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Purple Carrot started with just a seed of an idea in 2014. Our vision is a world where plant-based eating is at the core of living well. Every day, on this mission, were breaking boundaries with plant-based eating. We value learning from customers, an ownership mindset, integrity, winning together, and being bold. We need your expertise on our team to make things happen!

Purple Carrots irresistible, globally-inspired meal-kit recipes and prepared meals using fresh ingredients are available in the U.S. and Japan. We are a team of collaborative individuals who drive for results, strive for doing better, make good choices quickly, and embrace a growth mindset to win or learn. Heres what youre up for!

Description

We are looking for a Sr. Produce Specialist to join our team to join our mission-driven team. As an integral part of the Sourcing department, you will join forces with the Sourcing Manager (to whom you will also report) and Sr. Procurement Manager in our continued effort to help people eat more plants!

We are looking for candidates who are passionate about food, quality and customer experience, building relationships, and negotiation.

This position will play an important role in scaling our produce program effectively with the business, and driving critical optimizations throughout our produce supply chain. This role will be highly cross-functional, collaborating closely across departments - Packaging, Shipping, Purchasing, QA, Production, Culinary, Customer Experience - and fulfillment centers, and will require teamwork, initiative and a customer-centric attitude to achieve Key Performance Indicators and department goals.

As the Sr. Produce Specialist you will oversee our end-to-end supply chain for produce. You will be expected to collaborate on long-term Sourcing strategy and menu development, while adeptly managing the details of product testing, cost negotiation, supply disruptions and data analysis. This role will require strong communication and relationship building skills, as you develop, lead and support a range of initiatives across the company, advising functional leaders on how to navigate industry trends and challenges. A successful candidate will be capable of executing on current requirements and targets for fresh produce, while consistently pursuing solutions and opportunities to raise the bar within this category.

We greatly thank all applicants, however only those under serious consideration will be contacted.

Location

• Preference will be given to Chicago-area but also open to Boston area candidates
• Travel: Regular travel, including to: (1) produce growers and distributors to oversee Purple Carrot production, verify specification compliance, and reenforce vendor relationships, (2) Purple Carrot 3rd party production sites to support production, food safety & quality, pricing, yields, and relationships with the sites produce buyers, and (3) Massachusetts headquarters and industry shows as needed.

On the Plate

• Oversees end-to-end process for securing produce availability, quality, and pricing to support culinary menu planning and on-site production
• Secures produce availability and pricing on 6 week timeline, providing weekly produce updates on market conditions, while mitigating impacts to our menus and COGS
• Maintains relationships with suppliers and leads negotiation efforts; conducts regular business reviews and provides feedback on quality, pricing, and service
• Cross-functional leader and collaborator across multiple departments:
  • QA Dept. to audit produce growers and distributors for food safety and quality
  • Culinary Dept. on menu planning based on seasonality, availability, integrity, and budget
  • Sourcing Dept. on end-to-end sourcing process and controls, including produce SKU setup, vendor on-boarding and data flow
  • Customer Experience Dept., issue management and working proactively to improve the customer experience
  • Production & Fulfillment Dept. on quality checks, processing and packing
  • Purchasing Dept. and Program Managers on possible supply disruptions and support
  • Packing Dept. on produce protection during kitting and boxing before shipment
  • Shipping Dept. on produce shipment concerns & improving life in transit
• Responsible for developing, documenting, communicating and monitoring the execution of all produce specifications across all product lines and facilities
• Supports product growth by leading a robust R&D process for cuts and custom products that optimize for quality, shelf life and cost.
• Proactively explores opportunities to work with new growers, suppliers, and technologies to source produce; supports bringing new products to market and being industry leaders in produce sourcing
• Staying updated on current trends in produce popularity, availability, changes in growing regions, etc.

Main Ingredients for the Role

• 5+ years of fresh produce category management or equivalent experience, including supplier management and pricing. Prior experience in foodservice or food manufacturing preferred
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in related field
• Ability to evaluate and report out on current and future produce market conditions; expected to quantify and find solutions to mitigate impacts of market fluctuations (food safety, quality, availability, and financial)
• Excellent communication skills - Demonstrates appropriate and effective communication in all directions including written, verbal, and group communication
• Negotiation skills - active listening, asking good questions, strong verbal communication, decision making ability, emotional control, interpersonal skills, professional ethics, preparing BATNA (best alternative to a negotiated agreement, your alternatives) and problem solving
• Planning and Goal Orientation Skills - Demonstrates ability to plan, set goals, effectively manage time/work calendar to get projects and tasks completed
• Passion and Team Orientation - the ability to consistently contribute to the overall improvement of the customer experience through cross-functional work; understanding of individual contributions to project work and team structure; ability to provide comprehensive updates to project stakeholders
• Analytical Skills - Comfortable collecting and interpreting data; understanding of COGS inputs and can drive improvements accordingly
• Intermediate in MS Office and Google Workspace skills
• Intermediate ERP/MRP, VRM/ project management software, and/or other purchasing systems experience

Extra Special Sauce

• Remote work skills - results-driven, proactive, collaborative work using Slack, Google Chat, Asana, file sharing, remote desktop, etc.
• Experience creating and implementing RFP process preferred
• Proactive problem solver who is results-oriented, collaborative and creative
• A Self-starter thats able to work independently with minimal oversight
• Passion for food and plant-based a plus!

Garnish

We love our staff, and show it with benefits (including but not limited to medical, dental, vision, FSA, and life insurance), matching retirement plan, unlimited paid time off, Purple Carrot box allowance, professional development, and the opportunity to work in collaboration with teammates who are passionate about food!

Final Touches

Purple Carrots top priority is protecting the health and wellbeing of our team and candidates. The majority of our interviews and assessments occur virtually. If there is a need to interview onsite, we follow COVID-19 guidance from the CDC, WHO, and any state guidelines (link removed)>

We are committed to a safe and inclusive work environment, free of discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, genetics, national origin, ancestry, age, medical condition, mental or physical disability, handicap, veteran status, or marital status.