Delicious Food and Meaningful Careers
At the heart of our company is a deep passion for creating fresh, healthy, and artisan-quality food that brings people together. We honor the craft of artisan cooking, using scratch-made stocks, hand-chopped herbs, and only the highest-quality ingredients, complemented by cutting-edge technology. This allows us to deliver consistently safe, exceptional products on a large scale.
But it’s not just about the food. Our culture is built on principles that shape how we grow, both as individuals and as a team. One of our core values, Honoring Development, guides us to actively seek out, celebrate, and nurture one another’s talents, strengths, and interests. By fostering each other’s growth, we strengthen our relationships and capabilities, driving both personal and professional success.
We also believe in Honoring Each Other. We surround ourselves with passionate people who share our love for great food. Through mutual respect and collaboration, we create an environment where employees are empowered to thrive, building trusting, and rewarding relationships with our clients, partners, and one another.
If you’re looking for a place where your skills, passion, and ideas can flourish, we invite you to explore the opportunities available within our dynamic and supportive team.
Vendor & Ingredient Specialist
Full-TimeRemote
Job Description
The Vendor & Ingredient Specialist supports supplier and raw-material approval activities and maintains complete, accurate, and current vendor and ingredient records. This includes setting up and linking suppliers with the TraceGains system, closing documentation gaps, maintaining TraceGains and related systems, and preparing supplier and material information for approval, customer requirements, and risk review.
Responsibilities
Onboarding and documentation
Coordinate and implement supplier and material documentation set-up within TraceGains; collaborate with Purchasing or Sourcing to resolve difficulties and train suppliers as needed
Review documentation against Kettle Cuisine, customer, regulatory, SQF/GFSI, organic, and GFCO requirements. Report on documentation aging, approvals, and supplier performance
Ensure supplier and material records are complete, current, correctly linked, and retained in TraceGains or the designated system. Track missing, expired, incomplete, inconsistent, conditional, or rejected documentation and follow up with suppliers and cross-functional team members to close documentation gaps.
Escalate unresolved supplier, material, or risk issues using established protocols.
Maintain and develop custom dashboards and automated workflows for standard documentation reviews.
Qualifications (Education / Experience / Skills)
Bachelor’s degree in Food Science, Supply Chain, or a related field; equivalent relevant experience may be considered.
Four or more years of experience in supplier quality, technical services, regulatory, food safety, or procurement support.
Experience with supplier documentation, raw-material specifications, databases, and cross-functional follow-up.
Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-through, and written communication.
Ability to collaborate professionally with suppliers and internal stakeholders while escalating issues appropriately.
Success Measures
Supplier and material records are complete, correctly linked, current, and audit ready.
Documentation gaps are actively managed to closure, with aging and escalation visible.
New suppliers and materials move through approval with clear status and no avoidable delays.
As a Leader Within the Kettle Cuisine Team, You Are Expected To
Model and support Kettle Cuisine’s Core Values and safety culture.
Develop individual team members and their careers.
Create a culture of accountability and performance.
Drive a focus on quality assurance and continuous improvement.
Plan work, track results, and resolve issues.
Required Attributes
Self-directed, detail-oriented, and committed to data integrity.
Positive, collaborative, and able to build productive supplier relationships.
Organized and able to manage multiple records, requests, and deadlines.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills appropriate to the role.
Willing to address difficult situations with patience and respect.
Enthusiastic about food and committed to safe, high-quality products.
Pay Range for Vendor & Ingredient Specialist
The Vendor & Ingredient Specialist base pay range $29.00 - 36.00 USD/hourly. The listed salary range represents Kettle Cuisine’s good faith estimate for this position and represents the minimum and maximum for new hire salaries for the Remote location only. Ranges will be reviewed on a regular basis. An employee’s rate of pay within the range is determined by their qualifications, relevant experience, and demonstrated performance over time. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity of our current team members as a part of any final offer. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical to allow for future and continued salary growth. The Vendor & Ingredient Specialist position is eligible for our comprehensive benefits package. Kettle Cuisine and all its legal entities comply with all federal, state, and local minimum wage laws.
This position is also eligible for a target bonus of 10%.
Americans with Disabilities Act
Kettle Cuisine complies with all aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and state disability laws. This means we will not discriminate against qualified individuals with a disability in any phase of the employment relationship including application for employment, hiring, promotions and/or advancement opportunities, termination, compensation, training and any other conditions or privileges of employment.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Kettle Cuisine is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions at Kettle Cuisine are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, or gender identity), national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other status protected by the laws or regulations in the locations where we operate.
Kettle Cuisine will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics.
