terms (i.e. pricing, quantities, and delivery) are met.
• Monitor Inventory and collaborate with supply chain, production and warehouse teams to prevent shortages or overstock.
• Utilize brokerage account to buy futures to mitigate risks with procurement of coffee beans.
• Develop and maintain relationships with suppliers, ensuring supplier KPIs and competitive pricing are achieved.
• Collaborate with R&D, SRM and Quality on new product sourcing, supplier approvals and sustainability goals.
• Support audits and regulatory inspections by providing procurement and/or supplier documentation.
• Other duties as required.

Qualifications & Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, agricultural economics, finance, or business administration.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Minimum 5 years of experience directly purchasing coffee or other traded agriculture commodities (wheat, corn, soybeans, coco, sugar) on a multi-unit global scale; including direct purchases through Traders and Producers.
• Experience working with Brokers and buying futures to mitigate risk.
• Understanding and use of commodity market data and trends to make informed purchasing decisions and cost-saving initiatives.
• Understanding of total cost of ownership principles, price transparency, and continuous improvement strategies to ensure competitive market-based pricing.
• Strong analytical skills, including cost benchmarking and developing data-driven recommendations.
• Experience with ERP systems; D365 is desirable.

Physical Demands:

Willingness to work additional hours, and tailor schedule appropriately, to support team goals and meet deadlines. Must possess adequate vision, hearing, and verbal communication skills to meet essential job performance and safety standards. Ability to stand and walk for extended periods and regularly perform physical tasks such as pushing, pulling, lifting, climbing, bending, stooping, squatting, and using hands for detailed tasks.

Work environment sometimes involves exposure to inclement weather. Physically capable of performing tasks such as lifting, climbing, and using hand and power tools, including pallet jacks, scales, ladders, and standard material handling and cleaning equipment. Capable of safely lifting up to 50 pounds frequently throughout the day; ability to handle heavier items with proper lifting equipment or team-assisted techniques to ensure safety.

Employees must be able to work in a dynamic manufacturing environment that may include exposure to odors, dust, moderate noise levels, and fluctuations in…