Assistant Buyer

About the Job

Hello, potential PriceSmart candidate. We’re on a mission to hire the very best, and are committed to creating exceptional employee experiences where everyone is respected and has access to equal opportunity. We realize the greatest contributions to the company can come from anywhere in the organization, and we know that the next one could be yours We are looking for an Assistant Buyer who will be responsible for providing necessary assistance in all buying functions for the Fresh Foods Area, and the specific departments assigned to the associate. These responsibilities include, and not limited to, Follow-up on purchase orders, projections, and forecasts with vendors. vendor negotiations, Item creation, Pricing and Margin analysis, Food Safety and Quality controls. The AB is also responsible for item maintenance, merchandising layout, item portfolio and specifications. The assistant buyer will work directly with the Regional Buyer to ensure a timely execution of the area’s strategy and maintain close communication with Operations, and vendors as needed. The AB must oversee product replenishment to all clubs aligned to club space and inventory guidelines. Frequency of these deliveries will impact AB’s daily tasks.

Communication skills are key in maintaining an open channel with Vendors, Vendor Promotions team and Operations. AB must be responsible and self-motivated, able to work without supervision. The associate will be required to visit food processing plants including slaughter plants for Beef, Poultry, Seafood and Pork on a regular basis.

What's unique about this job (What you’ll do)

• Order forecasting and replenishment – work closely with vendors to define weekly, monthly, and quarterly needs to guarantee constant supply of inventory into clubs and avoid OOS.
• Daily order placement - Orders placed to cover club needs as per delivery schedule (At times daily) through AS400.
• Request approval for club transfers, inventory adjustments and order approval when orders exceed local limit.
• Collaborative communication with local teams to guarantee coverage of OOS items during defined periods of time.
• Inventory analysis at PDCs and Clubs – including DOH according to defined Show Stock of each item to aid forecasting.
• Control shelf life and rotation from PDCs and POS to guarantee no short coded items are sold or removed from floor on time to minimize as much as possible throwaway.
• Inventory transfers as needed to avoid short code dates on slow moving inventory.
• Coordinate with Buyer Markdowns and vendor support to assist rotation of critical inventory.
• Assist RB in defining pricing for items in all clubs and verifying proper SIGN usage and e-comm pricing.
• Monitor and report to RB margin inconsistencies as necessary actions to maintain Department Margin as per annual plan.
• Guarantee correct execution of Road Shows and Demo programs with local Vendor Promotions team as negotiated and programed by RB.
• Guarantee proper fixtures are used in compliance to RS guidelines.
• Follow up on negotiated terms and cost as well as savings for MFS and seasonal activations.
• Cost Reduction: - Maximize loads (efficiencies and frequencies) to reduce cost, push vendor to maximize payment terms where necessary
• Asist RB in teaching workshops to OP’s and B2B teams to aid in item sales, handling and provide selling tools.
• Implement price changes as necessary resulting from comp shop study and Yield testing conducted by L/R B.
• Vendor sourcing – Suggest and Identify potential FF vendors to LB in CEAM region to satisfy department needs or opportunities of dual sourcing for key volume drivers.
• Vendor Approval – Asist LB in Vendor evaluation and approval according to Food Safety evaluation.
• Manage returns to vendors and rejection of POs because of inconsistencies and quality issues.
• Guarantee proper label requirements are met by vendor indicating safe handling instructions, Sanitary Registration, and local health requirements specific to type of product.
• Compile necessary documentation for Vendor and/or item creation.
• Evaluate monthly Yield tests for select items if needed.
• Continuously revise and improve Item recipes to determine proper use of packaging materials and item yield.
• Propose optimized layout through disciplined item management as per defined SKU count.
• Creation and distribution of monthly (or as necessary) Information Bulletins to Operations as well as any other important communication directly impacting Operations.
• Maintain relevance in food safety practices through provided teaching and training courses (NEHA, FRESH TIPS, TRAINING WORKSHOPS)
• Carry out annual plant visits to identify any potential food safety risks as well as periodic item spec evaluation as per agreed parameters.
• Weekly floor walks to determine adequate storage of perishable items in Buy and on the floor (Monitor temperatures, cross contamination, storage conditions)
• Educate local Operations team on proper Yield testing and manage information to take corrective actions as necessary.
• Avoid cross contamination risks through proper item layout at POS.
• Create and upload on ONIT platform Vendor contracts, MFS, RS, Demos, Co-Branding, Private Label agreements and other legal documents as necessary.
• Follow up on contract expiration dates and renewals.
• Follow up on order discrepancies and club audits.
• Currently responsible for Buy Docs (Item creation)
• Revise proper allocation to IU, IH and II per club.
• Weekly Unvouchered report evaluation of AB portfolio to be resolved with Accounting and Shared Services.

Bring your passion and expertise (Who you are)

• Bachelor’s degree or similar.
• 2 years’ experience in buying or similar position.
• Inventory management
• Analytical skills
• Good communication skills, written and verbal
• Bilingual Spanish – English (Intermedium)
• Food Safety and Food Handling as well as GMPs in food processing.
• MS Office (Strong MS Excel skills) – as a plus AS400 – DOMO
• Organized self-disciplined and able to work under pressure.
• Driver’s license and vehicle.

Some important intangibles

You feel connected to our mission and values: Integrity, Respect, Accountability, Passion, Community and Continuous Improvement

You are a self-starter who doesn’t need direct supervision to motivate you for success

You enjoy sharing your quirkiness and talents with your coworkers

Enjoy working hard

Full of energy for the things one sees as challenging

The ability to remain calm when dealing with unforeseen constraints.

The above description is designed to state the general nature and level of work performed in the function. It is not intended to contain or be construed as an exhaustive inventory of all job duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. A complete job description may be made available to you through the hiring process.

Benefits & Perks – We take care of our people

We believe taking care of our people is the right thing to do. This is what we can offer for all your hard work:

Beyond competitive pay

Medical, Dental and Vision plans

401K Contributions

Life Insurance

LTD

PriceSmart Membership Card

Calm Meditation App

Fun events

Employee recognition

Supportive, nurturing environment with many opportunities for learning and growth

...and more

Our Commitment

We not only embrace and celebrate the diversity of our membership base and communities, but also strive to achieve the same in our employees. At PriceSmart, we are committed to equal employment opportunity, regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status or any other class protected by applicable law. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

Get to know us

PriceSmart was founded with a purpose: to inspire and impact the lives and businesses of our Members, our employees and our communities through the ethical delivery of the best quality goods and services at the lowest possible prices.

Throughout the years, we have constantly asked ourselves how we can do more and have a greater impact. We want to prove that we are a company that can grow, be profitable and do good in the world, and we have learned that it takes a great organizational culture to achieve that goal.

At PriceSmart, you can look forward to company events, anniversaries celebrating our employees with more than 20, or 30 years of tenure, volunteering and learning opportunities, and just great company filled with curious, kind folks. Dreaming up and sharing ideas aren’t responsibilities reserved for certain teams or leaders; the challenge of building our own culture is on all of our shoulders. That sense of community and belonging keeps us excited to walk through the door every day, wherever that door may be, in any of our 13 countries.