Project Material Lead

Lonza Group; Geleen; Hybrid; EUR 53,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

Lonza Geleen, Netherlands, seeks a Project Material Lead to ensure timely material availability for customer projects and medicine manufacturing. The role supports Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality and Manufacturing on site with optional remote time up to 20%.

You will lead material planning, collaborate with suppliers and internal teams, and manage inventory, costs and risks while aligning with project requirements and regulatory standards.

Qualifications

• Experience in supply chain management in manufacturing/pharma/regulatory environment.
• Experience managing materials, inventory and suppliers, with end-to-end supply chain knowledge.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with KPI monitoring.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management across functions.
• APICS CPIM certification is required.

Responsibilities

• Lead material planning and inventory management for customer projects, ensuring materials are available in line with project requirements, timelines and forecasted demand.
• Act as the Supply Chain representative within project teams and governance meetings, translating project requirements into clear material and supply chain deliverables.
• Partner with planners, procurement teams and suppliers to secure material availability, manage priorities and address supply risks, including supplier performance and pricing.
• Collaborate with Quality, Supplier Quality and Quality Control teams to ensure materials meet quality requirements and are available for project execution.
• Work with technical and manufacturing teams to maintain accurate material requirements and bills of materials, assessing the potential impact of material availability on project and manufacturing performance.
• Monitor inventory, material costs, scrapping and excess or obsolete stock risks, identifying opportunities to optimize working capital and reduce waste.
• Lead local improvements relating to material management, consumption, rejection and traceability, using data and root-cause analysis to improve supply chain performance.

Skills

Analytical skills

Problem-solving

Stakeholder management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in relevant field

APICS CPIM certification

Tools

SAP ERP

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The actual location of this job is in Geleen, Netherlands. Relocation assistance is available for eligible candidates and their families, if needed.

As a Project Material Lead, you will play a key role in ensuring the right materials are available at the right time to support customer projects and the manufacture of medicines. Working across Supply Chain, Procurement, Quality, Manufacturing and other functions, you will help deliver reliable material supply while managing inventory, cost and supply risks.

This role is primarily based on site. Working together in person supports close, real-time collaboration and the technical precision needed to manufacture medicines to the highest quality and safety standards. We offer flexibility to work remotely for no more than 20% of your time. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis, in line with business needs.

What you will get:

An agile career and dynamic working culture.

An inclusive and ethical workplace.

Compensation programs that recognize high performance.

Opportunities to work cross-functionally in a global, science-driven organization.

The opportunity to contribute directly to projects supporting the development and manufacture of medicines.

A variety of benefits dependent on role and location.

The full-time annual base pay for this position in the Netherlands is expected to range between EUR 52,500 and EUR 73,500. Initial salary placement within this range will be determined based on role-related factors such as experience, qualifications, and expected contribution.

What you will do:

Lead material planning and inventory management for customer projects, ensuring materials are available in line with project requirements, timelines and forecasted demand.

Act as the Supply Chain representative within project teams and governance meetings, translating project requirements into clear material and supply chain deliverables.

Partner with planners, procurement teams and suppliers to secure material availability, manage priorities and address supply risks, including supplier performance and pricing.

Collaborate with Quality, Supplier Quality and Quality Control teams to ensure materials meet quality requirements and are available for project execution.

Work with technical and manufacturing teams to maintain accurate material requirements and bills of materials, assessing the potential impact of material availability on project and manufacturing performance.

Monitor inventory, material costs, scrapping and excess or obsolete stock risks, identifying opportunities to optimize working capital and reduce waste.

Lead local improvements relating to material management, consumption, rejection and traceability, using data and root-cause analysis to improve supply chain performance.

What we are looking for:

Significant experience in Supply Chain Management, ideally within a manufacturing, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or other regulated environment.

Experience managing materials, inventory and suppliers, with a strong understanding of end-to-end supply chain processes.

Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to define and monitor KPIs and use root-cause analysis to resolve issues.

Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the confidence to influence suppliers and collaborate effectively across functions and organizational levels.

Hands-on experience using SAP ERP in a Supply Chain environment and strong proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.

The ability to manage competing priorities, work effectively in project environments and translate complex requirements into practical actions.

A bachelor's or master's degree, or equivalent relevant experience, in Supply Chain Management, Business, Business Administration or a related field. APICS CPIM certification is required.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone’s ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that’s the kind of work we want you to be part of.

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re ready to help turn our customers’ breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.