Large foodservice distributor in the Orlando, FL area is seeking a Vice President of Procurement to serve as an executive leader responsible for setting the strategic procurement vision, managing vendor relationships, and driving inventory performance for their single-site foodservice distribution operations. This role requires a transformational leader who will mentor, build, and elevate our purchasing team from reactive buying to proactive, data-driven category management. By leveraging deep industry insights and strong vendor partnerships, the VP of Procurement will optimize cost of goods sold (COGS), expand gross margins, and ensure reliable supply across perishable, non-perishable, and broadline product categories.

Responsibilities Strategic Team Leadership & Development:

Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing team of buyers, purchasing agents, and category managers; foster a culture of accountability, continuous learning, and career growth.

Category Management & Strategic Sourcing:

Oversee procurement strategy across center-of-the-plate proteins, produce, dairy, frozen, dry grocery, and disposables to secure competitive pricing and maintain product quality.

Vendor Negotiations & Contract Management:

Lead executive negotiations with manufacturers, brokers, and suppliers to establish favorable terms, volume rebate structures, prompt-pay discounts, and supplier agreements.

Margin Expansion & Financial Optimization:

Manage landed cost mechanics and product pricing models to protect and expand gross profit margins across all customer channels.

Inventory Control & Health:

Partner with warehouse and sales leadership to align purchasing with demand forecasting, minimizing product shrink, spoilage, and close-coded stock while maintaining exceptional fill rates.

Market Analysis & Risk Mitigation:

Track market trends, commodity fluctuations, and supply chain disruptions to make proactive purchasing decisions and safeguard inventory supply.

Process & Technology Modernization:

Drive adoption of modern ERP tools, purchasing software, and data analytics to streamline workflow efficiency and demand planning. Qualifications Foodservice Distribution Background (Required): 8-10+ years of progressive procurement and purchasing leadership within a broadline, specialty, or regional foodservice distributor.

Strategic Leadership:

Proven ability to coach, build, and transform an operational purchasing team into a proactive category management unit.

Single-Site Operational Agility:

Hands-on experience working directly on-site in a facility-based distribution environment with high inventory turnover and perishable product lines.

Commercial & Financial Acumen:

Demonstrated expertise in negotiating high-value supplier agreements, vendor rebates, and complex commodity contracts to improve bottom-line performance.

Technical Proficiency:

Experience with foodservice enterprise resource planning (ERP) platforms, demand planning software, and supply chain management tools.

Education:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field (MBA or certifications such as

CPSM/CSCP

preferred). #jdp