Food Procurement Specialist
Location: Open
Status: Exempt
Position Overview
The Food Procurement Specialist is responsible for all direct and indirect food sourcing activity and all food purchasing functions, including the development and maintenance of the overall food bank food source plan to meet the organization’s volume requirements and support annual food distribution goals.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Implements and maintains a cost effective, network-wide food purchasing program, while identifying new purchasing options and strategies that improve efficiencies.
• Uses inventory software to manage point balance and products needed to achieve distribution goals and ensure appropriate quality, quantity, and variety of product on inventory at all times.
• Monitors inventory daily to identify product to procure, either through purchase or donation.
• Maintains forecasting and tracking tools for purchase program to predict quality, efficiency, and demand and to project, track and document purchasing activities.
• Identifies, selects, bids and purchases from vendors to meet needs and optimize purchased product acquisition.
• Researches and develops strategies to meet fresh product goals and initiatives.
• Evaluates outreach and purchase programs to identify cost effective items.
• Maintains documentation and reports on purchases and needs to support operational goals.
• Manages the ordering of all USDA commodities, coordinating purchase and ensuring timely distribution.
• Maintains a balanced inventory of nutritional and needed food items that meet HHFB program requirements at a competitive cost.
• Works closely with federal, state, and local governmental and non-governmental agencies, and other food banks to benchmark and improve efficiencies and cost saving measures.
• Manages several budget lines for procurement of food and nonfood resources to support our programs and member network.
• Ensures food is procured in compliance with requirements of our various funding streams.
• Monitors sales trends and availability of product; analyze and project demand weeks to months ahead to safeguard product inventory.
HHFB Team Member Accountabilities
• Demonstrates a commitment to the HHFB mission and to fighting to end hunger in South Carolina.
• Displays a desire to work with culturally diverse populations using a compassionate, collaborative and respectful approach.
• Supports a culture of continuous improvement by identifying and communicating process and safety improvements.
• Follows all safety policies and procedures, including reporting all unsafe acts and behaviors, safety hazards, incidents or accidents immediately.
Position Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree and five years related experience in customer relations or the food industry, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Experience working with food retailers and/or manufacturers and/or wholesalers to coordinate food donations or similar experience preferred.
• Purchasing and procurement or related experience preferred.
• Minimum 3 years inventory experience.
• Experience in NetSuite preferred.
• Excellent understanding of food warehousing and distribution.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects at once in fast paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Self-starter, strong organizational skills, attention to detail and creative problem solving.
• Excellent communications, interpersonal and customer service skills; comfortable with public speaking.
• Ability to attend work functions outside of normal work hours, on weekends and evenings, as needed.
• Must be able to clearly articulate the mission of Harvest Hope Food Bank.
• Ability to relate effectively and professionally with other staff, volunteers, agency representatives and the public.
Physical Requirements and Working Conditions
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the tasks outlined in this job description.
This position operates in both an office and warehouse setting. This position requires ability to bend, stoop, lift 25 pounds without assistance, and walk and stand for an extended period. The position also requires sitting at a desk and in meetings for long periods of time. Vision abilities required include close vision and the ability to adjust focus. This position is frequently in a warehouse environment consisting of hot and cold temperatures. With forklift traffic in the facility and product stacked and stored throughout, this position requires someone who is mobile and who can hear and watch for traffic and normal hazards
of a warehouse environment. Frequent traveling during the day is required. Occasionally, this role is required to respond to organizational needs outside of normal working hours.
Harvest Hope Food Bank is an equal opportunity employer and embraces a philosophy that recognizes and values diversity. Our goal is to attract, develop, retain and promote a talented diverse workforce in a culture where all employees will contribute to their fullest potential. This description provides information regarding the essential functions of the designated job and the general nature and level of work associated with the position. It should not be interpreted to describe all the duties whose performance may be required of such employees or be used to limit the nature and extent of assignments the individual may be given. This position description does not constitute an employment agreement or contract.