Produce Procurement Manager

Description Essential Duties and Responsibilities:  Develops and maintains produce specifications.  Evaluates growing and distribution capabilities of current and prospective produce and potato suppliers.  Maintains and strengthens supplier relationships.  Leads North American potato negotiations for new crop cycles throughout the year.  Manages produce freight costs from growers to distribution.  Produces weekly updates on current and forecasted produce market conditions.  Conducts supplier site visits with Five Guys produce growers and distributors.  Communicates market conditions and pricing changes to the field through weekly Patty Press updates.  Oversees daily product incidents in FoodLogiQ and ensures closure within five days, including monitoring and reporting trends that may affect store-level produce quality.  Maintains accurate FoodLogiQ profiles for produce suppliers and packers, including contacts, locations, audits, and required documentation.  Manages Arrow Stream inventory for potato and produce items across Five Guys distribution centers in the U.S. and Canada.  Issues annual RFPs to identify potential suppliers for key produce items, including potatoes, tomatoes, lettuce, and onions.  Provides budget projections for key produce items and tracks actuals against budget to support leadership and Finance with COGS analysis.  Partners with the Logistics Manager to unbundle freight and overage costs.  Applies knowledge of food safety standards and regulations to support compliance.  Travels to produce and potato growing regions and distributor locations to periodically review production and verify Five Guys specifications.  Travels to Five Guys store locations to support produce quality concerns or questions.  Assists franchisees with produce quality questions and concerns.  Attends key produce industry events to maintain supplier relationships and identify potential new suppliers.  Builds and maintains professional relationships with growers, distributors, suppliers, franchisees, and internal stakeholders. Qualifications Guidelines: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Education/Experience:  Bachelor’s degree in agriculture, business, supply chain, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.  Five to seven years of category management or equivalent experience, including supplier management and pricing experience, preferred. Foodservice or food manufacturing experience preferred.  Five or more years of experience sourcing and negotiating contracts for potatoes, including Idaho potatoes and other North American growing regions such as PEI and Washington, preferred. Language Ability: Excellent verbal and written skills are necessary. The successful candidate/employee will be required to use written, verbal and group communication skills. The ability to read, write and comprehend complex instructions and correspondence is necessary. It also requires strong interpersonal and negotiation skills. Math Ability: This position requires good business math skills Reasoning Ability: The position requires pragmatic analyzing skills, organizational skills, problem-solving abilities and the ability to manage multiple ongoing projects. Computer Skills: Proficient in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Internet, Outlook and other appropriate software within the organization. Knowledge of common MS Office applications. Supervisory Responsibilities: This position has no supervisory responsibilities. Physical Demands: This position is primarily office-based and requires prolonged periods of sitting, using a computer, telephone, and standard office equipment. The position may occasionally require standing, walking, reaching, grasping, and handling objects. Occasional lifting or moving of supplies, materials, or freight up to 50 pounds may be required. Travel may be required based on business needs, typically ranging from 20% to 40% during certain periods. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Qualifications Skills Behaviors : Motivations : Education Preferred Bachelors or better in Business Administration or related field.