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Beef Buyer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Monitoring market shifts in beef, poultry, and pork to formulate buying strategies. * Manage and maintain the entire Purchase-to-Pay process, covering: * PO Creation * Vendor Confirmation * Accurate ...

Description Beef Imports Demand Planner Purpose and Scope/General Summary: We are looking for a ... Coordinate with DGB product buyer to optimize warehouse plan best paired with grind mix by plant to ...

Beef Imports Demand Planner Purpose and Scope/General Summary: We are looking for a Demand Planner ... Coordinate with DGB product buyer to optimize warehouse plan best paired with grind mix by plant to ...

Coordinate with DGB product buyer to optimize warehouse plan best paired with grind mix by plant to ... Work closely with ground beef scheduling to satisfy raw material needs to accommodate weekly ...

Beef Imports Demand Planner Purpose and Scope/General Summary: We are looking for a Demand Planner ... Coordinate with DGB product buyer to optimize warehouse plan best paired with grind mix by plant to ...

... buyer to optimize warehouse plan best paired with grind mix by plant to optimize largest cost ... Drive P&L awareness and profitability performance in Ground Beef and Trim operationsOccasional ...

Protein Buyer / Specialist

Dallas, TX · On-site

$60K - $80K/yr

Monitoring market shifts in beef, poultry, and pork to formulate buying strategies. * Manage and maintain the entire Purchase-to-Pay process, covering: * PO Creation * Vendor Confirmation * Accurate ...

The Maintenance Buyer is responsible for the strategic procurement and management of Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) materials supporting a highly automated USDA-regulated beef stick ...

Team Member

Reading, PA · On-site

$12 - $15/hr

... buying process Cleaning, sanitizing, and maintaining a food safe work environment Occasional re ... beef, pork, deli, cheeses, and smoked meats

Team Member

Reading, PA · On-site

$12 - $15/hr

... buying process Cleaning, sanitizing, and maintaining a food safe work environment Occasional re ... beef, pork, deli, cheeses, and smoked meats

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Beef Buyer information

See salary details

$34.5K

$68.4K

$102.5K

How much do beef buyer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for beef buyer in the United States is $68,384.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $55,000.00 and $79,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are some common challenges Beef Buyers face when negotiating with suppliers, and how can they navigate them?

Beef Buyers often encounter challenges such as fluctuating market prices, varying quality standards, and limited supply due to seasonal or environmental factors. Successfully navigating these issues typically requires maintaining strong relationships with multiple suppliers, staying informed about market trends, and having a solid understanding of product specifications. Effective communication and negotiation skills are essential, as is the ability to adapt quickly to changes in demand or supply chain disruptions. Collaborating closely with quality assurance and logistics teams also helps ensure that purchasing decisions align with company standards and customer expectations.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Beef Buyer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Beef Buyer, you need strong knowledge of meat grading, supply chain management, and procurement, often supported by experience in food purchasing or a related degree. Familiarity with inventory management software, quality assurance standards, and industry certifications like HACCP is typically required. Strong negotiation, relationship-building, and attention to detail are crucial soft skills for success in this position. These skills ensure the consistent sourcing of high-quality beef at competitive prices while maintaining food safety and supplier reliability.

What does a Beef Buyer do?

A Beef Buyer is responsible for sourcing and purchasing beef products for retailers, wholesalers, or food service companies. They evaluate suppliers, negotiate prices and contracts, and ensure that the beef meets quality and safety standards. Beef Buyers must stay informed about market trends, supply chain issues, and regulatory requirements to make cost-effective purchasing decisions. Their role is crucial in maintaining consistent inventory and delivering high-quality beef to customers.

What is the difference between Beef Buyer vs Meat Procurement Specialist?

AspectBeef BuyerMeat Procurement Specialist
CredentialsExperience in meat industry, purchasing certificationsSimilar credentials, often with supply chain or procurement certifications
Work EnvironmentMeat processing plants, grocery stores, foodservice companiesFood manufacturing, wholesale, retail food sectors
Industry UsageCommonly used in beef-focused companies and marketsBroader meat industry, including beef, pork, and poultry
Search/Comparison IntentPeople comparing roles within beef procurementIndividuals exploring broader meat procurement roles

While both roles involve purchasing meat products, a Beef Buyer specializes specifically in beef, focusing on sourcing and negotiating beef supplies. A Meat Procurement Specialist handles a wider range of meat products, including beef, pork, and poultry, often within larger food companies. The roles share similar credentials and work environments but differ in scope and industry focus.

