Buyer II- Japanese Bilingual

Job Title: Buyer II

Company: Food Manufacturing and Distribution

Department: Supply Chain

Reports to: Director of Supply Chain

Job Type: Full Time

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Pomona, CA

Work Style: Hybrid (4 days/week at the office)

Salary Range: 75-80K/year base

Purpose of the Role:

The Buyer II is a mid-level procurement role responsible for purchasing materials, maintaining supplier communication, and supporting cost and inventory management. This role manages day-to-day purchasing activities, tracks deliveries, assists in cost analysis, and contributes to supplier performance improvement. The Buyer II partners closely with Planning, Production, QA, and Finance to ensure materials arrive on time and issues are resolved promptly while supporting operational stability and procurement process improvements.

Key Responsibilities:

Purchasing & Order Management

●       Execute purchase orders for assigned materials with accuracy and timeliness.

●       Track order status, follow up on late deliveries, and resolve order discrepancies.

●       Maintain system data for pricing, lead times, and supplier information.

●       Support the onboarding of new materials or packaging changes.

Supplier Coordination

●       Serve as the primary day-to-day contact for assigned suppliers.

●       Monitor supplier delivery performance (OTIF) and escalate risks as needed.

●       Participate in supplier calls to review open orders, delays, and corrective actions.

●       Support the onboarding of new materials or packaging changes.

Inventory & Planning Support

●       Work with Production Planning to ensure materials meet required inventory levels.

●       Review demand, lead times, and safety stock to anticipate supply gaps.

●       Support shortage reporting, root-cause checks, and recovery follow-ups.

Cost & Data Analysis

●       Assist with supplier quotes and cost comparisons for sourcing decisions.

●       Support basic cost analyses, market checks, and cost-saving initiatives.

●       Prepare purchasing reports, usage summaries, and supplier dashboards.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

●       Coordinate with QA and R&D for sample testing, spec updates, or supplier documentation.

●       Support Finance in resolving invoice pricing discrepancies and PO reconciliation.

●       Collaborate on packaging revisions, engineering changes, or new product needs.

Process & System Improvement

●       Identify inefficiencies and propose ideas to improve procurement workflow.

●       Maintain accurate ERP purchasing data and support system cleanup.

●       Contribute to standardizing procurement documentation and procedures.

Core Skills

 ●     Solutions Focused: Proactively identify challenges in the procurement process and develop effective solutions. Encourage a problem-solving mindset within the team.

●     Problem Solving & Decision Making: Uses data and logical thinking to resolve supply issues.

●     Communication: Keeps suppliers and internal partners updated in a timely way.

●     Collaboration: Works well with cross-functional teams.

●     Ownership: Takes responsibility for tasks and follows through reliably.

●     Continuous Improvement Mindset: Looks for ways to simplify and enhance processes.

Requirements:

●       Educational Background: Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Operations, or related field (or equivalent experience).

●       Professional Experience: 2–4 years of purchasing or supply chain experience.

●       Strategic Procurement Skills: Strong language/communication experience in negotiations and supplier management.

●       Language Skills: English and Japanese Bilingual