Procurement Associate / Operations Associate

About the Role

We're looking for a Procurement Associate / Operations Associate to support our procurement and supply chain operations. You'll work closely with suppliers, co-manufacturers, Finance, Product, Creative, and internal operations teams to ensure raw materials, packaging, and other procurement needs are accurately ordered, tracked, documented, and reconciled.

While the role includes a meaningful amount of day-to-day administrative and data-entry work, we're looking for someone who can hit the ground running, take ownership, solve problems independently, and grow into additional responsibilities over time. This role is ideal for someone comfortable working directly with suppliers, skilled at following up when something is delayed, and equipped with strong Excel and analytical skills, a sense of urgency, and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

Procurement & Purchase Orders

• Manage the procurement process for raw materials, packaging, and product trials
• Issue, revise, and track purchase orders (POs), ensuring they accurately reflect current requirements
• Follow up with suppliers on pricing, availability, production status, delivery timing, and outstanding documentation
• Support quarterly and annual raw-material pricing reviews and bidding processes
• Reach out to existing and prospective suppliers to gather market pricing and support procurement strategy
• Maintain accurate procurement databases, supplier information, and purchasing records
• Track open contract balances and supplier inventory status

Supplier Management & Communication

• Communicate directly with suppliers via email, phone, and other channels to gather information, resolve issues, and keep orders moving
• Build strong supplier relationships while maintaining appropriate urgency and accountability
• Proactively follow up when suppliers are delayed, unresponsive, or missing information
• Maintain supplier regulatory documentation and certification records, including food-related certifications such as Kosher certification
• Support supplier onboarding and documentation requests
• Assist with identifying and evaluating new suppliers to support product development and supply chain continuity
• Communicate clearly and proactively with internal teams when supplier issues may impact production or timelines

Inventory & Month-End Reconciliation

• Collect and review inventory reports from manufacturers and other supply partners
• Support month-end inventory reconciliation and true-up processes
• Identify and investigate discrepancies between inventory reports, purchase orders, invoices, and receiving documentation
• Perform three-way matching and support invoice reconciliation
• Maintain and update internal procurement databases and Bills of Materials (BOMs)
• Support quarterly raw-material reconciliations with co-manufacturers

Issue Resolution & Operations Support

• Troubleshoot raw-material, packaging, and supplier issues from identification through resolution
• Investigate issues such as incorrect materials received, missing documentation, shipment discrepancies, or production delays
• Work with suppliers and co-manufacturers to determine what was received, what documentation accompanied the shipment, and what corrective action is required
• Coordinate replacement materials, additional quantities, revised POs, or other solutions when issues arise
• Support packaging changes, including checking supplier print status, adjusting SKU quantities, revising POs, and understanding cost and timing implications
• Track samples and trial materials and coordinate requests with suppliers and the Product team
• Support packaging pre-press processes in collaboration with the Creative team
• Use sound judgment to determine when an issue can be solved independently and when it should be escalated

Finance & Cross-Functional Support

• Support Finance and Accounting with invoice reconciliation and audit documentation requests
• Trace receiving documents, raw-material records, purchase orders, and other supporting documentation as needed
• Assist with sales order generation and other operational finance requests
• Partner with Finance, Product, Creative, Supply Chain, and manufacturing partners to keep processes moving accurately and efficiently

Process Improvement & Technology

• Identify opportunities to improve procurement processes, reporting, tracking, and supplier communication
• Help build or improve dashboards, trackers, and reporting that provide greater visibility into procurement and supply chain activity
• Look for opportunities to automate repetitive processes and reduce manual work
• Experiment with AI tools such as Claude to improve workflows, particularly around bidding, reporting, data analysis, and administrative processes
• Help the team adopt more efficient ways of working as the business scales

Requirements

• 2+ years of experience in procurement, purchasing, supply chain, operations, or a related field
• Experience working directly with suppliers, vendors, manufacturers, or co-manufacturers
• Strong Excel skills and the ability to manipulate, analyze, and reconcile large amounts of data
• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• A strong sense of urgency and ownership
• Comfortable picking up the phone and proactively following up with suppliers
• Ability to maintain positive supplier relationships while remaining persistent and accountable
• Strong problem-solving skills and sound judgment when troubleshooting operational issues
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to work independently, research solutions, and figure things out without constant direction
• Comfortable collaborating in a remote environment and communicating proactively through tools such as Slack and Google Workspace
• Willingness to learn and experiment with new technologies and AI tools
• Experience with ERP systems (preferred)

Nice to Have

• Experience in food, beverage, CPG, manufacturing, or another industry involving physical products and raw materials
• Experience with ingredient, raw-material, or packaging procurement
• Understanding of food manufacturing, food safety, shelf-life considerations, or regulatory requirements
• Experience with raw-material bidding, RFQs, supplier pricing, or market analysis
• Experience with Business Central or another ERP system
• Experience maintaining Bills of Materials (BOMs)
• Experience with inventory reconciliation and co-manufacturer relationships
• Experience building dashboards, reports, or automated workflows
• Experience using Claude or other AI tools to improve operational processes

What Success Looks Like

• Keep purchase orders, supplier information, inventory data, and documentation accurate and up to date
• Stay ahead of supplier follow-ups and don't let issues sit unresolved
• Identify discrepancies quickly and work toward practical solutions
• Communicate clearly when something is delayed or at risk
• Investigate problems and come back with a proposed solution rather than simply escalating
• Build strong supplier relationships while maintaining a high level of accountability
• Become increasingly independent and take on additional responsibilities as you learn the business
• Identify opportunities to make the procurement function more efficient through better processes, reporting, and technology

Technology

• Microsoft Excel
• Google Sheets / Google Workspace
• Microsoft Business Central or other ERP systems
• Slack
• Google Drive
• AI tools such as Claude