More about Beef Buyer jobs
What states have the most Beef Buyer jobs? States with the most job openings for Beef Buyer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Beef Buyer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 81% Full Time, 9% Part Time, and 10% Contract. Highlights an 88% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $68,384 per year, or $32.9 per hour.
Category Buyer - Direct Materials

Category Buyer - Direct Materials

American Foods Group, LLC

Green Bay, WI • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 4 days ago


American Foods Group rating

7.0

Company rating: 7.0 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

193rd of 383 rated food and drinks producers


Job description

Overview
JOB SUMMARY
The Category Buyer, Direct Materials, is responsible for sourcing and managing direct spend categories that go directly into beef production and finished goods. This includes ingredients, packaging, labels, casings, processing chemicals, and other production-critical inputs. This role plays a key part in ensuring supply continuity, margin protection, specification compliance, and plant execution support in a high-volume beef processing environment.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
  • Develop and manage category strategies for direct materials, including, but not limited to, corrugate, films, bags, labels, and ingredients.
  • Partner with operations, R&D, QA, and finance to align sourcing decisions with product specifications and margin goals.
  • Conduct market analysis on commodity and supplier trends.
  • Analyze spend, supplier performance, inventory turns, and plant usage trends to identify savings and service opportunities.
  • Lead RFQs, RFPs, supplier negotiations, and contract renewals with support of VP of Supply Chain.
  • Standardize SKUs, suppliers, and specifications across multiple plants.
  • Reduce supplier fragmentation and improve contract compliance.
  • Track supplier KPIs including on-time delivery, fill rates, lead time adherence, cost changes, and service responsiveness.
  • Develop contingency supply plans for critical plant uptime items.
  • Coordinate closely with storeroom teams to ensure stock availability of inventory.
  • Support emergency sourcing for unplanned events.
  • Optimize min/max levels, reorder points, and stocking strategies.
  • Ensure purchase orders align with approved budgets and authorization limits.
  • Drive cost savings, working capital reduction, and process efficiencies.
  • Support supplier rationalization and vendor-managed inventory programs.
  • Identify opportunities for predictive stocking and lifecycle management of parts.
  • Support new product launches, customer-specific packaging transitions, and spec changes.

Qualifications
QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE
  • Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, Operations, or related field preferred.
  • 5+ years of procurement or category buying experience.
  • Strong experience in direct material purchasing.
  • Experience supporting multi-site manufacturing or food processing operations preferred.
  • Strong ERP/MRP system knowledge (Infor M3 preferred).
  • Advanced Excel and spend analysis capabilities.

ADDITIONAL SKILLS/EXPERIENCE/REQUIREMENTS
  • Complex problem-solving skills such as identifying root causes and developing and implementing solutions.
  • Critical thinking skills including but not limited to, logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
  • Strong interpersonal and collaborative skills, with a professional demeanor and the ability to interact with all levels of any organization.
  • Ability to effectively communicate issues and resolutions to all levels of the organization.
  • Organized with the ability to multitask, prioritize, and manage shifting responsibilities in a dynamic, cross-functional teamwork environment.
  • Commitment to demonstrating the highest standard of ethical conduct and integrity; a willingness to continually embrace personal and professional development.
  • Professionally represents the Company, advances its values, and contributes to a high performing culture and positive work environment for all employees regardless of division/department.
  • Willingness to travel up to 50% as required.
  • Beef, protein, food manufacturing, or cold-chain industry experience.
  • Knowledge of storeroom optimization and critical spare parts planning.
  • Experience with capital project support and maintenance shutdown planning.

Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status. Applicants with a disability who require a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process can contact Human Resources at the location(s) where you are applying. We participate in the E-Verify program in certain locations as required by law.
Summary
American Foods Group, LLC is a privately held beef processing company headquartered in Green Bay, WI. As the 5th largest beef processing company in the U.S. we employ over 4,500 employees, ship over 5 million pounds of beef every day and export to countries around the globe. We appreciate our employees and reward them for a job well done. American Foods Group, a "hire to retire" type of company.
What we offer:
  • Competitive total compensation package for you and your family.
  • Excellent benefit plan. Benefits include: Health and Wellness Clinic, Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flex Spending Accounts, Voluntary Benefits, PTO, 401k, Long & Short Term Disability, Discount Meat Purchase Program, and more!

Check Out the Green Bay, WI Area!
Improve your quality of life by residing in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a stunning Wisconsin city on the bay of Lake Michigan. Green Bay is known around the world for contributions to industry and agriculture, the smallest city to host a National Football League team known as the Green Bay Packers, and the area boasts a progressive atmosphere from industrial parks to shopping districts.
The area also offers:
  • Arts and culture including exceptional performing arts facilities, museums and visual art galleries
  • Family fun such as the NEW Zoo, Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Bay Beach Amusement Park
  • Tours of the finest wineries & breweries, the Packers Hall of Fame, and more

Try to convince us that there is a better place to live and work other than American Foods Group, LLC in Green Bay, Wisconsin!
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