Senior Buyer at Paleovalley in Arizona

Reports to: Plant Director Department: Manufacturing Location: On Site in Mesa (open to hybrid) FLSA Classification: Salaried, Exempt Salary Range: $51,000 - $60,000 annually DOE

About the Company

Paleovalley and Wild Pastures were born from a simple but radical idea: real food can heal — people, animals, and the planet. When Paleovalley co-founders Autumn and Chas Smith saw how industrialized food was affecting human health and the health of the land, they refused to play along. Autumn’s own journey of healing through nutrient-dense foods lit a fire that became Paleovalley. From there, the mission grew roots, sprouted wings, and eventually expanded into Wild Pastures to bring regeneratively raised meats directly to families nationwide.

Today, Paleovalley crafts deeply nourishing snacks and supplements made with organic ingredients and honorable sourcing. Wild Pastures connects small American farmers practicing regenerative agriculture with customers who believe better food is worth fighting for. Every product, every partnership, and every decision is guided by a commitment to real ingredients, regenerative practices, and the belief that health is built from the soil up.

We’re a team of grounded doers, curious thinkers, bold builders, and warm humans who like to laugh while doing meaningful work. We're growing quickly, fueled by purpose and a shared desire to repair the food system one thoughtful choice at a time. If you feel energized by impact, drawn to mission, and ready to join a company rewriting the future of food, we’d love to meet you!

About the Opportunity

The Senior Buyer is the purchasing owner for the Mesa manufacturing operation, ensuring the ingredients, raw materials, and packaging needed for production are available at the right time, quality, and cost. This role combines hands-on purchasing, supplier management, and significant ownership of inventory accuracy and control. The Senior Buyer will help strengthen purchasing processes, improve inventory reliability, and ensure production teams have the materials needed to meet production schedules as the Mesa operation continues to scale.

What You’ll Do

• Own end-to-end purchasing for assigned raw materials, ingredients, and packaging, from sourcing and supplier selection through purchase order execution, delivery follow-up, and issue resolution.
• Build and manage supplier relationships, including sourcing, qualification support, ongoing performance management, and regular communication around pricing, capacity, lead times, quality, and service.
• Negotiate supplier pricing and commercial details within established authority, identify cost-saving opportunities, and escalate contract terms or higher-risk commitments to the appropriate leader.
• Create, issue, and manage purchase orders in Acumatica, ensuring accurate pricing, quantities, specifications, lead times, and delivery dates aligned with production requirements.
• Monitor demand, inventory positions, safety stock, supplier lead times, and open orders to prevent material shortages while minimizing excess, obsolete, or slow-moving inventory.
• Partner closely with Production, Quality and Food Safety, Supply Chain, Warehouse, and Planning stakeholders to align purchasing decisions with operational priorities, proactively address material-handling or inventory issues, and drive accountability when processes are not being followed.
• Resolve supply disruptions, late deliveries, shortages, quality holds, receiving discrepancies, and other supplier issues; identify backup sources and collaborate with Quality and Food Safety on supplier qualification when alternate supply is needed.
• Own inventory control activities for assigned materials, including cycle counts and end-of-month, end-of-quarter, and end-of-fiscal-year physical inventories; research variances and complete approved adjustments in Acumatica and Logiwa.
• Own inventory control activities for assigned materials, including cycle counts and end-of-month, end-of-quarter, and end-of-fiscal-year physical inventories; research and resolve variances, identify root causes of inventory discrepancies, and complete approved adjustments in Acumatica and Logiwa.
• Evaluate and improve purchasing and inventory processes as the Mesa operation continues to scale, identifying opportunities to strengthen controls, improve accuracy, and create more efficient and reliable workflows.
• Track and report purchasing KPIs such as supplier on-time delivery, lead-time performance, inventory health, purchase price variance/cost savings, and supply risks, using the data to drive follow-up and continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Quality and Food Safety to ensure purchased materials and suppliers meet approved specifications and applicable SQF/HACCP, food safety, and supplier approval requirements.

What You’ll Need to Succeed

• 4+ years of progressive purchasing, procurement, materials planning, or related supply chain experience in a manufacturing environment, including independent ownership of direct-material purchasing.
• Demonstrated supplier relationship management and pricing negotiation skills, with the ability to balance cost, quality, service, lead time, and supply risk.
• Working knowledge of inventory planning and control, including demand/usage analysis, lead times, safety stock, cycle counting, physical inventories, and inventory reconciliation.
• Experience using ERP and WMS systems for purchase order management, inventory tracking, and inventory adjustments; ability to work effectively in Acumatica ERP and Logiwa WMS.
• Working knowledge of SQF/HACCP or comparable food safety and supplier approval requirements as they relate to purchased materials and approved suppliers.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including cost analysis, inventory analysis, forecasting inputs, supplier performance measurement, and issue resolution.
• Clear, proactive communication and strong cross-functional partnership skills with Production, Quality and Food Safety, Warehouse, Planning, Finance, and Supply Chain stakeholders.
• Ability to independently manage moderately complex purchasing and supply issues, prioritize competing needs in a fast-moving manufacturing environment, and escalate the most complex or high-risk matters appropriately.

Bonus Points

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Operations, or a related field, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Direct experience with both Acumatica ERP and Logiwa WMS.
• Experience purchasing raw materials, ingredients, and/or packaging materials; food, beverage, supplement, or CPG manufacturing experience is strongly preferred.
• APICS/ASCM, ISM/CPSM, or other relevant procurement or supply chain certification.
• A passion for real food, responsible sourcing, wellness, sustainability, or regenerative agriculture.

Our Commitment to You

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage with 100% employer-paid dental/vision and a small monthly medical premium for employees; dependents may be added at employee cost
• Generous Paid time off to support balance and rest
• Paid sick time for when you need it
• Six (6) company-paid holidays each year & two (2) floating holidays
• Paid parental leave after 6 months of service for eligible employees
• 100% company-paid Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, and Life Insurance
• Referral bonuses up to $1,500 when you refer great people who join our team
• 401(k) or Roth Plans with up to a 4% company match after one year of service
• $300 Paleovalley Monthly product stipend for employees

Work Environment & Physical Demands

This role takes place in a manufacturing/warehouse environment and may involve exposure to varying temperatures, noise, and airborne particles. Employees must follow all safety guidelines and use required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The position requires regular standing, walking, bending, reaching, and the ability to lift and move items up to 50 pounds. Work may involve operating or working near machinery and other equipment. These physical demands are representative of those necessary to perform the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Compliance & Employment Practices

Paleovalley and Wild Pastures are proud to be equal opportunity employers. We make employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, and we do not discriminate based on any status protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. We’re also committed to providing reasonable accommodations throughout the hiring process. If you need assistance or an accommodation at any point, please reach out to HRteam@paleovalley.com.

All applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. At this time, Paleovalley and Wild Pastures are unable to sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas, including but not limited to H-1B, TN, or OPT. Any offer of employment is contingent upon completion of Form I-9 and verification of work authorization. We participate in E-Verify to confirm eligibility to work in the U.S.

To support an efficient and consistent application review process, we may use technology-assisted tools to help organize and review applications; however, these tools do not make hiring decisions. All final hiring decisions are made by our team.

This role is open until filled.