Strategic Sourcing Manager

VAT Vakuumventile AG; Haag; On-site; CHF 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

VAT Group is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Manager in Switzerland to partner with Business Units and Operations. You will sustain the Global Category Management Operating Model and ensure best-cost supply for elastomer, rubber and plastics categories.

You will drive category strategies, negotiate key contracts, and manage a global supplier base across Switzerland, Malaysia, and Romania, aligning with VAT’s objectives and driving measurable QCD improvements.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in Procurement or related field.
• 4–8 years of in-depth strategic sourcing experience with global category management.
• Experience with EMS suppliers and direct materials is preferred.
• Experience in a global complex organization with cross-functional change management.
• Strong contract negotiation skills in manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with data analytics tools such as Power BI is advantageous.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage own material categories (capacity, knowledge, performance) focused on Elastomer, Rubber, and Plastics.
• Contribute to global Direct Material & Supply Base Performance (QCD).
• Represent direct material categories within the VAT organization.
• Achieve cost optimization, supply base optimization, and Best Cost Country Sourcing.
• Provide guidance on trends, threats, and opportunities in own categories.
• Align Direct Materials Category Team with company objectives.
• Coordinate with BU/Engineering for Strategic Sourcing and PDP processes.
• Act as change agent with main stakeholders and lead category strategy development.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Change management

Analytical skills

Project leadership

Cross-cultural awareness

English fluency

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Tools

Power BI

Job description

Strategic Sourcing Manager

Strategic Sourcing Manager

About VAT Group

At VAT, we change the world with vacuum solutions. As the world's leading supplier of high-performance vacuum valves, we have been driving innovation for more than 60 years. With over 3,200 employees worldwide, we operate from our headquarters in , Switzerland, with manufacturing sites in Switzerland, Malaysia and Romania, as well as sales and service hubs around the world. We guided by our passions integrity, teamwork, customer centricity, and innovation - always working together as #oneVAT.

Joining us means becoming part of a passionate, international team where your voice is heard, your ideas matter, and your career growth is supported.

Strategic Sourcing Manager

Strategic Sourcing Manager

Purpose of the role:

Acting as a business partner to key stakeholders in business (Business Units, Engineering, etc.) and Operations (Supply Chain Operations, Supplier Quality, Production, Materials Management, etc.). The Strategic Sourcing Manager shall sustain the Global Category Management Operating Model and provide the supply capability and capacity at best cost to support the company's future business needs and protection of brand value.

Responsibilities:

• Management of own material categories (capacity, knowledge management, performance). Focus is on Elastomer, Rubber and Plastics
• Accountable for contributing to the global Direct Material & Supply Base Performance (QCD)
• Representing own direct material categories within the VAT organization
• Accountable for the category specific achievement of the objectives of cost optimization, supply base optimization, geographic sourcing footprint and Best Cost Country Sourcing
• Providing forward-looking guidance on trends, threats and opportunities in own categories (eg. raw materials etc.)
• Active contribution to the bottom-up alignment of the Direct Materials Category Team with the defined / set company objectives
• Interface to BU / Engineering for Strategic Sourcing activities along with the PDP process
• Act as a change agent regarding main stakeholders
• Perform the development of category sourcing strategies applying and complying with defined methods and tools
• Active supplier relationship management of the global supply base within its own category perimeter in alignment with the category teams in Switzerland, Malaysia and Romania

Qualifications:

• A further education in Procurement or equivalent; ideally a Master's degree or similar
• Preferably 4-8 years of in-depth strategic sourcing experience with a solid working knowledge of global category management direct materials
• Preferably strong experience on the electronic sourcing market dealing with EMS suppliers as well as components
• Demonstrated work experience on category specific production techniques and processes
• Working experience within a global complex organization; an understanding of cross-functional & cross cultural change management is essential
• Strong contract negotiation skills, ideally with practice in global industrial manufacturing companies
• Experience with Power BI or similar data analytics tools preferable
• Solid people and change management skills, stakeholder engagement, cross-functional project leadership skills, strong analytical skills and ability to focus on the essential facts, able to get results through others, able to multi-task, ability to work under pressure
• Fluent in English and good level of desirable

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