Strategic Buyer Mechanical

GEA Group; Italia; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 55,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Top Employer certification

Job summary

GEA Group is seeking a Global Category Manager for Automation & Electrical Items in Italy. You will lead a global category strategy, manage supplier relationships, and drive value across procurement processes.

This role requires strategic thinking, strong analytics, and international collaboration with cross‑functional teams. The position falls under the Italian Metalworking collective framework and offers a competitive gross salary with potential variable components.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in procurement or supply chain roles.
• Experience with Ariba, SAP and RFx processes.
• Strong analytical and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead global category strategy for Automation & Electrical Items.
• Manage strategic supplier relationships and performance.
• Drive cost reductions, favorable terms and supplier innovations.
• Oversee RFx activities and award decisions with stakeholders.

Skills

Procurement strategy

Supplier management

Negotiation

Analytics

Cross-functional collaboration

Travel willingness

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Ariba

SAP

S2P

Job description

Are you ready to shape the future of sustainable industries? Join GEA and become part of a global team that’s driving innovation, excellence, and impact across the food, beverage, and process sectors. GEA is one of the leading suppliers for the food and beverage processing industry and for a wide range of other process industries. Around 18,000 employees in over 60 countries contribute significantly to GEA’s success: join them! We offer interesting and challenging tasks, a positive working environment in international teams, and opportunities for personal development and growth in a global company.

• As part of category communities, is consulted on the category strategy definition by providing business feedback and visions from the entities/BUs/Functions that the role is supporting

Sourcing

• Based on pre-alignment with category managers, either drives or supports total cost reduction, payment terms improvement & supplier-led innovation initiatives
• Supports Project procurement managers regarding sourcing activities (pre-sales and execution phase)
• Runs RfX, negotiations, and takes awarding decisions in line with both category & business strategy
• Monitors and strives for compliance adherence of relevant stakeholders to procurement processes & policies (Contract management, competitive bidding, sourcing, PR approval etc.)

Supplier Management – for each vendor assigned to the role for Supplier Account Manager (SAM):

• Acts as last contact for escalations (cost, quality, service, compliance…)
• 1st contact for information about the main supplier account
• Monitor & manage supplier risks (e.g. within Ariba SRM, GEA Scorecard…)
• Owns the supplier roadmap / development plan
• Conducts business review meetings & leads the key negotiations (with relevant stakeholders)
• Owns sustainability scorecard in Ecovadis and other sustainability actions
• For preferred suppliers - Ensures systematic involvement in new projects/developments
• Monitor supplier capacity and/or lead times and take related actions accordingly
• When applicable - Maintains the main framework agreement (and/or NDA, COCSS v4) in Ariba CLM

Purchasing

• Can create/process and follow up on purchase orders, as long as it remains a minor part of the weekly activities (80/20 approach)
• Procurement or Supply chain Certification (optional)
• 5+ years of experience in procurement processes
• Know-how contract management
• Cost analysis and management
• Experience with implementation of corporate procurement
• Work experience in complex organizations
• Systems: Ariba, S2P, SAP
• Ability to network and build relationships
• Internal stakeholder /supplier relationship management
• Ability to translate business requirements into RFx
• Very good analytical capabilities, problem-solving skills and ability to think strategically
• Takes ownership of the work, successes and mistakes
• Very good communication skills
• Services and delivery expert
• Negotiation Expert
• Commercial/analytical and engagement skills
• Availability for business travel

The position falls under the Italian National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) for the Metalworking Industry, with job classification and level to be defined based on the candidate’s experience and skills.

The indicative gross annual salary range for this role is between €45,000 and €55,000, depending on experience, technical expertise, level of autonomy, and market alignment.

The overall compensation package may also include variable components and additional company benefits, which will be discussed during the selection process.

GEA is proudly certified as a Top Employer, confirming our commitment to employee well-being, development, and empowerment.

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