Position Summary The Assistant Buyer supports the Purchasing Department in sourcing and maintaining fresh and frozen seafood inventory while ensuring product availability, quality, competitive costs, and appropriate inventory levels. This position works closely with buyers, suppliers, receiving, inventory, operations, and the sales team to help meet customer demand while minimizing shortages, excess inventory, and product loss. The ideal candidate is organized, detail-oriented, comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, and able to communicate effectively with vendors and internal teams. Because seafood markets and availability can change quickly, this role requires strong follow-up skills and the ability to adjust purchasing priorities based on sales, inventory, quality, and market conditions. Key Responsibilities Purchasing & Inventory

• Assist buyers with daily purchasing of fresh and frozen seafood products.
• Review inventory levels, sales movement, forecasts, incoming product, and open purchase orders.
• Help determine purchasing needs to maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Assist in preventing product shortages, overstock, aging inventory, and unnecessary spoilage.
• Create, update, and maintain purchase orders accurately.
• Track inbound shipments and communicate delays, shortages, substitutions, or changes.
• Review slow-moving products and work with purchasing and sales to develop plans to move inventory.
• Assist with weekly purchasing plans based on sales trends, forecasts, inventory, and market conditions. Vendor & Supplier Management
• Communicate with existing suppliers regarding pricing, availability, quality, lead times, and shipping schedules.
• Request and compare vendor quotes to help identify the best combination of quality, price, availability, and service.
• Assist with developing relationships with new suppliers and expanding the company's supplier base.
• Maintain updated vendor contact, pricing, product, and availability information.
• Follow up with suppliers regarding shortages, quality concerns, credits, claims, and delivery issues.
• Help evaluate vendor performance based on quality, pricing, fill rates, communication, and reliability. Seafood Market Knowledge
• Develop knowledge of seafood species, sizes, grades, origins, seasons, pack styles, and substitutions.
• Monitor market conditions that may affect product pricing or availability.
• Track changes in landings, seasons, imports, weather, transportation, and supply conditions when relevant.
• Communicate important market changes to the purchasing and sales teams.
• Help identify alternative products or origins when primary products are unavailable or become cost prohibitive. Quality & Receiving Support
• Work closely with receiving and quality teams to ensure incoming seafood meets company standards.
• Assist in resolving issues involving incorrect products, sizes, quantities, quality, or condition.
• Communicate quality concerns to suppliers and buyers promptly.
• Help track recurring supplier quality issues and corrective actions.
• Maintain awareness of shelf life and product rotation, particularly for fresh seafood. Sales Support
• Provide the sales team with current information on product availability, pricing, substitutions, and market conditions.
• Help identify products with strong availability or favorable market conditions that sales can promote.
• Work with sales to understand customer demand, upcoming opportunities, and special-order requirements.
• Assist purchasing in finding products for new customer opportunities.
• Help identify opportunities to add pounds and accounts through new products, competitive sourcing, strong availability, and supplier partnerships. Pricing & Margin Support
• Monitor product costs and communicate significant cost changes.
• Assist with comparing supplier pricing and identifying purchasing opportunities.
• Review cost, selling price, and margin information as needed.
• Help identify opportunities to improve margins through better purchasing, alternative suppliers, product substitutions, volume opportunities, or freight efficiencies.
• Ensure accurate product costs are communicated and entered into company systems. Qualifications
• Previous purchasing, seafood, food distribution, inventory, restaurant, or wholesale experience preferred.
• Seafood industry experience is a plus but not required for the right candidate.
• Strong organizational and follow-up skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with suppliers, sales representatives, warehouse personnel, and management.
• Comfortable working with numbers, costs, margins, inventory, and sales data.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, and purchasing/inventory systems.
• Ability to prioritize multiple responsibilities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Willingness to learn seafood products, specifications, seasons, origins, and market terminology. Key Skills
• Purchasing and procurement
• Inventory management
• Vendor communication
• Seafood product knowledge
• Cost and margin awareness
• Forecasting and sales trend analysis
• Negotiation
• Problem solving
• Quality awareness
• Microsoft Excel
• Purchase order management
• Time management and organization
• Cross-department communication Performance Expectations Success in this position will be measured by the Assistant Buyer's ability to:
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels.
• Reduce out-of-stocks and prevent unnecessary overstock.
• Minimize aging inventory and product loss.
• Maintain accurate purchase orders and product costs.
• Provide timely communication regarding shortages and market changes.
• Support consistent seafood quality.
• Develop strong supplier relationships.
• Identify new sourcing opportunities and suppliers.
• Support improved purchasing margins.
• Help the sales team increase pounds sold and develop new account opportunities.
• Grow seafood product and market knowledge.

Ideal Candidate The ideal Assistant Buyer is proactive, dependable, organized, and eager to learn the seafood business. They understand that successful seafood purchasing requires balancing availability, quality, cost, inventory, shelf life, and customer demand. This person should be comfortable making decisions in a changing market, communicating problems quickly, and working across departments to ensure the company has the right product, at the right quality and cost, at the right time. Interested candidates should apply to this role or reach out to Anne-Michael Eberhardt, Recruiting Specialist, at Anne-Michael@frugeseafood.com

Pay:

$50,000.00 - $60,000.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k) matching Health insurance Paid time off

Experience:

Seafood Purchasing:

1 year (Preferred) Ability to

Commute:

Grand Prairie, TX 75052 (Required)

Work Location:

In person