Senior Strategic Buyer

Lonza Group Ltd.; Bornem; On-site; EUR 80,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Lonza Group Ltd. in Bornem is seeking a Senior Strategic Buyer to lead end-to-end indirect procurement across sites and categories, delivering cost savings and sustainable supplier performance.

You will partner with Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance and Global Procurement to execute strategies, manage risk, and develop the Bornem team while driving value through strategic sourcing and supplier relationships.

Qualifications

• Minimum 8 years experience in indirect procurement within chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, or manufacturing environments.
• Strong background in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiation, and category management for indirect spend.
• Proven ability to manage supplier performance, risk, and value delivery at both operational and strategic levels.
• Experience working in a matrixed, global organization with strong stakeholder-management skills.
• Sound understanding of procurement systems, governance, and compliance frameworks.
• Postgraduate degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, or Business; engineering background is an advantage.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end indirect procurement activities in Bornem and act as a back-up for Colmar/France across delegated spend categories.
• Drive strategic sourcing initiatives, including tendering, negotiation, and contracting for complex and strategic categories.
• Execute global and regional category strategies locally, ensuring effective contract implementation and stakeholder adoption.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance, ensuring service, quality, delivery, safety, and sustainability standards are met.
• Deliver cost savings, cost avoidance, and value-creation targets through structured sourcing and demand management.
• Partner with site and functional stakeholders to understand current and future business needs and translate them into sourcing strategies.
• Lead and develop the Bornem indirect procurement operational buyer, fostering ownership, capability building, and a high-performance culture.
• Ensure compliance with global procurement policies, audit requirements, and procurement systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba).

Skills

Indirect procurement

Strategic sourcing

Supplier negotiation

Category management

Stakeholder management

Procurement systems (SAP, Ariba)

Governance & compliance

Team leadership

Education

Postgraduate degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, or Business

Engineering background (advantage)

Tools

SAP

Ariba

Job description

Senior Strategic Buyer Location: Bornem (Dutch speaking) We are looking for a Senior Strategic Buyer to join our Indirect Procurement team in Bornem. In this role, you will lead and drive end‑to‑end indirect procurement activities across sites and categories, ensuring business continuity, cost competitiveness, and supplier performance. You will play a key role in executing global and regional procurement strategies, partnering closely with site and functional stakeholders, and delivering sustainable value through strategic sourcing, supplier management, and risk mitigation. This position requires strong commercial acumen, leadership capability, and the ability to operate effectively in a complex, matrixed global environment.

What you will get:

A strategic procurement role with ownership of indirect spend, sourcing outcomes, and value delivery in Bornem. Opportunity to execute and influence global and regional procurement strategies at site level. Exposure to senior stakeholders across Operations, Engineering, Quality, Finance, and Global Procurement. A collaborative, ethical, and inclusive working culture with strong focus on sustainability and responsible sourcing. Competitive compensation, benefits, and opportunities for professional and leadership development. Compensation programs that recognize high performance. A variety of benefits dependent on role and location. The full list of our global benefits can be found here: https://www.lonza.com/careers/benefits. The full-time annual base pay for this position in Bornem is expected to range between 80.250,- EUR and 112.350,- EUR. Initial salary placement within this range will be determined based on role‑related factors such as experience, qualifications, and expected contribution.

What you will do:

Lead end‑to‑end indirect procurement activities in Bornem and act as a back‑up for our site in Colmar/France across the delegated spend categories including Professional Services & Consulting, Facility Management, MRO and Spare Parts, Utilities & Technical Services, IT, HR, Marketing, Packaging, Capex, and other indirect spend areas. Drive strategic sourcing initiatives, including tendering, negotiation, and contracting for complex and strategic categories. Execute global and regional category strategies locally, ensuring effective contract implementation and stakeholder adoption. Manage supplier relationships and performance, ensuring service, quality, delivery, safety, and sustainability standards are met. Deliver cost savings, cost avoidance, and value‑creation targets through structured sourcing and demand management. Partner with site and functional stakeholders to understand current and future business needs and translate them into sourcing strategies. Lead and develop the Bornem indirect procurement operational buyer, fostering ownership, capability building, and a high‑performance culture. Ensure compliance with global procurement policies, audit requirements, and procurement systems (e.g., SAP, Ariba).

What we are looking for:

• Minimum 8-year experience in indirect procurement within chemicals, pharmaceuticals, engineering, or manufacturing environments.
• Strong background in strategic sourcing, supplier negotiation, and category management for indirect spend.
• Proven ability to manage supplier performance, risk, and value delivery at both operational and strategic levels.
• Experience working in a matrixed, global organization with strong stakeholder‑management skills.
• Sound understanding of procurement systems, governance, and compliance frameworks.
• Postgraduate degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, or Business; engineering background is an advantage.
• Business‑fluent English and Dutch are required.
• French is a nice to have.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of. Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.