Director of Purchasing and Supply Chain

DescriptionCompany Overview: Swensons Drive-In Restaurants, LLC was founded in 1934 by Wesley T. “Pop” Swensons in Akron, Ohio. Swensons is a drive-in restaurant providing high quality burgers and milk shakes. We have grown into 20+ drive-in restaurants throughout Ohio. Swensons is looking to grow and strives to be Best in Brand in all we do. Do you want to control your own destiny?The Director of Supply Chain will contribute to the profitability and growth of the organization through effective, efficient and timely procurement of all Food, Beverage, Restaurant Supplies (paper and chemical), equipment and small wares products.

Oversee, manage and direct the master distributor, vendors, sourcing, contracting, cost controls and inventory management for all products. Oversee the purchasing processes in the stands, ensuring high compliance in all managed commodities and always seeking improved methods of inventory control at the stand level.

Essential Functions SOURCINGDevelop and manage the sourcing strategy and procurement activities including negotiations for all product categoriesLead the sourcing selection process including managing samples/approvals, value engineering of products and communicating changesIdentify secondary sources for high-risk productsWork with Culinary, Operations, and Suppliers to develop specifications for new and existing productsManage 3rd party auditors to ensure total qualityWork closely with Culinary, Operations, and Marketing to create an efficient pipeline for sourced productsNegotiate Contracts with Facilities and Operations for stand service providers SUPPLY CHAIN – INVENTORY CONTROL - DISTRIBUTIONDevelop and maintain supplier partnerships including assessing vendor capabilities, following up on product issues and composing/communicating fluctuations in product usage in accordance with the marketing planProvide data management and analysis, work extensively with supplier reports, unit of measure conversions, and matrices and perform due diligence gathering data for contract negotiationsAccountability of distribution negotiations, contracts and managing distributor relationshipsEnsures suppliers are compliant with all 3rd party auditsEnsuring the supply of all product categories at all times COST CONTROLSAggressively pursue product cost savings opportunities that align with the brandNegotiate sustainable pricing that contributes to profitability for our companyIdentify, monitor, report and track cost savings initiativesReport quarterly product cost impacts and/or savingsForecast applicable commodity prices and communicate with the executive teamRequirementsWORK EXPERIENCE Min 8 years progressively responsible purchasing experience required Min 5 years’ experience within the restaurant or food and beverage industry required Purchasing and/or contracting Beef required Purchasing and/or contracting Bread and/or Hamburger Buns (preferably of proprietary recipes) required Purchasing and/or contracting Chicken, Potatoes and Produce highly preferred Food & beverage related facilities and equipment knowledge preferred Experience with commodity trading highly preferredEDUCATION/TRAINING Bachelor’s degree in business or equivalent experience and education requiredKnowledge/Skills Dynamic self-starter with a positive attitude Assume new assignments, routinely show interest in improving knowledge, offer suggestions and solutions.

Organized with attention to detail and follow up Ability to prioritize and complete multiple tasks while working under pressure in a fast-paced environment Ability to act in a professional, courteous and diplomatic fashion with vendors, managers and corporate team members at all levels of the organization Proficient Intermediate skills with MS Office Suite (including but not limited to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, & Outlook)TRAVEL Requiring up to 20% travel#ZR