Job Overview:
We are known for tackling the biggest challenges in food and turning the conceptual into reality. To make things happen, we need to navigate a wide range of relationships from our clients to ingredient suppliers to co-packers and more. In this role, we’re looking for someone who is a relationship builder.
We’re looking for a friendly, outgoing, detail-oriented, and tech savvy person who wants to leave no stone unturned and is capable of cultivating great relationships with strangers. Ingredients are the foundation of the development work we do, so we need someone who can scour the country for the highest-quality, commercially available ingredients out there, build a relationship with the supplier, and then support our development team by bringing in samples and all related information and specifications. Our development team only gets cooking once ingredients are in hand, so this is a critical role that helps define the potential of what our food can be.
This is a part-time position. Option for working remotely.
Reports To:
The Sourcing Lead reports to our Relationship Manager.
Responsibilities and Duties:
· Request portfolio information, ingredient samples, ingredient specifications, 100g nutritionals, and information about minimum order quantities, base pricing, and lead times from ingredient suppliers.
· Follow up on ingredient supplier requests if suppliers are unresponsive to ensure prompt delivery of samples and information to development team.
· Track incoming ingredient sample shipments and coordinate with Pilot development team on arrival and condition of ingredients, as well as provide feedback to suppliers on behalf of Pilot development team.
· Marry possible suppliers with client requirements of minimum order quantities and lead time to ensure a good match between supplier and client
· Make introductions between Pilot clients and ingredient suppliers.
· Source and contact new ingredient suppliers to add to the existing Pilot Supplier Database.
· Research and stay abreast of ingredient innovations and certifications and provide relevant trainings to the other members of the Pilot team
· Organize and maintain the Pilot Supplier Database
· Consider and suggest methods for improving our internal ingredient and supplier resources
Qualifications:
· Friendly, outgoing, and comfortable cold-calling and negotiating with strangers over the phone.
· Highly organized and able to track a large number of requests simultaneously; feel most comfortable when all information is properly entered into spreadsheets.
· Proactive problem solver–always thinking about how to improve the sourcing process or generating a Plan B or C if a particular ingredient is in short supply or may not be the ideal fit for a client.
· A natural planner who connects cause and effect and is always looking for creative solutions, i.e. someone who doesn’t give up at the first no, but rather digs deeper to find solutions
· Confident and willing to push the development team to evaluate new ingredients to provide the best possible solutions for our clients
· Able to enforce supplier accountability by balancing persistent communication follow-ups with a polite, positive tone.
· Excellent communication skills, both written and spoken
· Skilled with spreadsheet software (Excel, Google Sheets)
· Access to a phone and computer
· Loves food!
This is a part-time position, either in person or remote. Anticipate 2.5 to 5 hours a day, 5 days per week, during both East Coast and West Coast business hours.
