Manager, Sourcing and Vendor Partnerships

Northstar Restaurant Group Brassica is looking for an exceptional individual to lead our purchasing and sourcing strategy and cultivate relationships with the best local, regional, and national growers and producers to bring exceptional ingredients to every dish we serve. We are a fast growing restaurant company and maintaining a dependable sourcing network with partners who share our values is critical to our success.

If you enjoy great food, embrace continuous learning, and value creating loved restaurant experiences, here's your chance to make a career of it. You'll have the opportunity to work hard among a group of top-notch people who care deeply about the details. Personal fulfillment, advancement and the opportunity to help shape something special are what you should expect as a leader at Northstar Restaurant Group.

Job Description:

As the Manager of Sourcing and Vendor Partnerships, you will lead procurement and distribution of all ingredients and restaurant supplies so that our leaders are able to serve food of distinctively high quality at a better value than our competitors. You will be responsible for sourcing and maintaining relationships with external producers, suppliers and distributors in both new and current markets, as well as servicing supply or quality-related concerns of internal partners.

Core Responsibilities at Northstar Restaurant Group Brassica:

• Champion our Vision to create the most loved restaurant experiences in each neighborhood we operate by helping our organization provide food, service and an environment of distinctively high quality to our teammates and guests
• Accountability for ingredient supply, safety, quality, service, and price
• Develop and communicate our purchasing strategies with the leadership team based on key metrics related to COGS
• Develop and maintain relationships with restaurant leaders to understand their needs and provide best-in-class operations support, including delivering lasting solutions to service issues and risks
• Collaborate with the culinary leadership team on an ongoing basis to diversify supply, support R&D ingredient research and selection, and source short-term substitutes as needed
• Support our expansion into new markets and existing regions
• Maintain competitive pricing and foster cooperative relationships between vendors and restaurants through performance metrics and regular reviews
• Monitor contract compliance and audit reports from distributors; identify and reconcile significant deviations from expectations
• Follow commodity ingredient price trends and forecasts to provide insights into our pricing
• Partner with finance team members to report, understand and optimize cost dynamics
• Ensure ingredients and suppliers meet our high quality standards, at a great value

Qualifications:

• Thorough understanding of procurement processes and regional supply chain dynamics with an emphasis on sustainability and local sourcing
• Demonstrate strong creative and analytical problem-solving skills; extremely detail-oriented
• Strong written and verbal communication, time management, and ability to work independently while correctly prioritizing multiple projects
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in business/related field or relevant experience
• Passion for providing world-class service to internal and external partners is a must; a love of delicious food and cooking is a bonus
• Experience working with both large scale and small artisan producers and distributors preferred
• Track record of driving strategic initiatives and achieving measurable results
• Experience working collaboratively with suppliers, growers and producers on complex initiatives
• Willingness to travel as needed to support restaurant growth initiatives and foster supplier relationships

This is a salaried position. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience and will provide significant growth potential. The benefits package includes paid vacations sabbaticals, complimentary meals, short and long term disability, active lifestyle benefit and health insurance.