Position Overview: 

The Buyer works within the Sourcing and Inventory Management Team to develop and maintain a reliable, diverse supplier network and demand planning strategy that drives global retail sales growth, achieves cost and expense objectives, and supports unit growth through optimized and efficient inventory asset utilization.  The Buyer partners externally with suppliers and distributors and internally with Inventory Analysts, Product Innovation, Store Operations, Coffee Operations, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, Legal, License, Franchise, and Finance teams to implement sourcing and demand planning strategies and tactics in support of delivering Caribou’s Company goals and objectives. 

The Buyer is responsible for Identifying, developing, and maintaining strategic vendor partnerships, managing contracts, and leading product cost negotiations to ensure the best quality goods and services at the best cost. The Buyer will also collect, validate, and aggregate multi-channel inventory demand forecasts to support inbound supply planning, efficient inventory flow, and reliable outbound replenishment. 

Core Responsibilities:   

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management 

• Execute Caribou’s strategic sourcing vision and roadmap to support growth objectives and sourcing-related ESG commitments and to inform the company’s annual operating and long-range planning processes  

• Manage a supplier matrix to ensure strong partnerships and reliable, cost-effective access to all inventory required to deliver sales, profit, and quality objectives across all business channels.  

• Partner with Culinary R&D, Category Management, Store Operations, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain Teams to develop and enable sourcing solutions that fully integrate into Product Lifecycle processes  

• Manage supplier relationships, including forecast and demand analytics, to inform negotiations and achieve best cost of goods  

• Obtain services and source materials from suppliers at the lowest total cost consistent with considerations of quality, reliability of source, risk to the business and urgency of need   

• Conduct regular business reviews with suppliers and internal business partners, executing sourcing strategies based on quality, delivery, cost, and market conditions  

• Recommend sources of supply to Category Managers; maintain an accurate knowledge of supplier capabilities, industry trends, market pricing, and consumer insights  

• Facilitate the contract management process and negotiate new/expiring contracts for assigned categories to ensure new supplier onboarding and business continuity with existing suppliers  

• Work cross-functionally to lead new supplier certification and onboarding, including compliance with Caribou quality assurance, contract, and warehouse/logistics requirements 

• Perform analytics, identify gaps, and develop projects to drive cost out of the business while protecting the quality and service objectives of the business  

• Maintain an item cost management model for assigned categories that provides visibility to all item cost components and supports ongoing cost monitoring with suppliers and distribution partners  

• Lead RFP process for new and existing assortment items to make informed assortment selection recommendations considering product cost breakdowns and associated logistics and transportation costs  

• Manage ERP (Great Plains) & FoodLogiQ item systems maintenance, including SKU and supplier master data, cost detail, and specification requirements  

• In collaboration with the Inventory Management Team, monitor and manage KPIs including in stocks, forecast variance, turnover, fill rate, and unproductive inventory, and address supplier challenges to reconcile quantity and on time shipment variances and manage corrective action needs  

• In collaboration with Quality Assurance, address supplier challenges and manage corrective action needs including voluntary withdrawal and product recall processes to ensure financial accountability in accordance with contract terms  

• In collaboration with Finance, Accounts Payable, and Inventory Analyst resolving invoicing discrepancies with suppliers  

Demand Planning 

• In collaboration with Category Management, Store Operations, Finance, and Inventory Analyst teams develop annual operating plans, COGS spend, and margin forecasts 

• Forecast and validate short and long-term demand aggregated across all channels and segmentation strategies to support Product Lifecycle processes, inbound supply planning, efficient inventory flow, reliable outbound replenishment, and optimized store inventory levels  

• Collaborate with Category Management, Store Operations, Inventory Analysts, Supply Chain, and suppliers to ensure appropriate inventory controls across KPIs to protect daily in stock position and prevent end of program write-offs  

• Perform post-set chase/cancel analysis for all new and promotional items to ensure effective inventory controls, supply, and mitigate unproductive inventory and disposition liability   

• Support category in stocks, optimized inventory turns, and reduced unproductive inventory by collaborating with the Inventory Management Team to ensure accurate weekly forecasts, effective purchase order management, and distribution planning practices  

Skills and Requirements: 

• Bring Caribou’s Core Values to life in all that you do: Support One Another, Make Fun Happen, Be Yourself, Take Ownership, Serve with Love  

• Ensure focus of work aligns with Caribou’s strategic sourcing vision and roadmap  

• Build and maintain productive, trusted relationships with peers, leaders, cross functional partners, and suppliers  

• Consider diverse perspectives and collaborate cross-functionally to influence business decisions grounded in data-based analytics  

• Articulate business decisions based on data analytics in a clear, concise, and timely manner  

• Demonstrate a results-oriented, entrepreneurial mindset, proven sense of urgency, and demonstrate strong initiative towards business needs, problem solving, data analytics, process management, critical thinking, and making timely decisions  

• Work both independently and collaboratively, manage and follow through multi-step project steps/procedures consistently  

• Demonstrate a willingness to learn, work with others, consider diverse perspectives, innovate, hold yourself accountable, and recognize others’ contributions  

• Prioritize guest and team when establishing plans and decision frameworks  

• Maintain focus on long-term goals while managing day-to-day responsibilities  

Qualifications: 

• 4-year degree in relevant field 

• Minimum 3 years of experience in strategic sourcing or purchasing, preferably in food or beverage product categories 

• Proven experience in business and financial planning, supplier relationship management, and contract management (sourcing / purchasing focus) 

Physical Requirements: 

The physical requirements for this position include sitting, standing, bending, lifting, and moving intermittently during working hours.  These physical requirements must be accomplished with or without reasonable accommodation.  

The duties of this position may change from time to time. Caribou reserves the right to add or delete duties and responsibilities at the discretion of Caribou or its managers. This job description is intended to describe the general level of work being performed. It is not intended to be all-inclusive. 

Caribou Coffee Operating Company, Inc. and its affiliates are proud to be Equal Opportunity Employers to all applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type based on any characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know.