PRINCIPAL
Family-owned company with over 1,300 employees, sales of €200 mio./year, 12% average growth over the past 5 years and the goal of doubling sales by 2027. The company has 8 production sites in Europe and 13 worldwide (outside Europe in USA, Canada, India, China). In Europe, the company has 1,100 employees. The company focuses on the development, production and sale of installation materials; a significant part of the range is imported and resold as a commercial product. Sales take place internationally through wholesalers. The head office is located near Schiphol Airport. The company is a ‘multinational family business with a heart’, focused on freedom and development of employees, informal, no-nonsense and with a good work/life balance. Not everything is well organized yet, the organization is still quite complex. Important themes are ‘circular’ and ‘modular’.
PURCHASE
The ‘sourcing director’ reports to the Managing director for Europe (where 75% of sales come from) and is a member of the MT for Europe, alongside HR, finance, sales, supply chain and marketing.
He also has an (informal) direct link to the CEO of the company.
The total spend of the company is €100 mio.
The sourcing director procurement leads:
- Lead buyer ‘Trade items’ (vacancy)
- Lead buyer Steel
- Buyer indirects
- Buyer Steel (in the Czech Republic)
The Sourcing director himself spends part of his time concretely engaged in procurement activities and indicates that vendor management needs further improvement within the organization.
THE FUNCTION
The Lead buyer “Trade items” is responsible for a spend of approx. €50 mio. Most of the range of installation materials (brackets, clamps, suspension systems, etc.) marketed by the company are purchased elsewhere as commodities (trade items) and sold under its own label. This accounts for approximately 50% of sales. Purchasing of these installation materials takes place throughout the world, with an emphasis on Eastern Europe. In the function it is important to keep good contact with product marketing regarding new initiatives regarding changes in the product assortment. Other important stakeholders are supply chain and sales. A key challenge in the position is that many suppliers with the same products are approaching the same distributors/wholesalers and are in that sense competitors as well. It is therefore important to strategically source, create partnerships and build strong relationships with suppliers. You are also expected to be able to estimate the “cost drivers” (what materials, how much labor is involved in production, what production methods are used) and make a cost price analysis after your induction period. Day to day you will be sourcing, selecting and contracting suppliers, resolving delivery escalations and managing supplier relationship and delivery performance. Delivery performance is measured by the Supply chain department. Also in your role, circularity/sustainability is an important theme. Something the entire supply chain needs to comply with. Your targets are mainly delivery reliability and quality, of course you also have financial targets and finally the success of the procurement projects you lead. In time, the possibility exists that you will lead a buyer. Regular travel is provided for in the position.
YOUR PROFILE
- HBO working/thinking level
- You have solid purchasing experience gained in an international trade or manufacturing environment
- You are analytical, structured and conceptual
- You are a strong communicator
- Good command of English. Dutch is not a requirement
- You are a resident of the Netherlands.
OFFER
- Max. annual salary of gross €90,000 on full-time basis, depending on knowledge and experience
- A company profit-dependent bonus of up to 2 monthly salaries.
- 25+13 leave days
- Hybrid or electric lease car
- Average pay (middelloon) pension, where the employer pays 53% of the premium.
- The company has a hybrid way of working where you are expected to be in the office at least 3 days/week.
