Purchasing Manager Restaurant Jobs in Boston, MA

About The Opportunity

We're seeking an experienced Senior Procurement Specialist to aid our R&D Engineering teams to rapidly develop products for Wonder’s next generation restaurants. This role sits at the intersection of procurement and R&D. You’ll work directly alongside our engineering team to identify parts, vet vendors, and keep complex builds on schedule. You won’t just execute purchase orders; you’ll actively help solve engineering problems, research unfamiliar product categories from scratch, and own the procurement process end-to-end across multiple concurrent projects. We want someone who is organized, an effective communicator, and has experience in procuring parts for hardware automation products. We are looking for someone who is excited to hit the ground running and be a part of a growing team building new innovative products.

The Impact You Will Make

Sourcing

• Actively propose part solutions for engineering challenges across sensors (load cells, vision, hall effect, laser distance, ultrasonic, liquid flow), actuators (pneumatic pistons, stepper motors, integrated servos, conveyor belts, linear motion systems), passive components, testing tools, and custom-fabricated parts
• Research and source unfamiliar product categories independently. You’re not afraid to pick up the phone and reach out to new vendors when sourcing a component you’ve never come across before.
• Identify long-lead-time items early and build purchasing timelines that align with build milestones; speed to market takes priority over cost-down initiatives
• Manage PO transactions, track open orders, and resolve supply chain issues across multiple concurrent projects
• Maintain an organized, up-to-date tracker of open sourcing projects with current status and priority for regular team review

Vendor Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for engineering vendors. Pre-screen vendors before engineering meetings, coordinate onsite demos, and ensure the right stakeholders are in the room
• Onboard new vendors, negotiate pricing, lead times, and payment terms; find competitive alternatives when existing suppliers fall short on spec or availability
• Own vendor relationships from intro call through ongoing account management

Compliance Management

• Manage our accounts with the NSF and UL for Sanitation and Safety
• Lead projects for listing our new Kitchen Automation Products
• Maintain NSF material compliance information in our machine BOMs, reaching out to vendors as needed to obtain the proper documentation.
• Ensure our UL Critical Components BOM is up to date
• Communicate requirements from the UL and NSF to our engineering teams Facilitate necessary testing, working with our engineering team to ensure test rigs are specc’d and shipped properly

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Coordinate with legal on NDAs and vendor contracts as needed
• Effective coordination with Wonder’s internal procurement and accounting teams. We’re actively building and refining our procurement tooling, so comfort operating in an environment where processes are still being worked out is essential. Your feedback will help shape how we buy

Documentation & Communication

• Gather component requirements from engineering, ask probing questions to fully understand the spec, and return with trade-off analysis when requirements can’t be easily met
• Develop deep familiarity with product lines relevant to our builds so you can answer technical questions quickly or know exactly where to find the answer
• Collect and organize vendor documentation, datasheets, and product specs for team reference

What You Bring to the Table

Education & Experience

• 5+ years sourcing and procuring parts for industrial hardware or automation products
• Preferred: BS in engineering, supply chain, or a related technical field ○ Equivalent experience in a highly technical procurement role will be considered in lieu of a formal degree
• Nice to have: Experience with UL or other NRTL listed products. Experience sourcing components with special formulation requirements, such as NSF 51, FDA 21 CFR, or 3-A Sanitary Standards

Technical Skills

• Ability to read and interpret complex datasheets; strong grasp of engineering specifications including pressure, flow rate, voltage, current, torque, force, temperature, precision, and error tolerance
• Demonstrated ability to research and evaluate unfamiliar product categories and vendor landscapes independently

Professional Skills

• Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize effectively
• Strong communication skills with ability to collaborate across technical and non-technical teams
• Very organized, strong ability to synthesize information for distribution within a team

This role requires a minimum of 3 days a week in the office, with additional days as needed based on project demands.

This role is based in our Boston office in Charlestown, MA

Massachusetts: $128,000 - $143,000 per year.