Purchasing Specialist

Purchasing Specialist Sunny Sky Products prides itself on our commitment and dedication to creating, manufacturing and delivering top quality products in the beverage industry. We have generated an extensive product portfolio that includes frozen dispensed beverages, cold dispensed, hot dispensed and beverage enhancers. Sunny Sky Products is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Plant Raw Material Buyer to support the Houston manufacturing facility in maintaining a consistent flow of raw materials required for beverage production. This position plays a critical role in materials planning, purchase order execution, inter-company raw material transfers, and ensuring suppliers' readiness through Tracegains compliance. The Buyer will work closely with the master scheduling team, category buyers, quality assurance, and warehouse personnel to ensure timely and accurate material availability that aligns with production demands. Key Responsibilities: Raw Material Procurement & Purchase Execution Issue and manage purchase orders (POs) for raw materials, packaging, and indirect items required for the Houston facility. Follow up with vendors to confirm order receipt, delivery timelines, and shipment tracking to avoid stockouts or delays. Provide procurement and administrative support to corporate Category Buyers across assigned commodities. Help execute short-term sourcing needs or tactical buys in alignment with broader procurement strategies. Other tasks as may be assigned by your manager or SCM team members to support business needs. Production & Material Planning Collaboration Align closely with the plant production scheduling team to ensure raw material purchases support the latest production schedule and demand signals. In cooperation with SCM counterparts, maintain planning data such as lead times, safety stock levels, and order minimums in SAP S/4HANA. Review and adjust open POs based on changes to production plans, supplier constraints, or updated forecasts. Review shared Expedite Reports and provide Daily status updates as to the ETA for critically needed items and escalate to SCM Counterparts when additional assistance is needed for either driving supplier to support the expedite or help with alternate sourcing activity. Inter-Company Transfers & Inventory Movement Coordinate the transfer of raw materials and finished goods between Sunny Sky facilities and 3PL locations. Monitor inventory movements and ensure accurate receipt and documentation in SAP. Reconcile any discrepancies in shipment quantity, timing, or material identification. Maintenance, Repairs, Operations and Capital Project Purchasing Faithfully follow provided guidance and procedures around pre-authorization of any or all expenses by department managers, through the Purchase Request process. Issue orders in SAP as needed by suppliers for these goods and services, making sure delivery dates, quantities and services to be performed against said orders making sure that the Purchase Order Confirmations Process is followed. Coordinate with Requesters to verify that service or products were received/performed and support AP in assuring the timely payment for said orders, keeping the order book clear of past due supplier commitments. Supplier & Manufacturer Onboarding (SAP & Tracegains) Partner with Category Buyers and Quality Assurance to facilitate Supplier Setup including but not limited to: Soliciting suppliers to complete initial setup documentation for SAP Supplier Entry. Working with suppliers to get supplier and manufacturer approvals properly documented and approved through the Tracegains system. Entry and maintaining Purchasing Information Records and Manufacturer details in SAP. Track pending supplier approvals and proactively escalate gaps to appropriate teams. Ensure proper documentation (COAs, specifications, certifications) is submitted and approved prior to material use. Accounts Payable Support Faithfully follow all Purchasing guidance and procedures provided, which will help to minimize AP issues. Collaborate with Accounts Payable to resolve invoice, PO, and receipt mismatches. Investigate and clear blocked invoices and GR/IR discrepancies to ensure timely vendor payments. Inventory & Warehouse Coordination Support inventory control processes by assisting in cycle counts, discrepancy investigations, and material reconciliations. Work with warehouse personnel to prioritize inbound materials needed for urgent production runs. Qualifications: Associate or bachelor's degree in supply chain, Business, or related field preferred. 2+ years of experience in procurement, materials planning, or supply chain operations; food or beverage industry experience strongly preferred. Familiarity with SAP (S/4HANA preferred), Tracegains, or other ERP and supplier approval systems. Strong follow-up, communication, and problem-solving skills. Ability to multitask and work in a fast-paced, production-driven environment. Experienced with understanding and using MRP systems Sunny Sky Products is an equal-opportunity employer that is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship.

Created: 2026-03-04