Materials Planner and Procurement Lead
MiLaAbout MiLa MìLà is a Chinese food company . Our teams work tirelessly to enhance delicious products that we all enjoy at home! While MìLà is a Chinese food brand, it’s really a celebration of the power of food to bring us together, share our stories, and discover new flavors and cultures. Our mission is to build something that feels authentically and uniquely true to our roots as a Chinese-American-founded brand. Something we can own, but that’s also meant to be shared. One of the things we love about Chinese food is that it’s traditionally served family-style—shared with everyone gathered at the table. MìLà is a Chinese food brand, but it’s really a celebration of the power of food to bring us together, share our stories, and discover new flavors and cultures. Core Values Explore our core values here: https://eatmila.com/pages/careers Job Summary This role owns end-to-end procurement and supply of all raw materials, packaging, and contract manufactured existing products, ensuring the business has the right materials at the right time, cost, and quality. This is not a transactional purchasing role. This role is accountable for supplier ownership, procurement decision-making, cost management, and purchasing discipline. The role serves as the gatekeeper of purchasing. Scope & Ownership Model Ownership begins immediately after the first PO is placed for all raw, packaging, and contract manufactured items Own supplier relationship Own cost, terms, and performance Own forecasting alignment and replenishment Own all future purchasing decisions Owns all existing raw, packaging materials, & co-manned items. Core Responsibilities End-to-End Procurement Ownership Own all purchasing decisions for existing raw materials, packaging, and contract manufactured goods across the business Existing is defined as items after initial PO Ensure materials are procured, at the right quantity, time, and cost Maintain full visibility into demand, supply, and inventory positions Purchasing Gatekeeper Act as the final decision-maker before any PO is placed Do not execute POs based solely on inputs from Planning/S&OP or Project Management Validate every purchase by asking: Does the quantity align with demand and current inventory? Is the timing appropriate? Is there an opportunity to consolidate, delay, or optimize? Is this the best supplier and price available? • Supplier Ownership & Commercial Management Fully own supplier relationships post-onboarding Negotiate pricing, MOQs, lead times and payment terms Continuously benchmark suppliers and identify cost-saving opportunities Hold suppliers accountable to service, quality, and delivery expectations Cost & Savings Accountability Identify and execute cost savings across materials and packaging Regularly review: Price changes Market trends Parter with Finance to understand COGS impacts Proactively communicate cost increases, supply risks, and market changes cross-functionally, while driving mitigation plans through supplier negotiations, alternate sourcing, packaging optimization, MOQ adjustments, or specification changes Planning & SIOP Alignment (Not subordination) Partner with SIOP lead to understand demand signals Translate demand into optimized purchasing decisions Push back when plan Creates excess inventory Drives inefficient ordering Increases costs unnecessarily Inventory & Working Capital Manage inventory levels to balance: Service levels Storage costs Working Capital Avoid Overstocking Emergency buys Inefficient MOQ-driven inventory Execution & Process Ownership Ensure accurate POs creation, tracking, and delivery Resolve discrepancies with vendors and accounting Maintain clean audit ready procurement records Improve procurement processes and systems over time Reporting & Analytics Develop and maintain a rolling 13-week inventory cash forecast, providing visibility into upcoming purchasing-related cash outflows Track an…