Purchasing assistant- Japanese Bilingual

***Japanese Bilingual Skill is required

Position Title: Purchasing assistant

Industry: Food Manufacturing

Location: Torrance, CA

Salary: up to $52K (Non-Exempt)

A Japanese Food Manufacturing company is looking for a Purchasing Coordinator!

Key Responsibilities

• Support international purchasing: coordinate with Japan HQ on boat orders, labels, packaging, certifications, and shipment scheduling.
• Track inbound shipments from Japan, coordinate with logistics, forwarders, couriers, and brokers.
• Maintain inventory data (QuickBooks, Business Central, Excel) and cost sheets.
• Support domestic purchasing: coordinate with co-packers for order placement, production scheduling, and deliveries.
• Calculate ingredients/flavors needed for production and create purchase orders.
• Manage inventory adjustments, transfers, and cold storage coordination.
• Work directly with vendors/suppliers for schedules, deliveries, labeling, and packaging.
• Create BOMs for new items, support trade shows and supplier visits.
• Provide English/Japanese translation support as needed.
• Backup Purchasing Manager/Assistant when required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 2–3 years’ experience in purchasing or production coordination (experience in manufacturing/production company preferred).
• Food, beverage, or nutraceutical industry experience a plus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and inventory systems.
• Bilingual: English (business level) and Japanese (business level or higher; including writing and reading).
• Strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Valid CA Driver’s License.