Strategic Sourcing Expert - HR & Personnel Services

Chain IQ; Köln; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Chain IQ is seeking a Strategic Sourcing Expert for HR & Personnel Services to design and implement sourcing strategies in Cologne, Germany. You will lead end-to-end initiatives, build robust business cases, and drive measurable cost reductions across HR services, benefits, and temporary staffing, collaborating with regional and international stakeholders.

This role requires five-plus years in strategic sourcing, strong knowledge of the German supplier market, and fluency in German and English.

Qualifications

• At least five years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor management, or category management.
• Strong experience sourcing HR & Personnel Services, with proven expertise in the German supplier market.
• Practical knowledge of temporary staffing and personnel services, together with strong expertise in employee benefits.
• A proven track record of leading complex sourcing projects, commercial negotiations, and contract awards.
• Strong end-to-end strategic sourcing expertise, including category strategy, market analysis, supplier positioning, tendering, and savings delivery.
• Strong commercial, analytical, and contractual capabilities, with the ability to translate complex data into robust recommendations and business cases.
• Confident stakeholder management, a high degree of ownership, and the ability to manage complex priorities independently.
• Experience with source-to-contract tools and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Fluent written and spoken German and English, including the ability to negotiate confidently in both languages.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement sourcing and category strategies and roadmaps for HR & Personnel Services.
• Lead complex end-to-end sourcing initiatives, from market analysis and tendering through negotiation and contract award.
• Identify and deliver measurable savings, commercial improvements, supplier consolidation, innovation, and risk reduction.
• Advise key stakeholders across Procurement, HR, Finance, Legal, and relevant business functions.
• Manage strategic suppliers and lead negotiations, business reviews, and performance discussions.
• Use market benchmarks, supplier intelligence, and industry expertise to develop robust business cases and sourcing recommendations.
• Monitor market trends, pricing models, regulatory developments, and supplier activity across the German and European HR services market.
• Collaborate with international category and sourcing teams and contribute to category excellence, knowledge management, and procurement transformation.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Vendor management

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

German

English

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

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Title: Strategic Sourcing Expert - HR & Personnel Services

Location: Cologne, DE

Date: Oct 8, 2026

At Chain IQ, your ideas move fast.

Chain IQ is a global AI-driven Procurement Service Partner, headquartered in Baar, Switzerland, with operations across main centers and 16 offices worldwide. We provide tailored, end-to-end procurement solutions that enable transformation, drive scalability, and deliver substantial reductions in our clients' indirect spend. Our culture is built on innovation, entrepreneurship, ownership, and impact. Here, your voice matters - bold thinking is encouraged, and action follows ambition.

Role Purpose

As Strategic Sourcing Expert for HR & Personnel Services based in Cologne, you will design and implement effective sourcing strategies for temporary staffing, personnel services, employee benefits, and related HR services. You will lead complex sourcing initiatives, develop robust business cases, and deliver measurable value through cost optimization, improved supplier structures, innovation, and risk reduction. You will collaborate with regional and international stakeholders and suppliers in a dynamic transformation environment.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement sourcing and category strategies and roadmaps for HR & Personnel Services.

Lead complex end-to-end sourcing initiatives, from market analysis and tendering through negotiation and contract award.

Identify and deliver measurable savings, commercial improvements, supplier consolidation, innovation, and risk reduction.

Advise key stakeholders across Procurement, HR, Finance, Legal, and relevant business functions.

Manage strategic suppliers and lead negotiations, business reviews, and performance discussions.

Use market benchmarks, supplier intelligence, and industry expertise to develop robust business cases and sourcing recommendations.

Monitor market trends, pricing models, regulatory developments, and supplier activity across the German and European HR services market.

Collaborate with international category and sourcing teams and contribute to category excellence, knowledge management, and procurement transformation.

Requirements

At least five years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor management, or category management.

Strong experience sourcing HR & Personnel Services, with proven expertise in the German supplier market.

Practical knowledge of temporary staffing and personnel services, together with strong expertise in employee benefits.

A proven track record of leading complex sourcing projects, commercial negotiations, and contract awards.

Strong end-to-end strategic sourcing expertise, including category strategy, market analysis, supplier positioning, tendering, and savings delivery.

Strong commercial, analytical, and contractual capabilities, with the ability to translate complex data into robust recommendations and business cases.

Confident stakeholder management, a high degree of ownership, and the ability to manage complex priorities independently.

Experience with source-to-contract tools and advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

Fluent written and spoken German and English, including the ability to negotiate confidently in both languages.

Join a truly global team.

We offer a dynamic and international environment where high performance meets real purpose. We're proud to be Great Place to Work-certified and even prouder of the people who make that possible. Let's shape the future of procurement - together.

Chain IQ - Create. Lead. Make an impact.