Position Summary Fresh Prime is seeking an experienced, organized, and commercially minded Produce and Fresh Herbs Buyer. This position is responsible for purchasing fresh herbs, vegetables, tropical items, and specialty produce while maintaining the right balance between product availability, freshness, inventory levels, cost, and profitability. Because fresh produce is highly perishable and market conditions change quickly, this position requires strong judgment, a sense of urgency, attention to detail, and constant communication with suppliers, Sales, Warehouse, Logistics, and Accounting. Key Responsibilities Purchase fresh herbs, vegetables, tropical items, and specialty produce according to customer orders, sales forecasts, inventory levels, and product shelf life. Review inventory, open purchase orders, incoming shipments, committed sales, and expected demand daily. Maintain sufficient inventory to meet customer demand while minimizing shortages, overstock, aging product, and waste. Determine purchasing quantities, pack sizes, product specifications, delivery dates, and replenishment schedules. Monitor market pricing, seasonal availability, growing regions, weather conditions, supply interruptions, and product shortages. Communicate product availability, substitutions, market changes, and expected arrival dates to Sales and management. Develop and maintain relationships with growers, importers, brokers, shippers, and domestic suppliers. Source new products and establish backup suppliers for essential and high-volume items. Request and compare supplier pricing, quality, availability, freight costs, and payment terms. Negotiate competitive prices, payment terms, freight arrangements, credits, and purchasing conditions. Confirm product variety, origin, grade, size, count, pack, label, temperature, shelf life, and quality specifications before purchasing. Create accurate purchase orders and obtain supplier confirmation of quantities, pricing, and delivery dates. Coordinate domestic and imported purchases with Warehouse and Logistics. Arrange and track inbound transportation, pickups, freight quotations, and delivery appointments. Follow purchase orders and shipments until the products are received. Respond quickly to transportation delays, product shortages, missed pickups, rejected loads, and other supply problems. Work with Warehouse and Quality Control to inspect incoming products. Review receiving reports and resolve discrepancies involving quantity, cost, pack size, quality, or incorrect products. Document quality claims using photographs, lot numbers, labels, temperature records, invoices, and inspection reports. Negotiate supplier credits, replacements, allowances, or other resolutions for damaged or unacceptable products. Follow up until all vendor claims and credits are properly completed and applied. Calculate landed costs, including product cost, freight, duties, handling, packaging, and other applicable charges. Monitor purchasing costs and communicate increases to Sales before customer prices are established. Support Sales with quotations, availability, substitutions, special programs, and new-product opportunities. Protect company margins by identifying cost increases, low-margin products, excessive inventory, and other purchasing risks. Review vendor invoices against purchase orders, agreed pricing, quantities received, freight charges, and approved credits. Provide Accounting with complete purchase orders, invoices, freight documents, claims, and vendor credits. Maintain accurate purchasing, supplier, cost, and inventory information in the company's ERP system. Monitor aging and slow-moving inventory and work with Sales and Warehouse to move products before quality declines. Support proper inventory rotation using FIFO and FEFO practices. Maintain product traceability and required supplier documentation. Monitor supplier performance based on quality, consistency, pricing, fill rate, communication, and on-time delivery. Assist with seasonal programs, promotions, customer commitments, and new-product launches. Prepare purchasing and inventory reports for management. Immediately report significant supply, quality, financial, food-safety, or customer-service risks. Perform other purchasing and operational responsibilities assigned by management. Qualifications Previous experience purchasing fresh produce, fresh herbs, or other perishable food products is strongly preferred. Knowledge of produce varieties, growing regions, seasonality, grades, pack sizes, shelf life, and quality standards. Established relationships with produce growers, importers, brokers, or suppliers are preferred. Strong negotiation, communication, organization, and problem-solving skills. Ability to make timely and responsible purchasing decisions in a fast-moving environment. Understanding of landed cost, gross margin, freight, inventory management, and product waste. Ability to manage multiple suppliers, products, purchase orders, and shipments simultaneously. Experience using ERP systems, Microsoft Excel, email, and inventory reports. Knowledge of food-safety requirements, traceability, PACA practices, and import documentation is preferred. Bilingual English and Spanish is preferred. Ideal Candidate The ideal candidate understands that successful produce buying requires more than finding the lowest price. This person must consistently balance availability, freshness, quality, cost, inventory exposure, customer requirements, and company profitability. The candidate should be proactive, dependable, detail-oriented, comfortable working under pressure, and able to solve problems before they affect customers. Work Environment This is a fast-paced, hands-on position involving perishable products and time-sensitive purchasing decisions. The buyer must work closely with the warehouse team and may occasionally need to respond outside regular business hours when urgent supply, transportation, or quality issues arise.

Pay:

$20.50 - $21.50 per hour

Work Location:

In person