The Vice President-Procurement & Distribution is charged with directing and managing all aspects of the procurement function for 200+ company owned, full-service restaurants in the eastern U.S. S/he is responsible for forecasting, procurement, logistical support and managing the process of getting food, beverage, and supply products to our restaurants. S/he will be tasked with the day-to-day management of the distribution system to ensure efficient and cost-effective storage and freight costs; the procurement of restaurant small wares, supplies, furniture, fixtures, and equipment; and, as appropriate, negotiation of certain service-related contracts as may be required from time to time. Working under the direction of the Chief Global Supply Chain Officer (the “CGSO”), S/he ensures that the restaurants operate within all related corporate policies and procedures pertaining to the purchasing function, including compliance with corporate purchasing programs, group purchasing initiatives where applicable and local codes and regulations.
Specifically, the Vice President- Procurement & Distribution is charged with:
Implementing (and, where directed) designing processes, systems and procedures that maximizes efficiency of the supply chain infrastructure and supports the future growth plans of the Company.
Monitoring commodity pricing and proactively addressing strategic product cost challenges.
Negotiating and monitoring short and long-term pricing, contracts, and payment terms with all the Company’s suppliers.
Assisting in the sourcing and building positive strategic partnerships with vendors locally and
Continuously evaluating current and potential vendors in terms of price, quality, service, availability, reliability, and selection.
Assisting the CGSO in developing strategies and tactics that drive continuous improvement and COGS reductions in operating efficiencies to deliver excellent guest service.
Administering ongoing systems to monitor review and timely resolve all discrepancies with supplier invoices, claims, conflicts, or quality issues.
Under the direction of the CGSO, work closely with Operations and Marketing to plan and forecast production/inventory requirements in terms of quantity and timing to meet customer demand, improve freshness, increase inventory turns, and maximize company profits.
Building infrastructure, processes, and tools to maximize efficiencies while simplifying operational procedures.
Plan and execute contingencies to avoid and minimize inventory losses.
Working closely and collaboratively with the culinary and operations team to leverage vendor resources and maximize ROI from partnerships.
REPORTING RELATIONSHIP & WORK LOCATION
The Vice President-Procurement & Distribution will be based in Dallas, TX and report to the Chief Global Supply Chain Officer (CGSO). Remote posting for the ideal candidate may be considered.
Professional Qualifications
Educational & Professional Experience
Bachelor’s Degree
10 years of progressively more responsible experience leading the restaurant supply chain function preferably in the casual dining segment.
Previous experience with a restaurant company or food manufacturer is essential.
Highly successful in working in a multi-unit geographically diverse
A demonstrated past record of consistently delivering outstanding business results within competitive and driven organizations with limited
Skills & Technical Competence
Excellent problem solving and analytical skills.
Excellent written and oral presentation skills.
Excellent project management skills and the proven ability to achieve positive and collaborative cross functional results.
Critical to have an understanding of processing, process capabilities and specifications.
Understanding of vendor quality assurance as applies to products and restaurant.
Competence in regulatory/food safety concepts regarding processing and restaurant operations.
Understanding the menu development process – recipe creation, costing, capacity and availability.
Crunchtime™ competence
Demonstrated competence in Crunchtime™ Enterprise Manager (master data configuration).
Critical to have an understanding of products, prep, recipes, production and how they affect costs in the system.
Personal Qualifications
As an integral member of the company’s staff, the candidate must exemplify the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and discretion. The individual should be highly confident of their abilities and possess excellent analytical skills and the ability to interpret complex data. The individual will have an entrepreneurially inspired bias for action. The candidate must be a leader, able to understand the dynamic of working to help a group reach a common vision and be willing to work within a lean department. Being creative, while possessing a healthy sense of humor and charm, will complement the candidate’s professional skills. The candidate must possess:
A strong, “hands-on” worker; not an ivory-tower executive. Must jump in to solve problems as they occur. The ideal candidate will do whatever it takes to get the right product to the correct restaurant every day. Chasing trucks is expected.
Tenacious with a keen sense of urgency.
Not a shrinking violet or a “Yes” man. Needs to stand his/her ground but objective enough to be flexible in the face of a reasoned set of facts.
Strong ability to establish/maintain relationships with internal and external partners.
Embraces a high level of ethics and integrity in all interactions.
Superior intellect with a high capacity for managing complexity; rolls with the punches; “Semper Gumby”
Entrepreneurially inspired with a hands-on “growth company” attitude and perspective.
Compensation
Base salary and incentives will be commensurate with experience and will include a base salary, annual bonus incentive, and appropriate executive perquisites. Relocation expenses and other insurance/health benefits are included in the compensation package.