Food Strategic Buyer

About Calo Calo launched in Bahrain in November of 2019. Calo is on a mission to make healthy easy. We’re a team of dedicated people driving this mission by providing better, faster, and cheaper ways to access food through technology.

Role Overview We are looking for an experienced Strategic Buyer to create and maintain good relationships with key suppliers to ensure all ingredients, packaging, equipment, and services are of the highest quality and delivered on time. We’re looking for someone focused on increasing productivity by introducing smart sourcing solutions and agile services to decrease manual work.

The ideal candidate has great analytical skills, leadership skills, food equipment technical skills, food ingredients technical skills, and the ability to identify the most profitable offers, evaluate vendors, negotiate contracts, and prepare reports. They are also well-versed in supply management principles and practices. The goal is to ensure the smooth operations of a variety of channels aiming for maximum efficiency by having outstanding service level with optimum cost and optimum inventory level.

Main Responsibilities

Assume leadership for procurement and sourcing within designated categories, acting as the company's subject matter expert. Ensure all procurement processes are aligned with business objectives and industry best practices.

Identify, evaluate, and qualify new suppliers to ensure they meet company standards for quality, reliability, and cost-effectiveness before onboarding them.

Ensure optimal value and long-term partnerships by negotiating favorable terms, including pricing, delivery schedules, and payment terms, and Service Level Agreements with suppliers.

Synchronise supply and demand through strong planning mastery, ensuring the MRP process fulfills both availability and inventory targets.

Develop and maintain deep expertise in the assigned categories, continuously analyzing market trends, supplier capabilities, and industry developments to drive data-driven sourcing decisions.

Build and maintain strong relationships with key suppliers, ensuring open communication, problem resolution, and alignment with company objectives.

Geared with a cost optimization mindset, you will be continuously seeking ways to streamline processes, reduce expenses, and maximize resources across the end-to-end process.

Collaborates with warehouse and inventory teams, ensuring smooth operations, optimized losses, and minimum waste.

Work closely with R&D, Marketing, and Operations to align procurement with product development, marketing strategies, and operational effectiveness.

Develop, lead, and execute food and non-food sourcing strategies.

Work closely with the Operations team, Automation team, and Maintenance teams to enable fast execution of assets / equipment procurement decisions.

Maintain open communication and provide regular updates to all stakeholders (Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, and Kitchen teams). Ensuring clear requirements and services, fostering visibility across the organization.

Perform cost and scenario analysis, and benchmarking.

Ensuring that the main KPIs of SC (Availability, Inventory, and Cost) are on target.

Ideal Candidate

Focuses on increasing productivity by introducing smart equipment to decrease manual work.

Must have had a minimum of 3 years of previous proven experience in Food equipment & Food ingredients procurement or a similar position.

Knowledge of the Saudi inbound logistics cycle.

Geared up with a big network of suppliers and service providers in the food industry.

Interest in market dynamics, along with a business sense.

A knack for negotiation and networking.

Ability to gather and analyze data.

Solid judgment along with decision-making skills.

Strong leadership capabilities.

Very good relationship with food and non-food suppliers.

Have a good understanding of the import and export of food items.

Very good technical mastery in data analytics tools - MS Excel, Google Sheets, etc.

#J-18808-Ljbffr