Head of Procurement – International Industrial Group

Batka International is partnering with an established international industrial group to recruit its future Head of Procurement , as part of a major transformation of its purchasing and supply chain organisation.

With more than 1,000 employees and an international manufacturing footprint, our client develops and manufactures high-performance engineered components for demanding industrial markets, including energy, infrastructure and heavy industry.

The Group is currently transitioning from a historically decentralised purchasing model towards a more integrated, strategic and internationally coordinated procurement organisation.

This newly structured position represents a significant opportunity for an experienced procurement professional to build and lead a divisional procurement function, shape its long-term strategy and directly influence the Group's operational and financial performance.

Reporting to divisional senior leadership, you will oversee procurement activities across eight manufacturing sites in Europe and Asia , representing approximately €60–70 million in annual purchasing expenditure , covering both direct and indirect categories.

Beyond managing procurement performance, your challenge will be to establish a more structured, collaborative and results-driven purchasing organisation across the division.

Your Responsibilities

Define and implement the divisional procurement strategy

• Develop and deploy a consistent procurement strategy across eight international manufacturing sites.
• Consolidate purchasing volumes and leverage the Group's combined purchasing power to improve commercial conditions.
• Structure category management strategies covering steel, metals, industrial components, surface treatments and indirect purchasing.
• Establish common procurement processes, governance frameworks and performance indicators across the division.

Drive cost optimisation and supplier performance

• Lead an ambitious cost-reduction programme, delivering measurable and sustainable savings.
• Develop strategic supplier partnerships and negotiate competitive long-term agreements.
• Optimise supplier contracts, payment terms and purchasing conditions to improve margins and working capital.
• Strengthen supplier risk management, compliance and supply chain resilience, including dual-sourcing strategies and international trade exposure.
• Contribute to inventory optimisation and the reduction of working capital requirements.

Build and lead an international procurement organisation

• Provide functional leadership to local purchasing teams across the division, ensuring alignment with the overall procurement strategy.
• Recruit, develop and directly manage an initial team of two to three Category Managers.
• Work closely with Plant Managers, Operations, Finance and Supply Chain stakeholders to align purchasing priorities with business objectives.
• Drive organisational change by encouraging collaboration, sharing best practices and developing a common procurement culture.

Contribute to the Group's long-term transformation

• Establish a structured procurement performance framework, including savings, supplier performance, inventory and working capital indicators.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives across purchasing and supply chain activities.
• Contribute to the progressive integration of procurement and supply chain processes, with potential future responsibilities extending to broader supply chain management and S&OP.

Your Profile

We are looking for an experienced procurement professional with a strong industrial background, solid commercial expertise and the ability to operate effectively in an international, evolving organisation.

You bring:

• Proven procurement experience within mechanical engineering, machining, steel, metallurgy, or a comparable industrial manufacturing environment.
• Significant experience in strategic procurement, purchasing or category management.
• Proven expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, category management and cost optimisation.
• Experience managing substantial purchasing expenditure and working with multiple manufacturing sites or international stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of supplier performance, purchasing risk, working capital optimisation and procurement performance indicators.
• The ability to influence stakeholders, align local teams and drive change within a matrix organisation.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and analytical skills, combined with a pragmatic, hands-on and results-oriented mindset.

Experience in developing procurement structures, improving purchasing processes or leading transformation initiatives would be particularly valuable.

We are open to two types of backgrounds:

• An established Head of Procurement, Purchasing Director or Procurement Leader looking for a broader international challenge.
• A highly experienced Senior Category Manager or Global Commodity Manager from a larger industrial organisation, ready to take the next step into a divisional leadership position.

Languages:

Fluent English is essential. German is strongly preferred, while French would be an additional advantage.

Why Join?

This opportunity offers more than a traditional procurement leadership position.

You will have the opportunity to:

• Build and shape a procurement function, ratherthan simply manage an established structure.
• Take ownership of a significant international purchasing scope, with direct influence on business profitability and cash performance.
• Play a central role in a major industrial and organisational transformation.
• Develop your own category management team while working closely with senior leadership and operational stakeholders across multiple countries.
• Combine the resources and international reach of an established industrial group with the autonomy and entrepreneurial mindset of a developing organisation.
• Benefit from long-term career development opportunities, with potential progression towards broader supply chain leadership responsibilities.