Director, Third-Party Procurement & Merchandising

About Misfits Market

Misfits Market is a mission-driven, high-growth startup dedicated to reducing food waste and making shopping for sustainable, high-quality groceries easier and more affordable. We deliver organic produce, high-quality meats and seafood, plant-based proteins, dairy, bakery, wine, and other grocery items to nearly every zip code in 48 states at up to 30 percent off traditional grocery store prices. In 2022, Misfits Market acquired sustainable e-grocer Imperfect Foods and now leverages its in-house transportation network to deliver directly to consumers with one of the most carbon-efficient grocery delivery models on the market. By tackling inefficiencies in the food system, our passionate and motivated team of problem solvers helps save an average of 500,000 pounds of food per week from waste or lesser outcomes, with an all-time savings of 190+ million pounds of food.

As Misfits we support our customers and mission by embracing our core values of

Prioritizing our Customers Doing more with less

Thinking Differently Respecting one another

Moving deliberately and quickly Taking initiative and delivering

About the Role

The Director of 3P Procurement & Merchandising is a senior leadership role responsible for building and running the end-to-end procurement function supporting our third-party (3P) business. This is a hybrid role that blends director-level scope across Inventory Planning, Category Management, and 3P Merchandising—including sourcing, purchase order management, supply chain execution, vendor strategy, and client services.

This leader will be responsible for defining the 3P business's long-term strategy while supervising and developing a comprehensive procurement team. Their mandate includes managing a KPI portfolio focused on customer fill rate, on-time delivery, shorts, shrink, in-stock rate (ISR), and forecast accuracy. This position reports directly to the VP / SVP, Merchandising.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Direction & Financial Oversight: Own the strategy, performance, and operating model of the full 3P procurement organization (sourcing, PO management, demand forecasting, vendor management, and supply chain execution across multiple facilities). Accountable for the financial performance of the 3P business, including forecast accuracy, ISR, shrink, shorts, cost-of-goods, and inventory turns. Create and execute long-term 3P procurement and merchandising strategies, defining multi-year roadmaps for category growth, vendor partnerships, and supply chain resilience.
• People Leadership & Team Development: Lead and develop a team of managers, senior individual contributors, and associates; set organizational structure, role definitions, and capability priorities. Build, lead, and mentor a high-performing 3P procurement organization, setting clear expectations and creating a succession pipeline.
• Sourcing & Vendor Management: Define and govern the vendor portfolio—including partner selection, negotiation frameworks, contract structures, performance management, and long-term collaboration models. Establish and govern the overall 3P vendor strategy in alignment with 1P Merchandising, and sign off on high-impact negotiations.
• Merchandising & Inventory Management: Drive category strategy across the 3P assortment, balancing market trends, customer needs, profitability, and competitive positioning. Oversee end-to-end Purchase Order (PO) management, including issuance, confirmation, tracking, and reconciliation. Lead demand forecasting and short-buy decisions, balancing customer commitments with supply availability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the senior point of accountability for 3P integration across the company. Partner with Quality to set and uphold product quality standards; with Operations (including logistics and continuous improvement) to align inbound flow; and with Product & Engineering to define system requirements and prioritize tooling roadmaps.
• Data Analysis & Reporting: Define the analytical frameworks, KPIs, and reporting standards that guide the 3P business. Establish, build, and maintain advanced modeling and forecasting capabilities, leveraging predictive analytics for sourcing, assortment, and supply chain decisions. Report out on key KPIs and strategic initiatives to the Executive Leadership Team (ELT).
• Industry Knowledge & External Presence: Maintain deep, current knowledge of the food, grocery, and produce industries. Build relationships with industry partners and represent the company in select external forums.

Skills and Qualifications

Experience

• 7+ years of progressive experience spanning procurement, category management, inventory planning, and/or wholesale merchandising, with at least 3 years leading multi-functional teams.
• Demonstrated success owning P&L-relevant KPIs (GMV, margin, forecast accuracy, ISR, shrink, shorts, cost-of-goods).
• Established vendor relationships in the food industry; produce, grocery, or perishable supply chain experience strongly preferred.
• Ecommerce and digital experience preferred.
• Experience leading vendor negotiations, contract structuring, and supplier performance management at scale.
• Track record of leading large-scale cross-functional initiatives across Quality, Operations, Product, and Engineering.

Education

• Bachelor's Degree required; advanced degree (MBA) or supply chain / procurement certifications are a plus.

Technical & Industry-Specific Knowledge

• Strong understanding of financial principles—budgeting, forecasting, profitability analysis—to drive cost-savings and hit financial targets.
• Proficient with Excel, Word, and Google Sheets/Docs; experienced with ERP systems (NetSuite, Salesforce, or equivalent).
• Deep product knowledge across relevant categories, including technical specifications, industry standards, and certifications (e.g., organic, Fair Trade, food safety).
• Comfort with advanced analytics, demand forecasting tools, and BI platforms.

About You

• You're passionate about our mission to eliminate food waste and create a better food system for all.
• You are a proven leader of leaders—able to set vision, structure teams, develop managers, and build succession pipelines.
• You are a strategic thinker with strong commercial instincts and the ability to balance short-term execution against long-term growth.
• You are an excellent communicator, able to translate complex data and strategy into clear narratives for the team, cross-functional partners, and executive leadership.
• You work well in a highly active team in a collaborative environment.
• You're comfortable with ambiguity and have a bias to action, with the resilience to lead through change.
• You are highly organized with strong attention to detail.

Benefits

• Salary Range: $135k - $150k/yr.
• Unlimited PTO
• Monthly Stipend to spend on Misfits Market
• Multiple health, dental, and vision plan options
• Life Insurance
• 401k plan