Company description

We are Farm To People: a fast-growing farmer’s market delivery service that offers New Yorkers a wide curation of products by local farmers and makers! Our mission is to reimagine the food system by supporting small farmers and producers, all while providing customers an unmatched grocery experience.

Job description

The Role

Farm to People works directly with some of the best small farms in the Northeast, and the Senior Produce Buyer is the person who keeps that running. You'll own the full produce category, from supplier relationships and seasonal sourcing to box planning, category strategy, and demand forecasting. That means managing purchasing, vendor relationships, pricing, and inventory while also shaping how we show up for customers online through assortment, product data, and promotions. You'll own supplier relationships end to end and work closely with operations, finance, and marketing to keep procurement and merchandising accurate and moving on schedule.

Responsibilities

Procurement

• Manage and mentor the Produce Buyer, providing day-to-day guidance, reviewing purchasing decisions, and supporting their professional development.
• Create and manage purchase orders based on system forecasts, seasonal needs, and vendor input.
• Oversee and own box planning, building and negotiating box contents with farmers and distributors to balance seasonality, quality, and cost.
• Partner with Operations to maintain inventory accuracy across physical counts and shipment reconciliation, using procurement levers to manage inventory levels and minimize overstock and gaps.
• Own shrink reduction strategy, working with Operations, Finance, and Kitchen to drive down produce loss through prepared food utilization and cost-saving initiatives.
• Partner with Operations and Finance to resolve missing invoices, credits, and discrepancies in a timely manner.
  Uphold quality standards by communicating expectations and addressing issues with suppliers and the Receiving Team.
• Maintain strong relationships with produce vendors, negotiating pricing, terms, and promotional opportunities while ensuring accountability.
• Ensure all products meet Farm to People’s standards for quality, sustainability, and compliance, including certifications and COIs.
• Work with Finance to track produce margins, validate costing, and support accurate forecasting and budgeting.
• Own sourcing and supplier strategy, including supplier mix, new supplier development, and alignment with company mission and values.
• Own demand and seasonal planning end-to-end, including crop planning, grower contracts, and long-range supply forecasting to align supply with customer demand.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all existing supplier relationships and lead new supplier onboarding, including compliance vetting, certification management, and COI collection.
• Own the produce procurement calendar, including seasonal and holiday order deadlines, forecasting windows, and supply lead times.
• Track, analyze, and report on procurement performance, including sales, margin, spoilage, and vendor performance; propose initiatives for efficiency and savings.

Merchandising & Category Management

• Own produce category strategy, including annual assortment planning, category architecture, and alignment with customer demand and company ethos.
• Own the planning and execution of promotional activities on the website, including sales, new product launches, and seasonal or holiday offerings.
• Own produce category architecture on the website, ensuring strategic product placement that drives sales and minimizes spoilage.
• Maintain and update website categories to provide a streamlined and user-friendly shopping experience.
• Own and maintain accurate SKU data, including price, cost, size, and producer information, ensuring alignment between purchasing and what’s live on site.
• Write engaging product and producer copy for new items featured on the website.
• Lead collaboration with the Marketing & Communications team on email content and social media posts that highlight seasonal produce, farmers, and sustainability practices.
• Partner with Operations to ensure new SKUs are accurately slotted in the warehouse and reflected online.
• Stay ahead of emerging produce trends and proactively bring forward category opportunities that align with customer demand and company ethos.
• Own promotional performance, tracking results, drawing conclusions, and driving changes to future produce campaigns based on data.

Ideal Candidate

• 5–7 years of experience in produce buying, procurement, or category management, ideally within grocery, food distribution, or e-commerce.
• Experience managing direct reports.
• Deep understanding of seasonal produce, quality standards, and sourcing from local and regional farms.
• Proven ability to manage vendor relationships, negotiate pricing and terms, and maintain accountability across multiple suppliers.
• Experience in merchandising and product presentation, with an eye for seasonality, assortment balance, and customer appeal.
• Strong analytical skills with proficiency in Google Sheets and Excel; comfortable working with data to forecast demand, track margins, and identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Highly organized, adaptable, and able to stay calm and effective in a fast-paced, constantly changing environment.
• A clear communicator who can hold their own with farmers and distributors as easily as with operations, finance, and marketing.
• A problem solver who doesn't wait to be asked. You spot issues early, propose solutions, and follow through.
• Thrives in the pace of perishable food buying and knows how to prioritize when everything feels urgent.
• Passionate about local food systems, sustainability, and supporting small producers.

Schedule
Tuesday to Saturday

Compensation:
This an exempt salaried position, paid $85,000 - $110,000 / year depending on experience.

Benefits include:

30% discount on Farm to people.
Up to 70% coverage of health insurance.
Working for a mission driven company that makes a difference!

Compensation

this position is: salaried, more than $100,000

Application instructions

If you are not registered, you'll be prompted to do so. Don't worry, it's free!

Deadline

no deadline