Purchasing Coordinator (Catering Services)

The Purchasing Coordinator (Catering Services) plays a vital role in the NIST Catering Services by ensuring a consistent, high-quality, and cost-effective supply of food ingredients and kitchen equipment. This role involves sourcing primarily from local markets, alongside targeted international procurement for specialized food items and kitchen equipment.

Operating within a highly active and fast-paced school environment, the coordinator will align all procurement and delivery schedules with the school's dynamic operational calendar and events. Furthermore, this position takes responsibility for the kitchen equipment handling as per required by Catering Services team, not just procurement, but also process the procurement for maintenance (MA) contracts and coordinating timely repairs to ensure uninterrupted catering operations.

Responsibilities:

Food Procurement & Sourcing

• Managing food and catering procurement, including sourcing ingredients locally and internationally, evaluating catering and food suppliers, obtaining quotations, and ensuring all products meet the school’s strict quality standards, nutritional requirements, and budget.
• Coordinating food orders and deliveries in tight alignment with the school's fast-paced daily operations, special events, and catering schedules.
• Managing overseas procurement and import processes for specialised food items and catering supplies and kitchen equipment.
• Conducting market research to keep abreast of emerging food trends, seasonal availability, and cost-saving business opportunities.

Kitchen Equipment & Maintenance Management

• Taking full responsibility for the procurement of kitchen equipment, tools, and supplies.
• Working with Catering Services for the requirement of the preventative maintenance (MA) schedules for all kitchen equipment to ensure safety and optimal performance.
• Sourcing reliable outsourced technicians for the kitchen repair and minimising operational downtime in the kitchen.

Coordination & Supplier Relations

• Establishing and maintaining strong, professional relationships with local and international food vendors, and equipment maintenance contractors.
• Collaborating daily with the Catering Services, Head Chef, and school staff to ensure precise understanding and fulfillment of the kitchen's specific daily and event-driven needs.
• Updating and maintaining meticulous records of all orders, maintenance logs, payments, and received deliveries.
• Coordinating with delivery teams and taking immediate action to resolve delays, quality issues, or rescheduled orders.
• Performing all other tasks assigned by the Purchasing Manager.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Logistics, or any related field
• Experience: Minimum 3 years of working experience in Purchasing, specifically within Food & Beverage (F&B), catering, or hospitality sectors.
• Food Knowledge: Understanding of food quality standards, perishables handling, and seasonal market pricing.
• Equipment Knowledge: Experience managing kitchen equipment purchasing, maintenance contracts, and repair coordination.
• Agility: Ability to thrive in a highly active, fast-paced educational environment and adapt to sudden changes in school event schedules.
• Communication: Good command of English and Thai (written and verbal) for effective communication and negotiation.
• Coordination Skills: Strong coordination, organisational, and time-management skills.
• Soft Skills: Strong cross-cultural communication skills, excellent networking abilities to build supplier relationships, and a service-minded attitude.
• Tech Savvy: Proficiency in relevant purchasing and inventory management software programs.