Purchasing and Inventory Manager (on-site)

Procurement & Inventory Manager

Location: Plant City, FL
Department: Culinary Operations (Partnering with Accounting, Product & Innovation)
Reports To: Sr. Manager of Culinary Operations
Status: Full-Time – Exempt

About Fitlife Foods

At Fitlife Foods, we feed people’s journey through fresh, chef-crafted prepared meals that fuel performance in every part of life. We’re the largest omnichannel prepared meals company in the Southeast, serving customers through our retail stores, home delivery, and wholesale channels, all powered by our Culinary Center in Plant City, FL.

We’re a fast-moving, growth-minded team of 150 people who believe in our values of winning, curiosity, ownership, gratitude, and purpose.

As a LEAN operating environment, we’re continuously looking for ways to improve how we work. We seek individuals who embrace curiosity, take initiative to learn, and apply LEAN thinking to drive accuracy, efficiency, and continuous improvement across every process.

Now we’re looking for a hands-on Procurement & Inventory Manager who thrives on clarity, communication, and accountability and who brings cost awareness and accuracy to our purchasing process. You’ll take ownership of Fitlife’s procurement, vendor relationships, and inventory alignment to ensure every ingredient and material supports quality, consistency, and operational readiness.

Your Mission

You’ll be the connector between Culinary, Production, and Finance, ensuring smooth purchasing operations, cost accuracy, and proactive communication.

Your success will be measured by your ability to maintain predictable, transparent purchasing processes that balance cost accuracy, quality, and operational readiness while providing visibility that supports the Culinary Operations in managing overall food cost performance.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement & Vendor Management

• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships across distributors and Group Purchasing Organizations (GPOs).
• Negotiate pricing and contracts to secure best-in-class value in quality, consistency, and cost.
• Maintain accurate purchase order timelines and proactively communicate delays, substitutions, or risks.
• Partner with the Executive Chef and the Product Team to source ingredients and materials that align with new menu launches and brand standards.
• Track supplier performance through structured scorecards and quarterly reviews.

Inventory & Cost Coordination

• Support visibility into theoretical vs. actual food costs by maintaining accurate data and helping identify variance trends.
• Oversee ingredient and packaging forecasting, ordering, and rotation to minimize waste and ensure production readiness.
• Collaborate with Finance to verify accurate invoice coding, cost confirmation, and budget alignment.
• Partner with Data & Technology teams to maintain clean, timely data integration between recipe management, purchasing, and reporting systems (Parsley, ERP, or similar).
• Provide clear weekly updates on purchasing trends, potential risks, and data accuracy to support informed cost decisions.

Cross-Functional Communication

• Lead weekly procurement touchpoints with Culinary, Production, and Finance to review open orders and priorities.
• Document and distribute action items to ensure accountability across departments.
• Create and maintain a simple escalation process for vendor or supply issues, ensuring swift resolution and full transparency.

Operational Strategy & Process Improvement

• Identify and implement process improvements that reduce manual work and increase accuracy.
• Apply LEAN principles and curiosity-driven problem solving to streamline workflows, eliminate waste, and enhance efficiency across procurement and inventory processes.
• Champion proactive cost awareness and continuous improvement through data-driven insights.
• Support new product launches by ensuring all materials and costs are finalized ahead of test weeks or production.

Who You Are

• Bachelor's degree in business, Supply Chain, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• 5–8 years of experience in food procurement, supply chain management, or inventory control within foodservice, meal production, or food manufacturing.
• Proven ability to manage supplier relationships and keep multiple moving parts aligned under tight timelines.
• Experienced or eager to learn within a LEAN operating system, applying continuous improvement principles to enhance accuracy and efficiency.
• Curious and self-driven, you seek better ways to work, learn fast, and take initiative to improve processes.
• Detail-oriented communicator who thrives on follow-through, documentation, and proactive updates.
• Highly organized and comfortable balancing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative partner who builds trust across departments through transparency and accountability.
• Proficient in Excel and purchasing or inventory software (experience with Parsley, ERP, or similar systems preferred).

Success Looks Like

• Accurate and timely cost data supports the Culinary Operations in meeting food cost goals.
• Clear visibility into theoretical vs. actual variances, with proactive communication on drivers and needed corrections.
• Zero missed communication on key supply items.
• Predictable purchasing cadence supporting Culinary and Production needs.
• Reliable vendor performance with visibility into risks before they become issues.
• Continuous improvement of workplace culture, grounded in accuracy, communication, and accountability.

What You’ll Gain

• Competitive compensation and growth potential
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision coverage
• Paid time off and holidays
• Continuing education and professional development
• 401(k) retirement plan
• The opportunity to make a measurable impact in a growing, purpose-driven company