Vice President of Purchasing

Vice President, Purchasing

DEPARTMENT:
Purchasing

REPORTS TO:

EVP of Procurement

FLSA CLASSIFICATION:
Full-Time, Exempt

Gold Star Foods is a leading K-12 food service distributor, helping school districts and communities serve nutritious meals to students. Based in Ontario, California, we are committed to dependable service, food safety, and continuous improvement—delivering the right products, at the right time, with integrity.

The Vice President, Purchasing is a senior leader responsible for strategic sourcing, supplier performance, and inventory planning across all product categories. You will ensure product availability, strong service levels, and adherence to food safety and regulatory requirements while improving margin, working capital, and overall category performance. This role partners closely with Sales, Operations, Logistics, and Finance to support sales growth and best in class customer service.

• Lead the purchasing and sourcing strategy aligned to business goals, customer requirements, and service expectations.
• Oversee category procurement planning across fresh, frozen, dry, dairy, protein, produce, beverage, and specialty items.
• Improve profitability through strategic supplier programs, specifications management, and total-cost-of-ownership initiatives.
• Monitor commodity markets and supply risk; recommend sourcing and pricing actions to minimize disruption.

• Negotiate supplier agreements and programs (pricing, rebates, service levels, promotions) to secure supply and improve results.
• Build and maintain strategic supplier partnerships that consistently meet service, quality, and lead-time expectations.
• Create supplier scorecards and business reviews covering pricing, quality, fill rates, on-time delivery, and compliance.
• Source and onboard new suppliers/products to support customer needs, innovation, and growth initiatives.

• Set stocking strategies with Inventory Control and Operations to balance availability, freshness, shrink, and obsolescence.
• Own forecasting and replenishment practices that increase inventory turns, reduce stockouts, and stabilize service levels.
• Establish controls and reporting that improve inventory accuracy, reduce spoilage, and streamline procurement cycles.

• Ensure purchasing practices comply with company policy, food safety requirements, and applicable regulations.
• Improve procurement systems, workflows, and analytics to increase speed, visibility, and decision quality.
• Coordinate inbound purchasing plans with warehouse and transportation capacity to reduce congestion and detention.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives across buying, vendor management, and planning processes.

• Develop and manage purchasing budgets, working‑capital targets, and category profit plans.
• Analyze margins, costs, and vendor income (rebates/allowances) to maximize financial performance and accuracy.
• Contribute to annual budgeting, forecasting, and long‑range strategic planning.

• Lead, coach, and develop purchasing leaders, buyers, and coordinators; build bench strength and succession plans.
• Create a high‑accountability, cross‑functional culture focused on service, speed, and results.
• Set department objectives, KPIs, and operating rhythms; review performance and remove execution barrier.

• Proven strategic sourcing and contract negotiation capability.
• Strong financial acumen (P&L drivers, pricing, vendor income, and working capital).
• Proficiency with ERP, purchasing, and inventory planning tools; able to translate data into action.
• Executive communication and stakeholder management skills; effective partner across Sales, Ops, and Finance.
• Ability to manage multiple categories and supplier portfolios in a fast‑paced, service‑critical environment.
• Working knowledge of food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality systems.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Food Management, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 10+ years of progressive purchasing/procurement…