Join us at WinCo Foods, where we're more than just a grocery retailer - we're a growing family of over 140 supermarkets in 10 states with over 22,000 employee owners. Our purpose is to make the lives of our customers and employee owners better by offering the lowest possible prices to feed their families. Currently, WinCo is the second largest Employee-Owned company in the United States. With more than 500 millionaire employee-owners in our Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Our benefits, including top-tier medical plans and tuition support set us apart. In your role, you'll be instrumental in making a real impact in the communities we serve, embodying our purpose every day.

Job Summary

Responsible for the daily management of assigned vendors and categories.  Procures, controls and manages the inventory for assigned lines.  Maintains an acceptable product service level to meet promotional, seasonal and daily needs.  Responsible for all aspects of material buying. Buyer shall leverage tools to drive supplier performance and material flow while staying abreast of market conditions that may impact material costs.  Perform related work.Top of Form

Typical Duties and Responsibilities

• Procures assigned product lines which may include perishable products.
• Negotiate contracts and term in order to gain maximum advantage for costs and vendor funding opportunities. 
• Maintains proper inventory levels to ensure high service levels and minimal out-of-stocks.
• Maximizes forward buy opportunities and overall gross profits on assigned line items.
• Cultivates effective relationships with vendors and brokers and leads vendor negotiations.
• Establishes strategic relations with key suppliers that lead to new consumer and industry insights.
• Continuously negotiates with new/existing suppliers to achieve an aggressive difference in pricing versus the market competition as well as sourcing for potential projects/products.
• Investigates alternative distribution and cost options to achieve further savings.
• Monitors integrity of assigned item pricing as well as specification compliance.
• Tracks and measures sales and profitability of assigned lines and performs analysis to determine impact on overall category profitability.
• Initiates, manages and ensures timely completion of category reviews.
• Uses various communication practices to keep key internal teams informed of promotions, cost advantages, product availability, market trends and material changes.
• Coordinates with leadership, retail pricing, advertising and space management in the execution of strategic buys and supply availability.
• Communicates effectively with stores, merchandising, procurement, and retail operations functioning as a liaison between Retail Operations and the Buying Department.                     
• Attends key trade shows.

Requirements

Education:

• Associates Degree or equivalent work experience in grocery procurement or closely related field.
• Preferred – Bachelor’s Degree.

Experience:

• 4 years of experience in grocery retail buying or related field.

Ability to:

• Multi-task and work in a fast-paced, multiple-priority environment.
• Be extremely self-motivated, take initiative and drive results.
• Travel as needed to meet business needs.
• Be available to respond to calls on urgent matters involving including after business hours, on weekends and holidays if necessary.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature of work performed by the employees assigned to this job.  All employees must comply with Company policies and applicable laws.  The responsibilities, duties and qualifications required of personnel may vary. 

As the WinCo Foods community continues to grow, our variety of perspectives and wide range of experiences are essential to our strategy and success. We are committed cultivating and celebrating an inclusive environment in which all employees are valued and respected.