Materials Buyer - Fully Remote (US)

Who You Are:

You are a sourcing professional with a strong foundation in food or CPG procurement and a passion for innovation-stage purchasing. You have experience with organic and functional ingredients and understand the complexities of early-stage sourcing risks and compliance. Analytical and detail-oriented, you bring strong planning, communication, and problem-solving skills to your work. You're comfortable with using MRP/ERP systems (SAGE X3 preferred) and collaborating across teams like Innovation and Marketing. You thrive in fast-paced environments and are motivated by purpose-driven work that contributes to childhood nutrition and a healthier planet.

The Task At Hand:

The Materials Buyer reports directly to the Manager of Sourcing and Procurement Operations and is responsible for sourcing and procurement across a diverse portfolio of organic and functional ingredients, dry goods, and proteins that adhere to technical specifications, timely delivery, and alignment with company objectives. This role works cross-functionally with Materials Management, Quality, Operations, Sustainability, and Innovation to support production continuity and new product development. The Materials Buyer provides market-informed purchasing recommendations, maintains compliance with documentation and audit standards, and contributes to cost management, including cost-saving opportunities, risk management, expert negotiation skills, and supplier performance tracking. This position is responsible for fostering competitive supplier environments and creating and maintaining strong supplier partnerships to guarantee seamless product availability. 

In This Role, You Will:

• Source and qualify new organic functional food ingredients that meet product development, QA, and labeling requirements for innovation projects, including special sourcing requirements for children under 2 years old

• Translate Product Briefs into sourcing plans, balancing functionality, sustainability, supply availability, and cost

• Procure certified organic and organic-compliant functional ingredients to meet forecasted production needs

• Track and analyze landed acquisition costs to ensure optimal pricing aligned with quality, reliability, and urgency requirements

• Support the annual standard cost-setting process and track performance against cost targets

• Plan with Materials Management on purchase order execution and manage quality issue resolution

• Sources within the guidelines of product specifications while also identifying and alerting the cross-functional team to potential opportunities that might be outside of current specifications

• Monitor, report, and manage supplier performance against purchase orders, contracts, and quality standards

• Develop and implement negotiation strategies using purchase history, market data, seasonality, and vendor trends

• Partner with Innovation, Marketing, Quality, and Sustainability teams to support new product initiatives from sourcing through commercialization

• Approve PO variances and validate invoice pricing accuracy

• Manage new material and supplier set-up in TraceGains and SAGE X3 systems, working with the appropriate cross-functional partners

• Proactively communicate supply or quality risks that could impact production

• Maintain accurate planning parameters for materials in collaboration with Materials Management and Systems teams

• Onboard new vendors and materials, ensuring compliance with company standards and regulatory requirements

• Perform additional duties as assigned

In This Role, You’ll Bring With You:

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Food Science, Agribusiness, or a related field, or equivalent years of experience

• 5 to 8 years of experience in Food or CPG sourcing with a strong track record in innovation-stage procurement, category discovery, or ingredient scouting

• Must be available for internal meetings between the hours of 3 pm and 6 pm PST

• Experience in organic, functional, or wellness-oriented food products is strongly preferred

• Experience working within fast-paced innovation timelines

• Understanding of early-stage sourcing risk (limited availability, supply scale-up challenges)

• Able to assess ingredient claims, regulatory requirements, and supplier certifications

• Strong analytical, planning, and problem-solving skills with a track record of sound decision-making

• Effective written and verbal communication skills; ability to build productive cross-functional and supplier relationships

• Experience with MRP/ERP systems required (SAGE X3 preferred)

• Bilingual in English and Spanish is preferred

• Solid knowledge of Microsoft Suite, Outlook, Slack, and other professional platforms

• Up to 10% travel required: Although this role is a remote work-from-home position, we “Farmers” do meet as a company and/or as a department at least once a year.

