Strategic Buyer

BAADER; Aarhus; On-site; DKK 700,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

BAADER in Trige, Denmark is seeking a Strategic Buyer to shape and execute sourcing across Denmark and the Netherlands, with planned expansion to Malaysia and the USA. The role emphasizes structured supplier performance, category development, cost avoidance and resilient supply chains.

You will join a small but growing global procurement team, collaborating across engineering, operations and suppliers, and help professionalize processes while driving standardization and improvements.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Supply Chain, Engineering, Business Administration or a related field.
• Proven experience in negotiating, category management, strategic procurement and contract management.
• Experience managing suppliers across QLTCS dimensions.
• Strong ownership of supplier performance and sourcing decisions.
• Experience in new product development environments.

Responsibilities

• Supplier account management across global supplier accounts with emphasis on QLTCS.
• Develop and execute sourcing strategies that support business objectives across categories.
• Collaborate with engineering, operations and other functions to align sourcing decisions.
• Contribute to NPD projects and ensure use of preferred suppliers.
• Lead structured supplier selection, qualification and contracting processes.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Communication

Stakeholder management

Technical products

Project management

Change management

Danish English

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Supply Chain/Engineering/Business

Job description

About the Role

The Strategic Buyer will play a key role in shaping and executing sourcing strategies across multiple international entities. Based in Trige, Denmark, our new colleague will manage selected categories for BAADER Food Systems entities in Denmark and the Netherlands, with future expansion to Malaysia and the USA.

This is a strategic, value-driven and proactive role, focused on supplier performance, category development, cost avoidance and supply chain optimization.

At the same time, the Strategic Buyer will join a procurement function that is in the process of increasing its professional maturity. While not all structures, systems and policies are fully established yet, this creates a unique opportunity to actively participate in developing and strengthening the procurement function. The Strategic Buyer will become part of a small but growing international team of Strategic Buyers, professionalizing the global procurement organization.

We are looking for a new colleague who is energized by collaborating, challenging and influencing stakeholders across functions and suppliers in a cross-functional and multi-national working environment. We are looking for a pragmatic colleague keeping the fact-based and strategic vision while driving standardization and improvements in your direct working scope.

There is no operational purchasing foreseen in the role.

Your future tasks will include:

The challenge is to deliver results in today's environment while building the foundations for tomorrow. The Strategic Buyer will bring structure, discipline, transparency and a holistic perspective into supplier and product selection.

The Strategic Buyer will operate at the intersection of strategy, product development and operations. He/she will need to balance structured, long-term and risk-mitigating sourcing strategies with the sometimes-opportunistic nature of sales-driven projects.

Key Responsibilities:

Supplier Account Management

• The performance of his/her global supplier accounts, in terms of QLTCS (Quality, Logistics, Technology, Cost, Sustainability)
• Active monitoring and evaluation of supplier performance
• Identification of improvement opportunities and driving supplier development initiatives

Category Management

The Strategic Buyer will have ownership in several procurement categories and will be responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies that support the organization's business objectives. This requires the Strategic Buyer to:

• Identify and realize opportunities for cost avoidance, value creation, innovation, standardization, risk mitigation and supply chain resilience
• Collaborate closely with stakeholders across engineering, operations and other business functions to ensure alignment on sourcing decisions
• Develop and manage a global supply base of capable partners and ensure holistic system and supplier selection
• Ensure strong contractual frameworks with clear responsibilities and performance expectations regarding these aspects

New Product Development (NPD)

The Strategic Buyer will participate in and actively contribute to NPD-projects, representing the strategic procurement interests and conditions.

• Ensure the use of preferred suppliers and standard components
• Challenge engineering and safeguard a holistic approach to product and supplier selection
• Drive, enforce and lead a structured supplier selection qualification and contracting process

Your qualifications, experience and personal skills:

Core Competencies

• Strong negotiation and influencing skills in international environments
• Strong analytical capabilities with an assertive mindset
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work with technical products and engineering stakeholders
• Strong project management skills and experience with change management
• Strong language acumen in Danish and English

Background

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business Administration or a related field
• Profound, proven experience and training in specific in negotiating, category management, strategic procurement and contract management Background in technical or manufacturing industries
• Strong track record in supplier negotiations and contract management
• Experience managing suppliers across QLTCS dimensions
• Experience in new product development environments
• Strong ownership of supplier performance and sourcing decisions

We offer:

• A high-impact strategic role with global responsibility
• Opportunity to shape supplier base and performance from early design stages
• A professionalizing procurement function where you can actively contribute to the development of structure and professional standards and demonstrate the added value
• International collaboration with procurement colleagues, stakeholders and suppliers across multiple regions
• Standardized modular product design and supply in an international and continuously evolving business environment