Since 1980, NAI has been a leader in nutritional health, bringing whole food-based supplements to a global population. NAI is a leading expert and manufacturer of dietary supplements, and we are involved in every facet of the industry, including research, development, manufacturing, marketing, and advocacy. As a company, we continue to grow with manufacturing locations in Vista and Carlsbad, CA. We are looking for seasoned and entry level candidates that are interested in working for global company with opportunities for growth, development, competitive pay, and benefits.
Benefits:
Free medical (one plan) and other medical plan options
Dental, vision, life insurance and other voluntary benefit options.
$1,000 Referral bonus!
3 weeks vacation and 11 paid holidays
401K including company matching and profit sharing
Opportunities for advancement
Comprehensive training
Tuition Reimbursement and more!
Summary
Directs and coordinates activities of personnel engaged in purchasing, including inbound freight. Oversees purchasing of raw materials, packaging components, equipment, outside services, and supplies. Develops purchasing and planning requirements, practices, and procedures company wide. Remain deeply knowledgeable of and analyze the marketplace and material supply to gain efficiency, improve quality, and reduce cost (e.g., know what segments are inflationary or deflationary, what supplies are getting tight, and which are freeing up, etc.). In addition, use this up-to-date knowledge to drive strategic purchasing decisions (e.g., when to lock supply in in a tightening market).
Leverages personal experience to identify and propose new, especially difficult to find, raw materials to meet customer requirements. This can be for new projects or to identify a secondary source for existing suppliers. Typically, these will be botanicals, amino acids, flavoring systems, etc. This is a core function of this role.
Lead, manage, develop the Purchasing Team & NAI's sourcing strategy
Personally lead the sourcing of ingredients especially for new, or difficult to find ingredients. This person will be a key part of the New Product Quoting process to quickly (24 hours) price raw materials.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Manage the accurate ordering and timely delivery of materials required for the production process.
Analyze price, quality, delivery, and service to ensure cost and business targets are met; make recommendations to reduce cost and improve quality and service.
Develop the execution of the company's sourcing strategy using industry experience, leadership, management, strategic and tactical planning, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.
Implement sourcing strategies to drive cost savings and improved supplier performance- including RFP, RFQ processes.
Function as a key partner with internal partners: Planning, Production, R&D, Finance, Logistics, etc.
Collaborate with the Finance team to identify, explain and minimize variances to standards and/or budgets. Forecast future variances and budgets, as necessary.
Manage supplier relationships to ensure uninterrupted supply, and to contribute innovative ideas, reduce costs and improve quality.
Cultivate new sources of ingredients and work with R&D/suppliers/QA to get them approved.
Develop positive, teamwork, and achievement-oriented work culture within purchasing team and between departments. Resolve any challenges or conflicts between team members.
Giving feedback to help employees grow and be successful. Must be willing to critique employees on their skills, work, and behavior regularly. Feedback should also be positive, praising employees for areas where they excel.
Conduct reviews and provide performance feedback for all direct reports.
Work with Product Development / R&D to expand new sources of raw materials. Troubleshooting issues affecting new product development. Working within cost constraints, in an effort to capture new business.
Develop policies, procedures, systems and/or programs to meet objectives and ensure continuous improvement in inventory, production, and distribution.
Budget, manage, and work to reduce in-bound freight costs.
Develop and maintain supplier scorecards with KPI's that report supplier performance and perform supplier Quarter Business Reviews.
Implement and maintain BaaN Item Master File data integrity procedure.
Develop an ongoing price reduction program.
Help achieve a more responsive and accurate customer costing process.
Participation in semi-annual physical inventories as required.
Participation in special projects as required by the Senior Leadership Team.
In addition to the required skills and experience, the successful candidate for
Being part of a team-based environment that equally values relationships and results.
Rolling up their sleeves to help.
Embracing new tasks and taking on new responsibilities.
Being part of our team and taking on challenges associated with rapidly growing business
Qualifications:
Minimum of five years of raw material and component Purchasing experience in the nutraceutical industry.
Minimum of five years of managerial experience in a professional environment.
5+ years' experience in Strategic Sourcing and Supply Chain with experience leading large sourcing initiatives with strong negotiation experience and skills.
Must have existing network of "go-to" suppliers of these types of materials.
B.S. Degree or an A.A.S. degree with equivalent certifications and experience.
Must display maturity and possess proven skills in decision-making and staff supervision.
Must be highly organized & disciplined about completing tasks within deadlines.
Must possess good leadership, interpersonal and negotiation skills.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
Knowledge of material management and MRP systems.
High-level of proficiency in MS-Office Suite (particularly Excel)
Highly analytical with expertise calculating total delivered cost and capacity analyses.
Successfully work in a fast-paced environment
Must be a team player and have the ability to work with people across the organization.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills (verbal and written), ability to summarize and present to a VP or SVP level audience.
Ability to work in a multi-task environment where establishing changing priorities is necessary.
A very strong commitment to ongoing process improvements and being an integral part of the success of the organization.
APICS and/or NAPM certification desired.
Prior BaaN system experience would be a plus.
A power user of Microsoft - Access, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word - Excel expertise is very important.
Process reengineering, cost reduction experience, or been a leader of a major cost reduction project.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Supervises Buyers and Clerical positions.
NAI is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer and will consider all applications without regards to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.
Following a conditional offer of employment, satisfactory completion of a background check (including criminal records check) is required prior to beginning employment. Any offer of employment may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current NAI employee who was conditionally offered the position.