PURCHASING OFFICER

M RESORT AND SPA
Vanuatu

POSITION DESCRIPTION

Purchasing Officer
Department: Finance & Procurement
Reports To: Resort Manager
Location: M Resort and Spa, Mangaliliu
Employment Type: Casual

Position Purpose

The Purchasing Officer is responsible for the end-to-end procurement and accounts payable purchasing function of M Resort and Spa. This role owns every purchase made across the resort — food and beverage, housekeeping and guest amenities, spa and recreation, engineering and maintenance, and general operating supplies — and is accountable for ensuring a consistent, uninterrupted flow of quality products and consumables to every department.

Operating within an island economy where freight, customs clearance and supplier lead times materially affect availability and cost, the Purchasing Officer plays a critical role in protecting the resort against stock-outs and price volatility. The role is directly accountable for driving resort-wide cost efficiencies with all suppliers, controlling the cost of goods, and optimising the overall profitability and gross margin of the resort. The Purchasing Officer reports directly to the Resort Manager and works closely with all Heads of Department to plan, source and control purchasing in line with budget, quality and brand standards.

Key Responsibilities
Purchasing & Supplier Management

• Manage the full purchasing cycle for all resort departments — from requisition and purchase order raising through to goods receipt and invoice matching.
• Source, evaluate and negotiate with local, regional and international suppliers to secure the best available pricing, payment terms, quality and reliability for every category of spend.
• Build and maintain an approved supplier panel for food and beverage, housekeeping, spa, engineering, and administrative categories, with formal supplier agreements and performance reviews conducted at agreed intervals.
• Coordinate freight, shipping and customs clearance for imported goods into Vanuatu, working with freight forwarders and agents to minimise lead times, demurrage and landed cost.
• Identify and develop local Vanuatu supplier relationships where viable, to reduce freight dependency, support the local economy, and build supply resilience.
• Continuously benchmark pricing and market conditions, and renegotiate contracts and standing arrangements to protect margin as costs shift.

Accounts Payable & Cost Control

• Take ownership of all accounts payable purchase transactions, ensuring every invoice is matched to an authorised purchase order and goods receipt before payment is processed.
• Review supplier invoices, pricing and statements for accuracy, querying and resolving discrepancies with suppliers and the Finance team in a timely manner.
• Monitor and report on cost of goods sold (COGS) by department, identifying variances against budget and recommending corrective action.
• Partner with the Resort Manager and Finance team to prepare monthly purchasing, spend and margin reports, highlighting savings achieved and risks to profitability.
• Drive resort-wide cost efficiency initiatives — consolidating orders, standardising specifications and reducing wastage — to support the resort’s profitability and margin targets.
• Maintain purchasing budgets by category and flag any forecast overspend to the Resort Manager ahead of commitment.

Inventory & Supply Consistency

• Maintain optimal stock levels across all storerooms and department pars to guarantee continuity of supply while minimising working capital tied up in inventory.
• Plan procurement around shipping schedules, seasonal demand, occupancy forecasts and event calendars to avoid stock-outs of critical items in a remote island location.
• Conduct and oversee regular stocktakes, spot checks and inventory reconciliations, investigating and resolving variances.
• Ensure correct storage, rotation (FIFO) and handling of goods, and compliance with food safety and hygiene requirements for all consumables.

Compliance, Systems & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and complete purchasing records, supplier files, contracts and pricing documentation to support audit and compliance requirements.
• Ensure all purchasing activity complies with resort policy, delegated financial authority levels, and relevant Vanuatu import, customs and taxation requirements.
• Maintain the purchasing/inventory management system, ensuring item masters, pricing and supplier data are kept current and accurate.
• Provide the Resort Manager with regular, accurate reporting on purchasing performance, supplier savings, cost of goods and margin outcomes.
• Support annual budgeting and forecasting processes by providing supplier pricing intelligence and market insight.

Performance & Incentives
This role carries direct accountability for the resort’s cost of goods and purchasing performance, and is remunerated accordingly:

• A base salary commensurate with experience, plus superannuation/statutory entitlements as applicable.
• A performance bonus calculated against cost of goods sold (COGS) as a percentage of revenue and overall resort gross margin, assessed against budgeted targets on a quarterly and/or annual basis.
• Additional recognition may be linked to verified cost-saving initiatives delivered across the supplier base.

Qualifications & Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years’ purchasing, procurement or supply chain experience within a hotel, resort or broader hospitality environment; experience in a large hotel chain or multi-outlet resort is highly regarded.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating supplier contracts and managing accounts payable purchasing processes.
• Working knowledge of food and beverage purchasing, hygiene and storage standards is highly desirable.
• Experience purchasing in an island, remote or import-dependent environment (freight, customs, shipping schedules) is highly advantageous.
• Diploma or degree in Business, Supply Chain, Hospitality Management or a related field, or equivalent industry experience.
• Proficiency in purchasing/inventory systems (e.g. Materials Control, MC/Adaco, or similar) and MS Office, particularly Excel.
• Eligibility to live and work in Vanuatu, or willingness to relocate; a current driver’s licence is required.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to interpret cost, margin and P&L data and translate it into purchasing decisions.
• Confident, principled negotiator who builds durable, mutually beneficial supplier relationships.
• Highly organised, with strong attention to detail and accuracy in financial and inventory record-keeping.
• Sound judgement and integrity in managing supplier relationships, purchase authorisation and expenditure.
• Effective communicator, able to work closely with the Resort Manager and department heads to align purchasing with operational needs.
• Resilient and resourceful, comfortable managing supply chain disruption typical of a remote Pacific island location.

Working Conditions

Based on-site at M Resort and Spa, Vanuatu. The role may require flexibility around shipping and delivery schedules, occasional local supplier site visits, and close coordination with freight and customs agents in Port Vila. Standard resort operating hours apply, with reasonable flexibility required to meet business needs.

This position description is intended to outline the general nature and level of work being performed. It is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required, and may be reviewed and updated by M Resort and Spa from time to time.