Purchasing Manager

About the role

The Purchasing Manager is a critical operational leader responsible for end-to-end procurement of food, beverage, and supply categories across a high-volume, innovation-driven corporate dining environment. This role ensures purchasing accuracy, cost stewardship, vendor compliance, and seamless coordination between culinary teams, operations, and suppliers.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement operations — Manage end-to-end purchasing for food, beverage, and MRO categories, ensuring accuracy, compliance, and alignment with menu and operational needs.
• Drive cost stewardship — Implement cost-effective purchasing strategies, monitor spend and ensure adherence to approved vendors and category standards.
• Manage vendor performance — Oversee supplier relationships, negotiate pricing, resolve issues, and ensure consistent product quality and delivery reliability.
• Oversee inventory and product flow — Maintain accurate inventory levels, support forecasting, and ensure timely ordering to meet production schedules and seasonally driven menus.
• Analyze procurement and financial data — Review purchasing trends, compliance metrics, and financial reports to identify savings opportunities and operational improvements.
• Ensure food safety compliance — Verify that all products meet HACCP, FDA, and internal food safety standards; support traceability, product specifications, and regulatory adherence.

Qualifications

• Food & beverage procurement expertise — Proven experience purchasing across categories including produce, meat, seafood, dairy, dry goods, and supplies.
• High-volume operations experience — Background in large-scale, multi-unit, or unionized food service environments with complex operational demands.
• Systems and analytical strength — Skilled in ordering platforms, forecasting, financial analysis, and data-driven decision-making.
• Vendor and contract management — Ability to evaluate suppliers, negotiate pricing, and ensure contract and category compliance.
• Cross-functional collaboration — Success partnering with culinary, operations, finance, and supply chain teams to support accurate forecasting and efficient invoice processing.
• Leadership and team development — Experience coaching staff, improving processes, and elevating purchasing performance in fast-paced environments.