ABOUT ALBERT USTER IMPORTS

Albert Uster Imports, Inc. (“AUI”) is a privately held gourmet food company headquartered in the Washington, DC area (Gaithersburg, MD) with warehouse locations in Kansas City, Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Gaithersburg. AUI falls under the Vestar Capital Partners portfolio with affiliate organization, Roland Foods, LLC.

Founded in 1968, the company offers over 1,400 products from around the world. We serve leading hotels, restaurants, casinos, cruise lines, airlines, and manufacturers with innovative, high quality products and solutions to their most demanding culinary challenges. We operate a network of distribution centers across the U.S. and serve select International markets as well. AUI has a national direct selling organization of over 60 sales professionals and a staff of culinary experts (chefs and food scientists) adept at custom product solutions.


ABOUT THE ROLE

Reporting to the VP of Supply Chain, candidate is responsible for the procurement of foreign and domestic goods and services at the best possible price and at the highest level of quality. Responsible for maintaining optimal stock levels in all warehouses. Ensures timely replenishment to avoid out of stock situations. Coordinates the quality control prior to receiving and distributing the products. Creates and maintains long-term vendor relations. Maintains the highest level of professional conduct with suppliers and employees of other departments. Assists with legal issues relating to duty, import permit, licenses and trademarks.

As a response to the pandemic, Albert Uster Imports office employees have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, requiring employees to report in-person Monday through Wednesday, with the option to telework on Thursday and Friday each week. Due to the collaborative, cross-functional nature of the organization, employees at the Gaithersburg office are required to work in-person for the abovementioned days, outside of any People & Culture-approved disability accommodation request.


ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Reviews forecasts from Sales Department.
  • Analysis forecast against actuals and communicates with Sales Department.
  • Monitors and analyses AUI need with current suppliers.
  • Controls inventory levels according to forecasted.
  • Coordinates Purchasing activities with Marketing in support of product launches.
  • Issues and enters purchase orders into the system for raw material, semi-finished, goods, finished goods, packaging material, non-inventory equipment and material used in assembly or manufacturing
  • Ensures signature authority is defined on all Purchase Orders. 
  • Follows up with suppliers and vendors on delivery date to insure on-time deliveries. 
  • Reviews all order confirmations for accuracy and compliance with agreed terms & conditions, quantities, prices etc.
  • Audits warehouse scans against Purchase Order and Vendor invoice or confirmation, posts receiving and submits PO/invoice pouches for approval according to company guidelines.
  • Communicates and corrects variances with Receiving Teams.
  • Communicates discrepancies with vendors and requests credit notes.
  • Files product claims with vendors in cooperation with QA department.
  • Approves and submits product invoices to accounting.
  • Assures all discounts are received in accordance with Vendor agreements.
  • Issues purchase orders and submits to suppliers.
  • Communicates shipping requirements and notifies transportation partners.
  • Seeks approval for any deviation from existing routing instructions.
  • Coordinate inbound logistics in cooperation with VP Supply Chain / Logistics Analyst.
  • Participates in development and improvement of company hub & spoke mapping. 
  • Keeps arrival dates up-to-date and acts on shipment delays. Enters updated arrival and availability dates in IT system and communicates such dates within the organization.
  • Foreign Orders: Communicates with freight forwarder pending orders and specific requirements. Assures vendor invoices meet requirements for importation.
  • Assists with maintenance of PO, Shipment logs and similar reports.
  • Assists with the recording of actual freight-in cost and landed analysis against budget.
  • Assists with month-end housekeeping and reports such as in-transit reports, credit and performance trackers, and disposal and donation logs.
  • Audits bar codes against remaining shelf-life requirement, queries inconsistencies with suppliers in accordance with company guidelines, and monitors received vis-à-vis quantities ordered.
  • Manages response to damage.
  • Coordinates temporary storage / hold needs for product not fully released, executes required actions, and communicates status updates internally.
  • Internal Warehouse Transfer Coordination: Participates in weekly stock review meetings with various stake holders and under various aspects (new item review, sales forecast, stock review, overstock, and more) and executes decisions accordingly. 
  • Assures stock levels at all locations within company guidelines. Provides warehouse managers with pre-entered transfer request lists and Transfer numbers. 
  • Maintains data and adjusts demand planning activities according to item marketing actions, seasonality as well as discontinuations.
  • Implements and executes Quality Control procedures per AUI guidelines on different product categories. Marks products with quality issues as Red Flag items in IT System. Coordinates “hold” of red flag product to assure no sale occurs until fully approved. Monitors release of red flagged product once approval has occurred. Cooperates with Quality Manager to conclude on product replacement / credit requests concerning sub-standard product.
  • Provides back-up support with Customized Orders.
  • Participate in physical inventories as requested. Responsible for investigating discrepancies as requested.
  • Sets-up new Vendor / new Items according to I.T. Format.
  • Maintains records of vendor pricing, contracts, agreements, certificates and other applicable purveyor and service provider data.  Maintains shipment logs and other reference material as requested.
  • Assists with record keeping and file maintenance of inbound shipment files (receiving reports, temperature loggers and similar).


OTHER FUCTIONS 

Provides support to VP Supply Chain and Purchasing Team with reports and analytics.


QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent in Business Administration or related majors.
  • Minimum of 2 years of experience in material procurement.
  • Excellent analytical and communication skills.
  • Keeps a good working knowledge of GP, CRM, and Crystal report.
  • Highly proficient in Excel.
  • Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with, assist and support the rest of the team.
  • High level of skill in accuracy and attention to detail.


Founded by immigrants, AUI & Roland Foods knows that diversity is the spice of life. We believe in the power of food to open minds, spark adventure, and bring diverse people together.  All are welcome at our table! We know the transformative value of food in individual lives and communities. Because of this, we insist on obtaining the highest-quality ingredients and talent!

AUI is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. AUI considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. AUI is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at peopleandculture@rolandfoods.com.


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