Culinary Procurement Specialist (M-F, 8:00A-4:30P)

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Position Overview

The Culinary Procurement Specialist is responsible for managing annual food and paper goods purchasing to support a high-volume, subsidized corporate dining program. This role requires a strong culinary background combined with procurement expertise, ensuring all products meet quality standards while supporting cost control, sustainability, and local vendor engagement. The Culinary Procurement Specialist will work independently to manage daily ordering, vendor relationships, and procurement systems, while collaborating with culinary leadership and category management teams to align purchasing with operational goals.

This position will be fully on-site with a primary work location of 1 Exact Lane in Madison, WI. The regular schedule for this role is expected to be Monday-Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM.

Essential Duties

Include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Manage daily purchasing of food and paper goods across 35+ local and national vendors, with a focus on supporting local and sustainable sourcing whenever possible.
• Prepare and issue purchase orders (POs) for inventory and non-inventory materials. Confirm product specs, minimum order quantities (MOQs), pricing, and lead times. Track order confirmations, delivery schedules, and vendor performance to ensure OTIF (On-Time In-Full) delivery.
• Manage and communicate missed orders, refunds, and any other vendor related issues.
• Utilize procurement and recipe management software to oversee ordering, track inventory, and support recipe costing and reporting.
• Evaluate product quality, seasonal availability, and cost to ensure alignment with menu design, guest experience, and corporate standards.
• Maintain and develop strong vendor relationships, including onboarding qualified back-up vendors. Support contract negotiations and category management initiatives in collaboration with the broader procurement team.
• Monitor market trends, pricing, and substitutions to identify cost-saving opportunities and mitigate supply chain challenges.
• Participate in procurement-related projects and process improvement initiatives. Contribute to the development of standardized purchasing procedures and KPI tracking.
• Partner with culinary and operations leadership to align purchasing strategies with menu planning, production requirements, and financial targets.
• Ensure compliance with food safety standards, corporate procurement policies, and ethical sourcing practices.
• Provide regular reporting and insights to leadership on spend, vendor performance, and purchasing efficiencies.
• Monitor risk assessment and supplier onboarding processes, ensuring completion prior to contract signature.
• Collaborate with business teams to understand their needs and provide clear, consistent, and positive communication. Ensure a smooth and efficient operational experience, proactively supporting issue resolution and managing escalations when necessary.
• Work collaboratively with the Culinary Leadership team to ensure a cohesive production process.
• Uphold company mission and values through accountability, innovation, integrity, quality, and teamwork.
• Support and comply with the company's Quality Management System policies and procedures.
• Strong financial acumen with proven ability to manage large annual budgets and achieve cost-control objectives.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and vendor relationship management skills.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and capable of working independently in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong project management and organization skills with ability to manage multiple tasks/projects simultaneously while meeting critical deadlines.
• Regular and reliable attendance.
• Ability to work designated schedule.
• Ability to work on a mobile device, tablet, or in front of a computer screen and/or perform typing for approximately 90% of a typical working day.
• Ability and means to travel between local Exact Sciences locations.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or General Education Degree (GED).
• 3 years of experience in culinary and/or foodservice procurement.
• Strong culinary foundation with the ability to evaluate product specifications, quality, and seasonal applications.
• Demonstrated success in managing multiple vendor relationships.
• Demonstrated ability to perform the essential duties of the position with or without accommodation.
• Authorization to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience in corporate dining, hospitality, or multi-unit foodservice.
• Previous experience with local and regional sourcing.
• 1+ years' working with international suppliers.
• Proficiency with procurement systems Coupa, Parsley, (Agilysys experience preferred) and Microsoft Excel.

Salary Range:

Exact Sciences is proud to offer an employee experience that includes paid time off (including days for vacation, holidays, volunteering, and personal time), paid leave for parents and caregivers, a retirement savings plan, wellness support, and health benefits including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision coverage. Learn more about our benefits.

Our success relies on the experiences and perspectives of a diverse team, and Exact Sciences fosters a culture where all employees can develop personally and professionally with a sense of respect and belonging. If you require an accommodation, please contact us here.

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We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, protected veteran status, and any other status protected by applicable local, state, or federal law.

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