Procurement Associate (m/w/d)

Role Overview

This role will support the Lab Supplies & Equipment and Lab Services Category Procurement Lead within the Multi‑Year Optimization (MYO) Program, a company-wide strategic initiative focused on driving value and productivity across the network to enable the reallocation of resources into strategic growth areas of the business. The role contributes to the identification and delivery of optimisation initiatives such as cost savings, cost‑of‑goods reduction, simplification, standardisation, demand optimisation and the elimination of non‑value‑added activities. This highly hands‑on, execution‑focused role is responsible for driving projects from concept through analysis, decision‑support and implementation, with no direct people‑management responsibilities, in a highly matrixed, international environment.

Key Details

• Start date: ASAP
• Duration: Until 30 November 2027
• Location: Schwabenheim
• Working model: Initially a few days on‑site; later occasional on‑site presence
• Contract type: Employee leasing (temporary employment / agency employment)

Key Stakeholders

• Quality
• R&D
• Global Procurement
• MYO Program leadership
• Human Health counterparts
• Broader global network stakeholders

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, preferably in Science, Engineering, Business, Supply Chain or a related field.
• Strong analytical capability with demonstrated experience in data analysis, interpretation and synthesis into clear recommendations.
• Strong focus on execution, able to independently drive initiatives in a fast‑paced outcome‑focused environment.
• Proven ability to develop robust business cases and communicate complex information.
• Highly self‑driven, comfortable working remotely, independently and proactively in a project‑based role.
• Comfortable working in a fast‑paced, high‑demand environment with competing priorities, able to switch quickly between topics and manage multiple workstreams effectively under pressure.
• Comfortable working with evolving requirements and ambiguous problem statements, where structure and clarity must be created.
• Experience working in cross‑functional and international environments, ideally within pharmaceutical, biotech, animal health or regulated industries.
• Fluent in German and English with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills, able to manage multiple topics in parallel and deliver against agreed timelines.
• Willingness to attend virtual and occasional in‑person meetings; limited travel may be required.

Responsibilities

• Provide hands‑on project support to the Lab Supplies & Equipment and Lab Services Procurement Category Lead within the MYO Program, acting as a key contributor to project delivery.
• Analyze, evaluate, interpret and compare complex datasets related to laboratory supplies, equipment, services, costs and demand drivers.
• Develop clear, data‑driven business cases for change, including financial impact assessments, risk evaluation and implementation plans.
• Translate meeting outcomes into concrete deliverables, including sourcing approaches, communication materials and tracked follow‑up actions.
• Support and execute defined sourcing and optimisation activities, including market research, RFP preparation, supplier evaluation and negotiation preparation.
• Independently manage assigned initiatives and act as a delegate for the Category Lead as required, representing the category in meetings, driving discussions, capturing decisions and owning all analyses, documentation, actions and follow‑ups.
• Develop practical decision materials (e.g. decision trees and recommendations) and translate them into concrete next steps and implementation actions.
• Support cross‑functional alignment across Quality, R&D, Procurement and Operations, including collaboration with Human Health counterparts where relevant.
• Contribute to standardisation and simplification initiatives, including documentation, process mapping and identification of non‑value‑added activities.