Buyer, Replenishment

Description

Job Summary:

We are seeking a detail-oriented, analytical, and proactive Replenishment Buyer to support inventory replenishment for a foodservice distributor specializing in Asian products and broadline foodservice solutions.
This role is responsible for maintaining optimal inventory levels across assigned product categories by analyzing sales trends, reviewing demand forecasts, managing replenishment parameters, and executing timely purchase orders. The Replenishment Buyer plays a critical role in ensuring product availability for our Asian and Foodservice customer channels while minimizing stockouts, excess inventory, spoilage, and unnecessary working capital.

The ideal candidate combines strong analytical skills with hands-on purchasing experience, sound inventory management practices, and an understanding of the unique demand patterns, specialty ingredients, and supplier lead times associated with Asian products and foodservice distribution.
 

Key Responsibilities:

1. Inventory Replenishment & Purchasing

• Review daily replenishment reports and system-generated purchase recommendations to determine appropriate order quantities and timing.
• Execute accurate and timely purchase orders based on demand forecasts, inventory positions, sales trends, supplier lead times, and purchasing parameters.
• Monitor on-hand inventory, allocated quantities, open purchase orders, inbound shipments, and projected inventory availability.
• Maintain appropriate inventory levels to meet customer service expectations while controlling inventory investment.
• Identify and resolve replenishment exceptions, including projected stockouts, low-stock items, excess inventory, and delayed inbound shipments.
• Adjust order quantities based on seasonality, promotional activity, demand fluctuations, minimum order quantities, case packs, and supplier constraints.

2. Demand Planning & Inventory Optimization

• Analyze historical sales, current demand, forecast data, and customer purchasing patterns to improve replenishment decisions.
• Maintain and recommend adjustments to reorder points, safety stock, minimum and maximum inventory levels, and order frequencies.
• Monitor inventory turns, days on hand, forecast accuracy, fill rates, and excess and obsolete inventory.
• Identify slow-moving products, declining demand, and inventory at risk of expiration, and recommend corrective actions.
• Anticipate seasonal demand, new customer requirements, product promotions, and changes in sales velocity.
• Partner with purchasing management and sales teams to align inventory availability with business objectives.

3. Supplier & Purchase Order Management

• Monitor supplier lead times, order confirmations, fill rates, and delivery schedules.
• Follow up with vendors on shortages, delayed orders, substitutions, and changes in expected delivery dates.
• Coordinate purchasing requirements for imported Asian products and other specialty foodservice items that may have extended or variable lead times.
• Communicate potential product shortages and supply disruptions to sales, customer service, and warehouse operations.
• Maintain accurate vendor, cost, lead-time, minimum order quantity, and purchasing data within the ERP or inventory management system.
• Identify opportunities to improve order frequency, purchasing efficiency, freight utilization, and supplier reliability.

4. Asian & Foodservice Product Support

• Support replenishment across dry grocery, frozen foods, refrigerated products, sauces, seasonings, rice, noodles, specialty ingredients, proteins, and      other foodservice categories.
• Understand the distinct product requirements and demand patterns of Asian restaurants, specialty food retailers, and broader foodservice customers.
• Consider product shelf life, expiration dates, case configurations, storage requirements, and inventory rotation when determining order quantities.
• Balance product availability with the risks associated with imported products, extended lead times, variable demand, and slow-moving specialty items.
• Support new product introductions, item transitions, and assortment changes by establishing appropriate replenishment parameters.
• Collaborate with sales and purchasing teams to identify product availability gaps and changing customer needs.

5. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with purchasing management to maintain inventory policies, service-level targets, and replenishment priorities.
• Coordinate with warehouse operations to support receiving schedules, inventory accuracy, storage capacity, and product rotation.
• Partner with sales and customer service to address customer demand changes, product substitutions, and availability concerns.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

• 2+ years of experience in replenishment, purchasing, inventory control, demand planning, or supply chain operations.
• Experience in foodservice, wholesale distribution, grocery, or specialty food distribution strongly preferred.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales history, inventory data, forecasts, and replenishment recommendations.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and experience with ERP, inventory management, or purchasing systems.
• Working knowledge of reorder points, safety stock, supplier lead times, order multiples, inventory turns, and days on hand.
• Strong attention to detail, organization, prioritization, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple product categories and daily purchasing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Effective communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively across departments and with external suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience replenishing Asian food products, specialty ingredients, imported products, or broadline foodservice inventory.
• Familiarity with restaurant and foodservice purchasing patterns, specialty product demand, and case-pack requirements.
• Experience managing frozen, refrigerated, dry grocery, and short-shelf-life products.
• Knowledge of automated replenishment systems, demand forecasting, and exception-based inventory management.
• Experience monitoring vendor fill rates, inbound shipments, purchasing constraints, and supplier performance.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Performance will be evaluated using established company targets for:

• Product availability: Maintaining in-stock levels and minimizing stockouts.
• Customer service: Supporting order fill rates and service-level objectives.
• Inventory productivity: Improving inventory turns and maintaining appropriate days on hand.
• Replenishment accuracy: Ensuring purchase quantities and timing align with demand.
• Excess inventory: Reducing slow-moving, aging, and obsolete products.
• Waste and spoilage: Minimizing expiration-related losses and unnecessary write-offs.
• Supplier performance: Monitoring delivery reliability, fill rates, and lead-time adherence.
• Purchasing execution: Maintaining accurate purchase orders and timely vendor follow-up.