Head of Purchasing

Sourcing & Merchandising - VSL Offices

Full-time

Presence: Flexible

Contract position : No

Description

At Lufa Farms, we’re on a mission to create a better food system by growing food where people live and growing it more sustainably. To do this, we built the world’s first commercial rooftop greenhouse and partner with hundreds of local farms and food makers to offer fresh, local, responsible food to our customers across Quebec. To continue changing the way cities eat, we need a Head of Purchasing who’s a multitasking pro, organized, and a solid manager.

Reporting to the Purchasing Director, this role is responsible for the complete vision of the Lufa Farms Marketplace, which involves creating and executing a full merchandising plan based on data, trends, and the anticipated needs of our Lufavores. Within that, they oversee all purchasing and merchandising for the Marketplace’s product categories, including purchasing team management, supplier negotiations and relations, and budget objectives. They’re responsible for and evaluated on Key Performance Indicators as set out in the company budget.

Responsibilities

1. Management and admin:

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Manage your categories’ purchasers;

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Coordinate and manage a team of purchasers, including hiring, training, goal-setting, and regular reviews. Hold the team accountable to individual metrics as well as overarching departmental targets;

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Coordinate communications and strategies between the produce and non-produce sub-departments;

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Improve and document processes and policies in support of organizational goals and in the interest of building a scalable team structure.

2. Seasonal availability and projects (CPPA):

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Set out a project pipeline and seasonal purchasing priorities that work to achieve the budget objectives;

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Work towards a “complete” Marketplace concerning the dream offering set out, both in terms of bringing new products and ensuring the availability of existing ones.

3. Suppliers and negotiations (margins):

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Establish strong supplier relationships with regular visits and conversations;

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Negotiate with suppliers and be strategic with product pricing, including promotional calendars and regular market checks, to achieve budget objectives for margins and remain competitive.

4. Inventory management:

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Balance availability and waste through forecasting, inventory management, and pricing practices;

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Ensure product turnover is as quick as possible, within reason for what’s operationally feasible. The ideal is flow-through inventory, in which fresh products are sold to order, arrive daily, and are never stored onsite;

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Manage reception and onsite inventory closely, and proactively move surplus and communicate issues to suppliers.

5. Sustainability (mission, vision, values) and food safety:

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Adhere to our mission test for new products and suppliers and uphold the highest possible standards for the Marketplace offering;

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Follow the food safety rules and requirements set by the internal committee.

6. Merchandizing:

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Plan the merchandizing calendar in coordination with the Marketing department, including samples, gifts, promotions, new arrivals, and supplier features;

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Create guidelines for and regularly audit product presentations on the Marketplace;

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Review and ensure tight feedback loops on product ratings and reviews;

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Review all new products and suppliers submitted for approval.

Requirements

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A minimum of five years experience in a purchasing management role, preferably in the food industry;

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Minimum of 2 years in team management;

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Strong negotiation skills and confident in business relationship development;

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Experience forecasting, purchasing, and managing supplier relationships;

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Familiar with retail pricing and specials in the retail food industry;

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Strong day-to-day team management capabilities and experience;

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Solid ability to build and manage the performance of a multidisciplinary team;

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Strong organizational skills, punctuality, and ability to work both independently and in teams in a fast and automated environment;

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Ability to work quickly and precisely without making errors in an ever-changing environment;

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Focused on quality and high standards of work and performance, and achievement of KPI goals;

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Great work ethic, flexibility, attention to detail, and respect for both the products and deadlines;

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Comfortable using a computer and associated applications (particularly comfortable working with spreadsheets and project management software);

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Good communication skills in both French and English (oral and written).

Assets

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University diploma;

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Foodie with a passion for sustainable, local, and high-quality food;

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Knowledge of website, mobile site, and application merchandizing;

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Has previously created customer content in line with brand values designed to increase sales.

Schedule

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Full time (40 hours/week), Monday to Friday 8 am to 4 pm.

Compensation and benefits:

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Salary is to be determined based on the experience and knowledge of the candidate;

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You’ll be eligible to participate in the firm’s health insurance, dental, and disability programs after completion of a probationary period (paid 50% by the employee and 50% by Lufa Farms);

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Access to TELUS Health Virtual Care (direct contact to health professionals by phone, video, or chat) and the Employee and Family Assistance Program (professional, short-term counselling, covering a broad range of interpersonal issues);

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30% discount on your Lufa Farms basket.