Position Summary 

The Food Service Buyer is responsible for sourcing, negotiating, and managing supplier relationships for Talpa's food service categories, including prepared foods, deli, bakery, tortilleria, and ready-to-eat products. This role ensures product availability, freshness, and profitability across all 13 store locations, working closely with the Procurement, CPFR, and Operations teams. 

Key Responsibilities 

Sourcing & Supplier Management 

• Source, evaluate, and develop vendor partnerships for food service and perishable value-added categories 
• Lead commercial negotiations including pricing, rebates, credit terms, service level agreements, and lead times 
• Manage supplier scorecards and conduct regular performance reviews 
• Identify alternative suppliers to mitigate supply risk and ensure continuity 

Category & Assortment Planning 

• Develop and maintain the food service assortment aligned to community demographics and store formats 
• Build seasonal and promotional plans in coordination with category strategy 
• Monitor product rotation, shelf life, and freshness standards by SKU and store 
• Collaborate with the CPFR Lead on demand forecasting and replenishment planning 

Financial & Credit Management 

• Track and manage credits for expired, damaged, or returned product per supplier agreements 
• Analyze margin by SKU, category, and store to identify improvement opportunities 
• Monitor shrink and waste and develop action plans with operations 

Collaboration & Execution 

• Partner with Supply Chain and Logistics to coordinate weekly delivery schedules 
• Support store teams on vendor compliance and product handling standards 
• Participate in the weekly S&OP process as part of the Demand & Category Review 

Education 

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Food Science, or related field preferred 

Work Experience 

• 2–4 years of experience in food service purchasing, perishable buying, or category management 
• Experience working with local vendors, distributors, and food service suppliers 
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate pricing, credits, and commercial terms 

Skills 

• Knowledge of food service supply chain, cold chain management, and shelf-life standards 
• Strong negotiation and vendor relationship management skills 
• Analytical ability to interpret sales, inventory, and margin data 
• Advanced Excel skills; ERP experience preferred 
• Bilingual English/Spanish required 
• High attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities 

Travel Requirement 

• Up to 25% travel to stores, distribution center, and vendor meetings