Purchasing Manager

Title:

Purchasing Manager-Food Manufacturing (W2 Only)

Location:

Levittown, NY (Long Island) Onsite Client

Summary:

• Our client is a well-established, family-owned food manufacturer specializing in aseptically packaged food and dairy products supplied to many of the nation's leading food manufacturers. Due to continued growth and expansion, they are seeking an experienced Purchasing Manager to join their team at their headquarters in Levittown, NY.
• This is an excellent opportunity for a strategic purchasing professional to lead approximately $30 million in annual spend while managing the procurement of ingredients, fruit, vegetables, packaging materials, and production supplies in a fast-paced food manufacturing environment.

The Purchasing Manager will be responsible for developing and executing purchasing strategies that ensure a reliable supply of high-quality materials while controlling costs, minimizing supply chain risks, and supporting production operations. This role requires strong vendor management, negotiation, forecasting, and inventory planning experience within the food manufacturing industry.

• Develop and implement purchasing strategies that support production requirements and company objectives.
• Manage the procurement of ingredients, fruit, packaging materials, and other production-related supplies.
• Source, evaluate, qualify, and negotiate with suppliers to obtain the highest quality materials at the most competitive pricing.
• Build and maintain strong, long-term relationships with vendors, growers, and brokers while continually evaluating supplier performance.
• Negotiate pricing, contracts, payment terms, and supply agreements.
• Issue and manage purchase orders while ensuring timely delivery of all materials required to support uninterrupted production.
• Coordinate closely with Production, Operations, Quality, and Finance to align purchasing activities with business needs.
• Ensure all purchased materials comply with food safety regulations and quality standards, including HACCP, FDA, and USDA requirements.
• Monitor supplier performance, resolve delivery or quality issues, and implement corrective actions when necessary.
• Develop contingency sourcing strategies to minimize supply chain disruptions.
• Monitor inventory levels, purchasing budgets, and material usage to optimize inventory turnover while minimizing shortages and excess inventory.
• Support Research & Development by sourcing new ingredients and materials for product innovation.
• Develop annual fruit procurement requirements based on production forecasts and customer demand.
• Expand and diversify supplier relationships by identifying new growers and brokers across multiple geographic regions to reduce crop and supply risks.
• Oversee invoice reconciliation and purchasing documentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned to support business objectives.

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Food Science, or a related field preferred.
• 10+ years of Purchasing or Procurement experience within food manufacturing is required.
• Demonstrated experience purchasing food ingredients, fruit, packaging materials, and other raw materials.
• Strong knowledge of food manufacturing, food safety regulations, HACCP, FDA, and USDA requirements.
• Proven success negotiating contracts and managing supplier relationships.
• Experience managing significant purchasing budgets (multi-million dollar spend preferred).
• Strong forecasting, inventory planning, and supply chain management skills.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and spreadsheets.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills.