Food and Beverage Purchaser

Company Description

Westgate Vacation Villas & Town Center Resort offers you an incredible opportunity to meet and share stories with guests from around the world who come to experience Central Florida’s world-famous theme parks and attractions. Enjoy the excitement and surroundings of our world-class resort, featuring award-winning attractions and restaurants. As part of Westgate Resorts, recognized by U.S. News as one of the Best Companies to Work For, you’ll be joining a team committed to excellence and creating unforgettable vacation experiences and supporting your career growth where you are or at 60+ resorts across the company.

Job Description

The Food & Beverage Purchaser is responsible for sourcing, ordering, and managing all food, beverage, and supply products needed to support the operation of restaurants, bars, cafeterias, outdoor outlets, banquet services, and retail locations. This role ensures accurate purchasing, cost control, inventory accuracy, vendor compliance, and timely delivery of products. The Purchaser works closely with Culinary, F&B Management, Warehouse/Receiving, and Accounting to support operational excellence, maintain product quality, and uphold budgetary goals.

• Source, order, and replenish food, beverage, chemical, paper goods, and operational supplies based on outlet needs and par levels.

• Maintain vendor, distributor, and supplier communication and relationships, negotiate pricing, and evaluate purchasing options to ensure quality and cost efficiency.

• Create purchase orders, verify quantities, monitor order status, and resolve order discrepancies.

• Ensure all purchases meet company standards, menu specifications, and quality expectations.

• Review inventory reports, stock levels, usage patterns, and waste trends to determine accurate ordering quantities.

• Monitor food and beverage costs, align purchasing with budget expectations, and recommend cost-saving opportunities.

• Coordinate with Receiving and Warehouse teams to ensure accurate and timely deliveries.

• Verify product quality, expiration dates, packaging integrity, and compliance with specifications upon arrival.

• Report damaged goods, shortages, or quality issues to vendors and request credits or replacements.

• Ensure proper storage standards, rotation practices (FIFO), and temperature compliance support.

• Evaluate vendor performance, reliability, pricing, and product consistency.

• Collaborate with Chefs, Managers, and Outlet Supervisors to understand product needs, menu revisions, and operational requirements.

• Prepare purchasing reports, cost analyses, receiving logs, and documentation for Accounting.

• Support special events, banquets, and peak seasons by coordinating additional product needs in advance.

• Adhere to food safety regulations, sanitation standards, and proper handling guidelines for purchased products.

• Ensure compliance with alcohol purchasing laws, distributor requirements, and internal alcohol control policies.

• Maintain accurate records for audit purposes, including invoices, purchase orders, and credits.

• Other duties as assigned.

To excel in this role, you must embody our core values of integrity, passion, and a strong work ethic. These values are essential to our success, and we are looking for someone who shares our commitment.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of relevant experience in purchasing and inventory control or related field, with demonstrated ability to order supplies and keep cost control.
• High school diploma or General Education Degree (GED) required.

• Strong understanding of procurement processes, cost control, and inventory management.

• Ability to analyze usage trends, par levels, and financial reports to support accurate ordering.

• Knowledge of food specifications, beverage products, and quality standards.

• Familiarity with restaurant, bar, deli, cafeteria, coffee shop, retail, and banquet operations.

• Understanding of food safety regulations, storage requirements, product handling, and expiration management.

• Proficiency with purchasing software, POS inventory modules, and Microsoft Excel.

• Strong communication skills for coordinating with vendors, leadership, and internal teams.

• Ability to negotiate pricing, resolve discrepancies, and maintain professional vendor relationships.

• Close attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple orders, deadlines, and priorities.

• Ability to quickly identify supply issues, shortages, or product inconsistencies and