• Genuine passion for improving childhood nutrition for a healthier and happier planet

• Desire to contribute to a dynamic, high-growth, purpose-driven work environment

• Demonstrated ability to thrive in ambiguity, deeply understand business needs, develop a cohesive strategy, and make decisions requiring a high level of judgment

• Previous exposure to cross-functional work between Sustainability and Operations preferred

• Must reside in the United States to be considered for this position

• Please note that visa sponsorship is not available for this position

Compensation:

• Full-Time, Salaried, Exempt

• The anticipated salary range for this position is $80,000-$100,000.00. The actual salary offer will carefully consider a few factors, including your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Certain positions are eligible for additional forms of compensation such as bonuses, stipends, equity, and role-specific perks.

Additional:

• Remote-first work environment

• Annual Bonus

• 401(k) program + 4% company match after three months

• New Hire Remote Life Stipend + annual Nourish and Nurture Allowance

• Monthly Cell and Internet Stipend

• Quarterly Farm-to-Fridge home deliveries and Employee Discounts

• New Parents: Up to 18 weeks of paid Parental Leave, Baby Steps Back To Work, 3 months’ supply of Once Upon a Farm products, and breast milk shipping service and support for those who travel after birth for the duration of your breastfeeding journey

• Unlimited Paid Time Off

• Paid Volunteer Time

• Paid Time Off to fulfill civic responsibilities, including jury duty and voting in local, state, and national elections

• Medical Insurance for the employee is covered at 100% on select plans, with additional plan options at a reduced cost to the employee

• Vision and Dental Insurance are covered at 100% for the employee and dependents

• Life insurance

• Flexible spending account (Medical & Dependent Care) and Health Savings Accounts for applicable plans

• Employee assistance program (EAP)

• All other benefits, leaves, and insurance as required by law, based on your specific residence

• And so much more!

Who We Are

Our Purpose: Drive systemic improvement in childhood nutrition for a healthier, happier, and more equitable world.

Our Business: At Once Upon a Farm, a better story starts here. We're on a greater mission in providing organic, crave-worthy snacks and meals for children of all ages. Our recipes are crafted with only the best organic ingredients – whole fruits and veggies, cold-pressed (our pouches), or freshly frozen (our meals) to perfection– to support your growing kids at every stage. Each of our organic, non-GMO, non-dairy recipes contains no added sugar and are free from artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives – just simple, real, nutritious snacks your entire family will love.

We support and champion farmers who supply the highest-quality organic ingredients for our foods. We help parents keep their promise to provide the best nourishment for their children’s bodies and souls. We treat our consumers, customers, suppliers, investors, and all our valued employees with the same high level of dignity and respect that we expect from others. We will always fight for and support efforts to drive positive social change and food justice for the benefit of parents, kids, and families. Lastly, we foster an entrepreneurial and collaborative culture that values humility, honesty, passion, positive social impact, and fun.

Our Team: We’re all fully remote, which makes us a highly collaborative, dynamic, and supportive bunch. We share a singular mission to make the world a better place through the highest quality, most delicious, nourishing, and nutritious products made accessible to every home, from our farms to your fridge. And while we’re invested in our product, we’re equally invested in one another's success.

Once Upon a Farm is a purpose-driven brand made up of an inclusive group of individuals with diverse backgrounds, passions, and beliefs. We hire self-motivated, independent thinkers and those who are genuinely passionate about improving childhood nutrition for a healthier and happier planet. Bring your whole self to your work at Once Upon a Farm, a proud equal-opportunity employer. In your application, please feel free to note which pronouns you use.

In an effort to help us remove unconscious bias from our resume review process, we ask that you please remove all identifying information from your resume (like profile photos) before you upload it. Once Upon a Farm is committed to cultivating an inclusive environment where a diverse group of people can and want to do their best work, and that starts with our hiring practices.

Once Upon a Farm, PBC, provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants in all company facilities without regard to race, color, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, pregnancy, childbirth, physical disability, mental and/or intellectual disability, age, military status or status as a Vietnam-era or special disabled veteran, marital status, registered domestic partner or civil union status, gender (including sex stereotyping and gender identity or expression), medical condition (including, but not limited to, cancer-related or HIV/AIDS-related), genetic information, or sexual orientation in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Please see our Privacy Policy to learn more about the data we collect.

This job description is a summary of duties; it is by no means an all-inclusive list but is merely a broad guide of expected duties.

Must reside in the United States to be considered for this position.