As a purchasing manager, you will manage the purchasing function and supply partner / vendor relationships, working closely with Production and Warehouse to leverage both production techniques and supply base expertise to ensure production goals. The purchasing manager works closely with Inventory team to ensure inventory and usable stock are consistently available to meet production requirements. You should be able to speak in Spanish and English to communicate with vendors and supply partner. 

Responsibilities 

• Reviews and processes purchase order requests from production in a timely manner. 
• Generate an annual purchasing plan. 
• Search for new suppliers. 
• Attendance at fairs or conventions with various suppliers. 
• Analysis and evaluation of proposals from new suppliers. 
• Negotiate proposals with suppliers, looking for guarantees, quality and a better price. 
• Seeks out, negotiates, and manages cost saving opportunities. 
• Reach agreements with suppliers to achieve profits and benefits in the company. 
• Negotiates with supplier base to ensure cost effective and value-add transactions. 
• Supervision of the purchasing process of your team of buyers. 
• Reviews orders, contracts, materials, and services from suppliers. 
• Generation of purchasing indicator reports. 
• Management and coordination of purchasing team. 
• Propose improvements to the current purchasing system that improve relationships with suppliers and reduce the cost of doing business. 
• Take the lead in creating profitable ways to manage obsolete and slow-moving stocks to help offset losses. 
• Help develop more effective billing and collection processes 
• Establish a budget and find out if the merchandise will be sold once the surcharge is added to the cost price of the product. 
• Review and improve policies and processes in the purchasing area. 
• Anticipate trends, finding new sources of inputs, products or equipment. 

Qualifications 

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, logistics or business administration. 
• Minimum of 5 years as purchasing manager, in perishable food industry. 
• Proven experience with sourcing, negotiation and vendor management. 
• Possess strong leadership skills and networking capabilities. 
• Be able to speak Spanish and English. 

About us:  Rio Grande foods is a family-owned Latin American food company that has been Distributing for over 30 years. Currently with locations in Maryland, NY and TX and master distributors in the USA and Canada with a presence in 32 states in the United States and Canada. Rio Grande farms the raw material used to manufacture its leading products offering over 400 jobs in El Salvador. This horizontal integration helps ensure top quality and service to our customers who import frozen and dry items. We work with the communities through our nonprofit “Trabajemos por la paz”, in El Salvador helping rebuild communities and empower woman and children for a better future.  Transitioning into the second generation of the company we strive to innovate and diversify our portfolio and expand our distribution channels both national and internationally.