operations manager - procurement

THE COMPANY:

Hiyo started when three changemakers had one disruptive idea:

rethink the way the world drinks.

In April 2019, two of Hiyo’s co-founders, Evan Quinn and George Youmans, had relatives hospitalized with alcohol-related issues, which caused both to cut back on their drinking in solidarity with their families. In their late 20s and social to boot, the two soon discovered the massive need for an alternative to alcohol that actually deserved its place at the table. To them, the existing choices all felt like sacrifices, and each one was missing the main reason they wanted to drink—the feeling.

Intrigued by their newfound sober curiosity and the lack of options in the non-alcoholic beverage space, they began brainstorming product concepts alongside their close friend from college, Cygne Cooper. This marked the genesis of Hiyo, a non-alcoholic social tonic, which produces a similar stress-relieving, mood-boosting feeling that people usually seek from alcohol, but instead from healthy, functional ingredients.

The three co-founders have spent years honing their proprietary blend of adaptogens, nootropics, and botanicals to achieve the optimal feel-good “float” effect. With six functionals at the forefront of this feeling, Hiyo launched its first three fruit-forward flavors in May 2021\. Since then, Hiyo has added three new flavors to its growing line of functional seltzers while showing up in thousands of stores and social spaces across the country. It is currently one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in the United States.

THE ROLE:

The Operations Manager – Procurement is a critical role on our operations team, responsible for owning Hiyo's day-to-day purchasing and supplier management as we scale into our next phase of growth. You'll be building the procurement infrastructure from the ground up, partnering closely with Operations, Finance, and our external supplier, manufacturing, and logistics partners to translate demand into purchasing plans, drive supplier performance, and keep a fast-moving supply chain running smoothly.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Own end-to-end purchasing: create and manage purchase orders, confirm pricing/terms, track lead times, and ensure on-time delivery
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships, including proactive communication, escalation, and issue resolution
• Partner with Operations to translate forecasts and production plans into purchasing plans (reorder points, safety stock, and MOQ planning)
• Analyze spend, price changes, and usage trends to identify cost savings and reduce waste while maintaining quality and service levels
• Develop and maintain vendor scorecards (e.g., OTIF, lead time reliability, quality, responsiveness, cost variance) and drive improvement plans
• Maintain supplier documentation and master data (specs, COAs, contracts, compliance requirements) and support audits as needed
• Source and onboard alternate suppliers and backups; support new product launches and packaging/ingredient changes
• Coordinate cross-functionally to resolve shortages, substitutions, damages, and quality issues, including corrective and preventive actions with vendors
• Build lightweight procurement processes, reporting, and SOPs that scale in a fast-paced startup environment

THE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Based in the Los Angeles Metropolitan Area or able to work hybrid in Marina del Rey (4 days/week)
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or Supply Chain Management (or the equivalent professional experience)
• 2-4 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, operations, or purchasing (CPG, food \& beverage, or manufacturing a plus)
• Strong analytical skills; advanced Excel/Google Sheets, and comfort building dashboards and models (ERP experience a plus)
• Experience managing purchase orders, suppliers, and delivery timelines; comfortable negotiating pricing, terms, and MOQs
• Familiarity with vendor performance management and scorecarding; able to drive issues to root cause and resolution
• Highly organized and detail-oriented; able to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines, and changing priorities
• Thrives in fast-paced, high-intensity environments and is quick to problem-solve under pressure and ambiguity
• Interest in the food \& beverage, health \& wellness, and no/low alcohol space is a plus

This role is built for an early-career operator who's ready to take the next step in their career growth. You're 2–4 years into a supply chain or operations career, detail-oriented, data-driven, and excited about helping to shape the future at a fast-growing, mission-driven CPG brand.

full-time (hybrid: 4 days/week in office) \| marina del rey, california

reports to: director of operations