Global Direct Materials Sourcing Lead

VAT Group; Sennwald; On-site; CHF 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

VAT Group is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Manager to develop and execute global sourcing strategies for direct materials, particularly electronics, across multiple regions. You will partner with Business Units, Engineering, and Operations to sustain the operating model, improve QCD metrics, and secure a best-cost supplier base worldwide.

The role emphasizes cross-functional leadership, supplier relationship management, and continuous improvement of direct material sourcing practices within a

Qualifications

• Minimize cost with global category strategies.
• Experience with direct material categories and mass production.
• Proven ability to lead cross-functional sourcing efforts.
• Strong analytical and risk-based decision making.

Responsibilities

• Management of own material categories (capacity, knowledge management, performance)
• Accountable for contributing to global Direct Material & Supply Base Performance (QCD)
• Representing own direct material categories within the VAT organization
• Accountable for category-specific achievement of objectives related to cost optimization, supply base optimization, geographic sourcing footprint, and Best Cost Country Sourcing
• Providing forward-looking guidance on trends, threats, and opportunities within assigned categories (e.g., raw materials)
• Actively contributing to the bottom-up alignment of the Direct Materials Category Team with defined company objectives
• Acting as the interface to Business Units and Engineering for Strategic Sourcing activities along the PDP (IP07) process
• Acting as a change agent toward key stakeholders
• Developing category sourcing strategies using defined methods and tools
• Managing supplier relationships across the global supply base within assigned category scope, in alignment with category teams in Switzerland, Malaysia, and Romania
• Ensuring consistent application of all sourcing levers
• Contributing to key sourcing KPIs
• Assembling and actively leading category-specific and cross-functional sourcing boards
• Actively monitoring and conducting supply base risk assessments across assigned categories
• Participating in and contributing to the continuous improvement of direct material sourcing practices

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Global sourcing

Vendor management

Eastern Europe sourcing

Asia sourcing

Leadership

Data analysis

German & English

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Word

ERP/IT systems

Job description

VAT Group is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Manager to develop and execute global sourcing strategies for direct materials, particularly electronics, across multiple regions. You will partner with Business Units, Engineering, and Operations to sustain the operating model, improve QCD metrics, and secure a best-cost supplier base worldwide.

The role emphasizes cross-functional leadership, supplier relationship management, and continuous improvement of direct material sourcing practices within a