Manager, Procurement

About the company

Forever Cheese is a leading importer, manufacturer, and distributor of premium specialty cheeses and foods in the United States. For more than 25 years, the company has built a strong reputation for sourcing and delivering exceptional products from around the world to American consumers. Forever Cheese is now expanding beyond its legacy import and specialty distribution business into branded specialty foods and value-added offerings including logistics and manufacturing — a significant strategic growth phase for the company.

About the role

We are seeking a hands-on Manager, Procurement to lead purchasing operations, supplier management, and strategic sourcing initiatives at Forever Cheese. This role will oversee a team of three direct reports and play a key part in optimizing procurement processes, strengthening supplier relationships, and supporting the rollout of new AI-driven procurement tools across the organization. The right candidate will thrive in a growing environment and be eager to increase their responsibilities as the company scales. This role requires onsite presence 4 days a week in New York City.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of 3 procurement professionals.
• Manage day-to-day purchasing activities and supplier relationships.
• Learn how to use RELEX (new AI procurement technology) and ensure adoption by team members to improve purchasing efficiency and decision-making.
• Analyze and identify process improvement opportunities.
• Partner with Finance, Operations, and leadership to forecast purchasing needs and communicate potential stock-out and spoilage possibilities.
• Monitor vendor performance and maintain compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Create and track KPIs related to purchasing, inventory, supplier performance, and cost reduction.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Operations, or related field.
• 3+ years of procurement, purchasing, or supply chain management experience (5–10 years overall working experience).
• Previous leadership experience managing direct reports.
• Bilingual in Italian and/or Spanish, in addition to English; Italian preferred.
• Experience working with ERP systems and willingness to learn how to use E21 and RELEX.
• Exposure to AI-powered business tools and process automation initiatives.
• Strong analytical and management skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and reporting tools.

Preferred experience

• Fresh food supply chain or general distribution experience.
• Prior management experience.
• Experience leading system implementations, process improvements, or digital transformation projects.

Benefits

• 401(k) plan.
• Medical insurance.
• Vision insurance.

Pay

Total target compensation: $125,000 – $165,000, flexible on composition (base salary vs. performance bonus) based on candidate preference. Performance-based bonus opportunity.