Procurement Manager

Proxima Fusion GmbH; München; On-site; EUR 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Proxima Fusion GmbH in Munich is seeking a Purchasing Specialist to help shape a robust, agile supply chain for our engineering and R&D initiatives. You will design procurement strategies, onboard new suppliers and manage supplier risk to enable rapid development and high-quality builds.

This role partners closely with engineering, finance and operations to negotiate contracts, oversee end-to-end procurement, and drive system improvements. English is required; German language skills are a plus.

Qualifications

• 3+ years in technical procurement in a fast-moving engineering setting.
• Team leadership experience preferred.
• Ability to read technical drawings and specs to assess manufacturability.
• Strong negotiation and supplier risk management track record.
• Fluent English; German language skills a plus.

Responsibilities

• Strategic sourcing for technical components, services and one-off builds.
• Onboard suppliers and strengthen relationships with existing ones.
• Lead contract negotiations and evaluate bids.
• Oversee end-to-end procurement from requisition to delivery.
• Improve procurement systems, databases and automation.
• Be the strategic link between engineering, finance and operations.
• Support R&D input in early product development and prototyping.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Supplier management

Contract negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

R&D support

Technical acumen

Communication

Education

Engineering or related technical field

Tools

Procurement platforms

ERP systems

Data-driven decision making tools

Job description

WHO WE ARE

Proxima Fusion is Europe’s fastest-growing fusion company and the continent’s best-funded fusion player, as well as the first spin-out from the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (IPP). Backed by over €650M and powered by a growing team across Munich, Zurich, and Oxford, we are developing the hardware and infrastructure needed to deliver the world’s first commercial stellarator fusion power plant. Our concept advances the most mature fusion technology out there, the Wendelstein 7-X stellarator, through two next-generation machines: Alpha and Stellaris. Our work combines stellarator optimization, advanced computation, machine learning, and high-temperature superconducting magnets to unlock higher-performance designs that were previously out of reach. Turning these designs into a functioning fusion power plant requires excellence and ownership across every discipline, from physics and engineering to software, manufacturing, law, and business functions.

YOUR IMPACT

We need a Purchasing Specialist who thrives at the intersection of technology and execution. In this role, you will drive the development of a robust and agile supply chain that supports our engineering and R&D ambitions.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

• Strategic sourcing: Design and run procurement strategies for highly technical components, services and first-of-a-kind builds.
• Supplier management: Find, assess and onboard new suppliers, and strengthen relationships with existing ones.
• Contract negotiation: Lead commercial negotiations, evaluate bids, and structure deals that manage risk while getting the best performance.
• End-to-end procurement operations: Oversee the whole process from requisition to delivery, in line with internal policies.
• Tool and process ownership: Improve procurement systems, databases and automation.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Be the strategic link between engineering, finance and operations.
• R&D support: Bring procurement input into early product development and prototyping.

WHO YOU ARE

• Education: Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management or a related technical field.
• Experience: 3+ years in technical procurement, ideally in a fast-moving engineering setting (startup, fusion, aerospace, defence, medtech). Team leadership experience is preferred.
• Technical acumen: Reads technical drawings and specs, and can judge whether a part can be made and what a supplier can deliver.
• Negotiation: A track record in contract negotiation, supplier risk and cost/value optimisation.
• Communication: Strong communicator. English is required, German is a plus.
• Tools: Hands-on with procurement platforms, ERP and data-driven decision-making.

INTERVIEW PROCESS

• Recruiter Interview (30-60 min)
• Technical Screening (30 min)
• Technical Panel (3x60 min)
• *This role sits at "PF2" of our framework, please inquire during the recruitment process for further information.

At Proxima Fusion, our mission is bold: making limitless clean energy a reality. To get there, we need a high-performing, diverse team that brings different perspectives, challenges assumptions, and builds together with purpose. We know that diversity of thought and experience leads to better ideas, stronger execution, and a more resilient team. We don’t look at how you identify, what you look like, who you choose to worship or what ethnicity you are. We care about what you can bring to the table.