Buying, Transporation and Inventory Control Assistant
Winneram InternationalAbout Winneram Winneram International, Inc. was founded in 1991 and is an importer and wholesale distributor of grocery products. We source products from Asia and the United States and serve a wide range of customers, including retail, restaurant wholesale, ethnic markets, mainstream markets, and export customers throughout the Pacific Islands. Winneram is known for representing quality brands, maintaining consistent supply, and offering fair pricing. We are a second-generation, privately held company focused on long-term supplier relationships, operational excellence, teamwork, and dependable customer service. Position Summary The Buyer, Transportation & Inventory Control Assistant supports the Operations and Buying team with purchasing, vendor communication, inbound shipment tracking, transportation coordination, receiving documentation, and inventory accuracy. This role helps ensure that products are ordered at the right time, tracked properly, received accurately, and available to support customer demand. This position is best suited for someone who is highly detail-oriented, organized, steady, disciplined, and comfortable following clear processes. Success requires consistency, patience, strong follow-up, professional communication, and the ability to produce accurate, repeatable results. Key Responsibilities Buying & Purchasing Support Assist with purchasing products based on inventory levels, sales trends, vendor availability, lead times, and company direction. Review inventory reports, sales history, open purchase orders, and current stock levels to help determine replenishment needs. Prepare, update, and maintain purchase orders in the company ERP system. Communicate with vendors regarding quotes, pricing, availability, minimum order quantities, production timelines, shipping dates, and estimated arrival dates. Follow up with vendors on delayed, shorted, damaged, incorrect, or incomplete shipments. Help compare vendor pricing, freight costs, lead times, and service levels to support cost-effective purchasing decisions. Maintain vendor records, item information, price updates, purchasing documentation, and related files. Support vendor performance tracking, product availability review, and cost-saving opportunities. Transportation & Logistics Support Coordinate inbound pickup and delivery schedules with vendors, carriers, warehouses, freight forwarders, and internal teams. Track domestic and import shipments from pickup through warehouse delivery. Maintain updated shipment timelines, estimated arrival dates, container statuses, and delivery appointments. Assist with import documentation, freight paperwork, bills of lading, invoices, packing lists, arrival notices, and related records. Fill out and update Project44 or other shipment and container tracking platforms. Communicate delays, ETA changes, appointment updates, and transportation issues to the Operations and Buying team. Keep accurate records of goods shipped, received, and stored. Help research freight discrepancies, missed appointments, damaged freight, detention/demurrage concerns, and delivery issues. Inventory Control Support Assist with maintaining accurate inventory levels through regular review of stock, open orders, receiving activity, and inventory movement. Process vendor receivables, purchase order documentation, and receiving support paperwork. Help investigate inventory discrepancies, receiving variances, short shipments, overages, damages, and item setup issues. Support weekly cycle counts and the annual physical inventory process. Assist with item status updates, inventory adjustments, expiration date tracking, and inventory reporting. Work with warehouse and operations teams to improve inventory accuracy and reduce receiving, picking, and stock-count errors. Help identify slow-moving, overstocked, low-stock, or at-risk inventory items. Support inventory forecasting by reviewing usage trends, vendor lead times, and product availability. Systems, …