Procurement & Operations Associate

Saba Grocers is a non-profit organization with a mission to address food access and health disparities by partnering with local corner stores in underserved areas.

We're hiring a Procurement & Operations Associate to own our produce sourcing and order operations end-to-end, from building relationships with farmers and pulling weekly pricing, to scheduling logistics, tracking orders through delivery, pushing them through billing, and keeping customers in the loop along the way.

Saba Grocers Initiative joins forces with corner store owners to make fresh fruits and vegetables accessible and affordable to all of Oakland. We make it easy for corner stores to buy produce from marginalized & BIPOC farmers, supporting thriving small businesses while feeding the neighborhoods of Oakland. Much of Oakland lives in “food deserts” – where a traditional grocery store is a mile away or more and healthy food can’t be reached.

By putting produce into corner stores, we’re able to get good food to all of Oakland. A healthy community where everyone has access to quality, nutritious, healthy food can be achieved through a synergistic relationship between stores and the communities they serve. Corner stores/community markets can serve as an important conduit for communities to get healthy products, provide information that promotes health and well-being, and for facilitating community empowerment.

This role is designed to grow with you. You'll start by learning the business hands-on and, over time, develop into our team's subject matter experts on the produce market, who's growing what, what's in season, where prices are heading, and what we should be buying and when.

Entry-level candidates are welcome. We'll train the right person who's curious, organized, and ready to grow into deep market expertise.

• Mission-driven work — your work directly supports food access in underserved communities.
• Develop deep expertise — grow into the team's go-to authority on produce sourcing, pricing, and seasonality.
• Build lasting relationships with farmers, buyers, and retailers across the regional food system.
• Hybrid schedule with a thoughtful mix of onsite and remote days.
• Meaningful career growth within a rapidly expanding nonprofit enterprise.

• Vendor management. Cultivate and strengthen relationships across our farm network, and identify, vet, and onboard new growers to expand our supplier base.
• Weekly pricing. Gather updated pricing from farmers each week and maintain accurate, current rate sheets that the sales team relies on.
• Order logistics. Coordinate inbound and outbound logistics for every order, ensuring timing, quantities, and product specifications align.
• Proactive order management. Oversee each order from confirmation through delivery, anticipating and resolving potential issues before they reach the customer, and keeping the sales team informed throughout.
• Billing cycle. Move orders through the billing cycle efficiently, ensuring seamless handoff between operations and finance.
• Site visits. Visit farms and other vendors regularly to strengthen relationships, evaluate quality, scout new products, and stay informed on conditions in the field.
• Market analysis & pricing forecasts. Track produce market trends, form a clear view on where prices are heading, and apply those insights to guide buying decisions and customer pricing.
• Seasonality & availability. Serve as the team's expert on seasonal product cycles and current availability, planning ahead so customers consistently receive what they need.
• Customer experience. Deliver an exceptional customer experience through accurate operations, clear communication, and reliable execution.

• Bachelor s degree in Business, Economics, Finance, Supply Chain Management, Operations Management, Agribusiness, or a related field preferred; equivalent experience considered.
• Strong organizational skills, you can keep many moving orders straight without dropping any.
• Comfort with numbers and analysis; you ll be tracking pricing trends and forming predictions.
• Excellent written…