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Wayne-Sanderson Farms

Nation's third-largest poultry producer

Complex Purchasing Manager

Full-Time
No salary listed
Mid
Bachelor's, Associate's
Albertville, AL, USA
In PersonOccasional weekend and off-shift work is required.

About the job

Requirements
  • An associate degree in a related field from an accredited institution.
  • Three to five years of relevant purchasing experience in a similar production environment.
  • Proven ability to implement supplier contracts.
  • Experience with the daily functions of enterprise resource planning and materials requirements planning systems.
  • Proficiency with Lotus SmartSuite and Microsoft applications.
  • General knowledge of production scheduling and planning management.
  • Ability to understand and interpret data and draw logical conclusions from available inputs.
  • Critical thinking skills in standardized situations and non-routine problems.
  • Ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously and prioritize work accordingly.
  • Ability to work in extreme temperatures and environments subject to wet, cold, hot, and humid conditions; exposure to odors and moderate to extreme noise; ability to lift up to 50 pounds; and ability to bend, twist, climb, stack, push, and stand for long periods.
  • Ability to work occasional weekends and off shifts.
  • Ability to follow departmental and company safety policies and programs.
Responsibilities
  • Manage supplier purchase order maintenance and support maintenance initiatives.
  • Analyze plant purchasing by product type and develop or support cost-reduction strategies.
  • Work with corporate and plant management, accounting, and maintenance to achieve cost-savings goals.
  • Negotiate supplier contracts to achieve optimum product costs.
  • Work with scheduling or accounting to ensure established product-cost goals are achieved.
  • Supervise and train support staff.
  • Develop, implement, and manage purchasing standard operating procedures.
  • Maintain the 5S program.
  • Ensure supply trailers are managed efficiently.
  • Manage the plant parts room and reduce or minimize inventory.
  • Manage bids, quotes, pricing, and contracts for the plant, feed mill, hatchery, and truck shop.
  • Work with plant management and product management to eliminate redundancy and manage MRO, packaging, and ingredient inventory.
  • Build and develop relationships with key suppliers.
Desired Qualifications
  • A bachelor's degree in Material Management, Logistics Management, Supply Chain, or a related field from an accredited institution.
  • American Production & Inventory Control Society certification.
  • At least one year of experience in the food manufacturing industry.

About the company

Wayne-Sanderson Farms is a large poultry producer that raises and processes chicken for retail, foodservice, and other customers. It operates 23 facilities across Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas, and employs more than 26,000 people. It offers a broad portfolio of brands, including WAYNE FARMS, SANDERSON FARMS, COVINGTON FARMS, PLATINUM HARVEST, CHEF’S CRAFT, and NAKED TRUTH, with both fresh and further-processed chicken. The company focuses on affordable, high-quality poultry and emphasizes integrity and responsible farm and workplace practices to serve customers and communities.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

N/A

Headquarters

Oakwood, Georgia

Founded

2022

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • July 2025 Harrison Poultry deal added 1,000 employees and nearly 400 million pounds capacity.
  • May 2026 Mississippi State feed mill partnership strengthens recruitment, research ties, and brand visibility.
  • August 2026 safety awards across 18 facilities signal operational discipline and lower incident risk.

What critics are saying

  • January 2025 DOJ said Wayne-Sanderson violated its Agri Stats consent decree.
  • Agri Stats litigation can trigger stricter monitoring, injunctions, and costly compliance changes by 2026.
  • A future DOJ remedy restricting benchmarking data would cripple pricing intelligence across poultry operations.

What makes Wayne-Sanderson Farms unique

  • Vertically integrated third-largest U.S. poultry producer, spanning feed, hatchery, processing, and transport.
  • July 2025 Harrison Poultry acquisition deepens Georgia footprint and broadens halal, international brands.
  • 2026 leadership promotions centralize supply chain and operations under Kevin McDaniel.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Company News

Poultry Producer
Jul 28th, 2025
Wayne-Sanderson Farms Acquires Harrison Poultry, Expanding Its Footprint in Georgia - Poultry Producer

Wayne-Sanderson Farms, one of the largest vertically integrated poultry producers in the U.S., has announced the acquisition of Harrison Poultry, solidifying its presence in Georgia and expanding operational capacity across […]

PR Newswire
Jan 19th, 2025
Wayne-Sanderson Farms Seeks Relief From Court Against Recent Actions By The U.S. Department Of Justice

OAKWOOD, Ga., Jan. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Wayne-Sanderson Farms today filed its own motion seeking clarity and relief from the court that its participation in the industry-standard Agri Stats subscription service is lawful and permitted. This was necessitated by unprecedented actions taken by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. At 2:15 a.m. Saturday morning, the Division filed a motion seeking to declare the Company in violation of the Consent Decree and to force the Company to abandon its longstanding use of the industry benchmarking service Agri Stats

PR Newswire
Jun 4th, 2024
Sanderson Farms Brand Debuts Industry-First Artificial Intelligence Chicken Chatbot Tool

Latest Innovation by Wayne-Sanderson Farms Brand Enhances Online Customer ServiceOAKWOOD, Ga., June 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- What if instead of having to search online for ideas on what to do with the fresh chicken in the fridge, consumers could ask the experts at Sanderson Farms® for specially-crafted recipes and inspiration for their next meal? This is where the revolutionary new artificial intelligence (AI) Chicken ChatBot comes in. Affectionally known as "Sandy" and powered by OpenAI's API for ChatGPT, consumers can start a chat on the Sanderson Farms website for quick cooking tips, fast recipe finds, helpful serving suggestions, and more. Meet Sandy our new chatbot. "We are proud to introduce Sandy, the first-ever chicken chatbot tool, to answer just about any question as it relates to recipes and cooking tips," said Hilary Burroughs, Vice President of Marketing for Wayne-Sanderson Farms. "We hope consumers find Sandy to be polite, witty and helpful, just like a good friend, to discuss all things chicken."When visiting the Sanderson Farms website, consumers will be prompted to start a chat with Sandy to answer their chicken queries. Sandy is equipped to share delicious chicken recipes based on the unique details provided, and can make recommendations for specific dietary needs and preferences, like gluten-free, Keto, and low-fat