Category Buyer - Direct Materials

Category Buyer, Direct Materials

The Category Buyer, Direct Materials, is responsible for sourcing and managing direct spend categories that go directly into beef production and finished goods. This includes ingredients, packaging, labels, casings, processing chemicals, and other production‑critical inputs. This role plays a key part in ensuring supply continuity, margin protection, specification compliance, and plant execution support in a high‑volume beef processing environment.

• Develop and manage category strategies for direct materials, including, but not limited to, corrugate, films, bags, labels, and ingredients.
• Partner with operations, R&D, QA, and finance to align sourcing decisions with product specifications and margin goals.
• Conduct market analysis on commodity and supplier trends.
• Analyze spend, supplier performance, inventory turns, and plant usage trends to identify savings and service opportunities.
• Lead RFQs, RFPs, supplier negotiations, and contract renewals with support of VP of Supply Chain.
• Standardize SKUs, suppliers, and specifications across multiple plants.
• Reduce supplier fragmentation and improve contract compliance.
• Track supplier KPIs including on‑time delivery, fill rates, lead time adherence, cost changes, and service responsiveness.
• Develop contingency supply plans for critical plant uptime items.
• Coordinate closely with storeroom teams to ensure stock availability of inventory.
• Support emergency sourcing for unplanned events.
• Optimize min/max levels, reorder points, and stocking strategies.
• Ensure purchase orders align with approved budgets and authorization limits.
• Drive cost savings, working capital reduction, and process efficiencies.
• Support supplier rationalization and vendor‑managed inventory programs.
• Identify opportunities for predictive stocking and lifecycle management of parts.
• Support new product launches, customer‑specific packaging transitions, and spec changes.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or related field preferred.
• 5+ years of procurement or category buying experience.
• Strong experience in direct material purchasing.
• Experience supporting multi‑site manufacturing or food processing operations preferred.
• Strong ERP/MRP system knowledge (Infor M3 preferred).
• Advanced Excel and spend analysis capabilities.

• Complex problem‑solving skills such as identifying root causes and developing and implementing solutions.
• Critical thinking skills including but not limited to, logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with a professional demeanor and the ability to interact with all levels of any organization.
• Ability to effectively communicate issues and resolutions to all levels of the organization.
• Organized with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage shifting responsibilities in a dynamic, cross‑functional teamwork environment.
• Commitment to demonstrating the highest standard of ethical conduct and integrity; a willingness to continually embrace personal and professional development.
• Professionally represents the Company, advances its values, and contributes to a high‑performing culture and positive work environment for all employees regardless of division/department.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% as required.
• Beef, protein, food manufacturing, or cold‑chain industry experience.
• Knowledge of storeroom optimization and critical spare parts planning.
• Experience with capital project support and maintenance shutdown planning.

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Applicants with a disability who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process can contact Human Resources at the location(s) where you are applying.

We participate in the E‑Verify program in certain locations as required by law.

• Competitive total compensation package for you and your family.
• Excellent benefit plan. Benefits include:
  Health and Wellness Clinic, Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flex Spending Accounts, Voluntary Benefits, PTO, 401k, Long & Short Term Disability, Discount Meat Purchase Program, and more!