Job Description

The Role:
Attention, meat enthusiasts! Whole Foods is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Meat Buyer to join our esteemed procurement team.

As our Meat Buyer, you'll have the power to negotiate contracts, analyze market trends, and optimize our supply chain, ensuring that our customers have access to the highest-quality offerings while upholding our unwavering commitment to animal welfare standards and ethical sourcing practices.
 

Your role will be pivotal in driving positive change from improving sourcing efficiencies and maintaining product availability to staying ahead of consumer demands, and your impact will be felt across our stores and customers.

You are:

If you're a passionate professional with a deep understanding of the meat industry, a keen eye for quality, and a drive to make a lasting impact, then Whole Foods is the place for you. Join us on this exciting journey, where your expertise will be valued, your contributions will be celebrated, and your commitment to excellence will shape the future of our meat department.
 

Why Whole Foods Market:

Whole Foods Market is the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket retailer and wellness company. Our philosophy is to satisfy and delight our customers – and to support Team Member happiness, growth and excellence. Why? We believe that each and every team member is a valued contributor to our mission. In our partnership with Amazon, we are re-inventing the grocery industry through innovative advancements like Just Walk Out and Dash Cart technologies and a service-minded approach.

Responsibilities:

• Provides regional input to Category Manager on category strategy, including regional customer and product trends and the competitive landscape.

• Develops and executes category assortment plan, including supplier line reviews, assortment analysis, item planning and forecasting.

• Develops local category strategies

• Identifies and nurture relationships with local suppliers.

• Collaborates with Foragers to source potential new local items / suppliers and serve as advisor for local growers and producers.

• Partners with Space Management to translate regional assortment plan into a merchandising plan and store-level planograms.

• Develops and executes category promotional planning for region-only items, including planning and executing key promotional events and reacting in-season based on sales performance and the competitive landscape.

• Assists with and/or provides pricing strategy recommendations.

• Conducts ongoing analysis of region-only items including performance trends and expansion into other regions

• Partners with support teams to ensure region-only execution.

• Partners with Product Coordinator to ensure effective and timely communications regarding assortment, planogram, promotions etc.

• Partners with operational area Marketing teams on marketing and promotional events.

Skills:

• Understands and applies buyer / procurement concepts, principles and practices.

• Able to evaluate and certify suppliers and producers.

• Develops and applies buying / procurement practices that meet company and customer expectations, ensure quality and maximize savings and efficiencies.

• Demonstrates strong interpersonal communication skills and high levels of tact, diplomacy and confidentiality.

• Able to negotiate mutually beneficial supplier / producer arrangements, terms and conditions.

• Applies analytical skills to evaluate and interpret purchasing, procurement, contract, delivery, quality, pricing and other issues.

• Creates spreadsheets, charts and reports that contain relevant projections and performance data that can be clearly understood by diverse audiences.

• Has passion for Organics, Fair Trade and the Natural Foods industry.

• Applies a customer-focused sensibility when analyzing business prospects and / or performing ongoing work activities.

• Team-player with a positive attitude and comfortable with ambiguity.

• Works effectively with others, in groups, in cross-functional settings and with diverse stakeholders internally and externally.

Education & Experience:

• BA/BS degree and 2-4 years’ relevant experience OR equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended any time at the sole discretion of Whole Foods Market. The appropriate country or jurisdictional laws, processes, professional or regulatory bodies, and qualifications apply outside of the United States.  

At Whole Foods Market, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all Team Members and candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Whole Foods Market hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.

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