Buyer – Produce Procurement

Referred applicants should not apply directly to this role.

All referred applicants must first be submitted through Workday by a current Loblaw Colleague.

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country’s largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well®.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

Why is this role important :
Reporting to our Produce Procurement Director you’ll participate in every aspect of category procurement including domestic and offshore sourcing, vendor relationship and performance management, RFPs, cost negotiations and cost mitigation, supply risk management, quality management, vendor onboarding and much more. You’ll also work with the Director to provide our retail divisions with rich category insights on cost inflation forecasting, commodity trends, competitive landscape analytics and global product innovation.

What you’ll do:

• Source and implement weekly and seasonal product buys for baseline and promotional volume on behalf of our retail divisions.

• Influence and implement buying strategies that align to category playbooks and deliver on our annual budget obligations.

• Build trusted relationships with the vendor community and our external partners.

• Lead and assist the Director with vendor meetings and product costing negotiations. Play an active role in managing vendors’ fulfilment and financial performance.

• Evaluate new product and/or platform innovation and work with our Loblaw Brands team and retail divisions on product innovation and program sourcing for our private labels.

• Collaborate with our supply chain replenishment and transport teams to resolve product availability challenges and/or fulfilment obstacles.

• Research the competitive landscape of the category and understand industry benchmarking standards on costing, global sourcing strategies, product quality specifications etc.

• Proudly represent the Produce category with the BEEP Team.

• Building and leading diverse teams that foster a workplace of inclusiveness and belonging

What you bring:

• A curious approach and positive, self-motivated attitude.

• Post-secondary education in business or supply management; or equivalent experience.

• 3+ years in a dedicated procurement, supply chain or retail merchandising role.

• Ability to innovate, influence others, and collaborate with many diverse teams.

• Analytical approach and experience using data to make decisions.

• Financial, business and retail knowledge.

• Strong relationship management skills and a winsome communication style.

• Skilled in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint and Teams and comfort working with various software platforms.

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note:
Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.