Jordano's

Since 1915, Jordano’s Foodservice has grown to become the premier distributor of food, beverages, and culinary equipment in the Tri-Counties. Pacific Beverage Company has proudly distributed a high-quality portfolio of beer and non-alcoholic beverages on the Central Coast since 1946.

Our long-standing success in the foodservice and beverage industries reflects our commitment to building strong, lasting relationships with our customers, suppliers, employees, and community. We are guided by our core values of pride, respect, and integrity, and we strive to uphold these principles in everything we do.

Position Summary

Under the direction of the Director of Purchasing/Marketing, the Buyer is responsible for purchasing products at competitive prices, maintaining acceptable product quality, and supporting reasonable inventory levels in accordance with Jordano’s Foodservice guidelines. This position supports purchasing, inventory, vendor communication, item maintenance, special orders, pricing communication, and related purchasing and marketing coordination.

The Buyer works closely with Category Management, Inventory Control, Sales, Marketing, vendors, and internal departments to help maintain product availability, control obsolete inventory and shrink, support service levels, and communicate market conditions that may impact product cost, availability, or purchasing decisions.

This is an on-site office position based in Santa Barbara, CA. Regular in-person attendance is required Monday through Friday, and this role is not eligible for remote or hybrid work.

Job Information

• Position: Buyer
• Company: Jordano’s Foodservice
• Department: Purchasing
• Location: Santa Barbara, CA
• Employment Type: Full-Time
• FLSA Status: Exempt
• Pay Range: $74,000 – $80,000 Annually
• Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; on-site attendance is required. This is not a remote or hybrid position.

What You Will Be Doing

• Locate sources of supply, negotiate pricing, and place product orders consistent with Jordano’s Foodservice quality standards and purchasing guidelines.
• Monitor inventory levels daily and place orders according to company guidelines, product movement, service needs, and inventory requirements.
• Review below-minimum reports and take appropriate action to reduce the risk of product out-of-stocks before the next scheduled order is delivered.
• Handle order confirmations, back-in-stock reports, past-due purchase orders, and related purchasing follow-up on a timely basis.
• Support customer service levels by addressing product availability concerns, emergency sourcing needs, and potential out-of-stock situations.
• Monitor obsolete inventory and shrink against established company goals and make recommendations to Category Management regarding discontinued or slow-moving products.
• Review product costs and market conditions to help ensure competitive pricing and timely communication of price increases, decreases, or market changes.
• Manage daily and weekly exception reports, including credit return reports, large adjustment reports, and inventory-related reports requiring follow-up.
• Communicate with Category Management, Sales, Inventory Control, and other internal partners regarding pricing, inventory availability, product issues, and purchasing concerns.
• Handle special orders, including item setup, order tracking, auto-ship coordination, sales communication, and follow-up on special-order inventory.
• Manage special-order inventory on hand, including close-out communication, sales follow-up, vendor coordination, and product disposition as needed.
• Maintain item information, including new item numbers, item notes, product details, and related data in accordance with company guidelines.
• Maintain vendor information, including new vendor setup, vendor notes, price lists, vendor files, and related purchasing documentation.
• Process voucher discrepancies involving purchase order and invoice variances accurately and timely.
• Coordinate vendor damage, spoilage, return, and billing-back processes as needed.
• Work with Inventory Control on day-to-day inventory issues, including product quality concerns, mislabeling, vendor returns, and product disposition.
• Respond to inventory and purchasing questions from Sales, including stock-on-hand status, purchase order due dates, special-order status, and product information.
• Meet with vendors as needed to discuss pricing, product availability, programs, product concerns, or business opportunities.
• Assist Sales with price quotes and product availability information as needed.
• Assist with annual rebate, marketing, and growth program negotiations in coordination with Category Management and the Director of Purchasing/Marketing.
• Coordinate new item communication with Marketing, including information needed for new item flyers, sales notifications, and related promotional materials.
• Proof purchasing, sales, and marketing materials as needed, including broker directories, stocking guides, specialty guides, flyers, and special promotions.
• Attend sales meetings when required to support purchasing, product, vendor, or market-related communication.
• Use company purchasing, inventory, reporting, and office systems, including AS400 or other company-required systems as applicable.
• Perform additional duties as assigned, delegated, or required to support purchasing, marketing, and business operations.