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Crêpes à Latte · 1 day ago

Purchasing and Inventory Associate

Lake Forest, IL

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level

$55K/yr - $65K/yr

5+ years exp

Crêpes à Latte is seeking a Purchasing and Inventory Associate to support all procurement and inventory functions within the organization. This role involves bulk purchasing, maintaining inventory accuracy, developing vendor relationships, and ensuring supply availability across multiple locations.

AdvertisingEventsFood and Beverage

Responsibilities

Performs bulk and on demand purchasing for food, beverage, equipment, and consumables

Generate purchase orders, track fulfillment, and ensure timely delivery

Maintain and adjust par levels based on seasonal trends, forecasted event volume, and historical data

Maintain product pricing and provide periodic product cost analysis reports

Coordinate closely with Operations, Warehouse, and event teams to ensure supply availability

Cross departmental collaboration with product development team and service execution team on product selection

Monitor inventory levels daily and reconcile discrepancies

Track receiving processes and ensure all items are accurately documented

Conduct scheduled cycle counts and maintain inventory accuracy standards

Support asset tracking for equipment using company tools

Develop and maintain strong vendor partnerships

Create and manage vendor scorecards for pricing, quality, performance, and delivery metrics

Participate in the pricing and contracts negotiations with suppliers

Track vendor performance, pricing changes, product catalogs, and contract terms

Produce purchasing and inventory reports using Excel and company systems

Forecast supply needs using historical trends, event projections, and seasonal patterns

Data management includes normalization, data cleansing, transformation, validation, and data governance

Qualification

Purchasing experienceInventory managementVendor managementExcel proficiencyWarehouse management toolsAnalytical skillsInterpersonal skillsCommunication skillsOrganizational skills

Required

5 + years of purchasing or procurement experience

2+ years' experience within food & beverage, catering, restaurant or a related business

Intermediate or higher knowledge of excel including tables, formulas, functions, formatting, presentation, analysis, and reporting

A bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Possesses strong computer skills with demonstrated proficiency in standard business software packages and productivity tools. (e.g., Microsoft Office, Asana or Slack, cloud data storage)

Experience with warehouse/asset management/purchasing tools such as Asset Panda and CRM software such as FreshSales

Strong interpersonal, analytical, and critical thinking skills

Ability to communicate effectively, verbally, and in writing

A positive attitude, willingness to learn from others, and ability to work in a team-oriented environment

Strong organizational skills, ability to prioritize tasks, and proactively meet tight deadlines

Ability to travel to tradeshow events 2-4 times a year