Senior Category Buyer E-Commerce

Karsten S.A.; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel allowance or OV card

13th month & 8% holiday pay

Daily fresh lunch & great coffee

Bootcamp, yoga, football team

Bike lease option

OpenUp for mental well-being + office-

Visa + 30% ruling support (if applic.)

Product discounts & company outings

Job summary

Karsten International seeks a Sr. Category Buyer E-Commerce to lead the product range for digital channels and drive innovation to improve commercial performance.

You will use data-driven sourcing, spot trends, and negotiate winning products while coordinating with suppliers in China and cross-functional teams. The role requires travel to trade fairs and supplier sites multiple times a year, with English fluency and Dutch as a plus, and a background in retail/wholesale.

Qualifications

• 5+ years as a Buyer, Category Manager, or Purchaser.
• Experience in Retail/Wholesale (non-food is a plus).
• Proven negotiation skills to secure best deals while maintaining relationships.
• Data-driven with ability to balance trends and data.
• Experience with Asian suppliers, especially China, is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the product range for our digital channels and drive innovation to improve commercial performance.
• Apply data driven sourcing methodologies for ecommerce investment proposals.
• Spot trends, negotiate on price, and develop winning products to grow the catalogue.
• Drive the monthly product innovation roadmap with investment appraisals.
• Collaborate with our China offices to source manufacturers and support the entire product life cycle from sourcing to marketplace leadership.
• Identify ecommerce product opportunities with retail category buyers and provide market insights.

Skills

Negotiation

Data-driven

English fluency

Dutch knowledge

Supplier relations

Travel readiness

E-commerce experience

Tools

Helium10

Markt Mentor

Excel

Job description

Shape Trends, Drive Deals & See Your Products across major E-commerce marketplace

At Karsten International , we’re looking for a Sr. Category Buyer E-Commerce.

Are you the negotiator who secures unbeatable deals while building strong supplier relationships? Do you thrive on spotting the next big consumer trend before anyone else?

This Is Your Chance To

Directly impact our product range

Work with global suppliers, especially in China, and cross-functional teams

Travel internationally to trade fairs and supplier sites multiple times a year

Your Mission

As a key player in our E-commerce team, you’ll lead the product range for our digital channels and drive innovation to improve commercial performance.

Apply data driven sourcing methodologies specific to E-commerce that lead to investment proposals.

Spot trends, negotiate on price, and find winning products to grow our catalogue while maintaining harmony in the overall product range.

Drive the monthly product innovation roadmap, including investment appraisals for category expansion.

Work collaboratively with our offices in China to source manufacturers, together with the ecommerce sales team, and support the entire product life cycle from sourcing to becoming #1 on a marketplace.

Partner with retail category buyers to identify ecommerce product opportunities and provide ecommerce market insights.

Use Helium10, calculation sheets, Markt Mentor, search volume data, and other trend analysis tools to drive synthesis and investment opportunities.

Job requirements

What You Bring

• 5+ years as a Buyer, Category Manager, or Purchaser
• In Retail/wholesale (non-food Experience Is a Plus)
• Proven negotiation skills —you know how to get the best deal without burning bridges
• Data-driven —you balance data, trends, and gut instinct to make decisions
• Chinese market familiarity —experience working with Asian suppliers is a big advantage
• Entrepreneurial energy —you’re proactive, thrive under pressure, and love seeing results
• Willingness to travel (China, trade fairs, etc.)
• Fluency in English is required; Dutch is a plus

Who we are

Karsten International develops a wide range of products for daily use, from the latest gadgets to sustainable beauty products. The team consists of driven product developers, sales experts, logistics talents, online marketing specialists and graphic designers. You will be given every opportunity to contribute to this.

What you can expect from us

At Karsten International you will join a supportive, ambitious team where we work hard, stay sharp, and enjoy what we do. We are growing fast, so there’s plenty of room to share ideas, take ownership, and really make an impact. We communicate openly, help each other out, and keep things direct but respectful.

What we offer

• Plenty of space for personal growth, ownership and continuous improvement
• Excellent pension scheme
• Travel allowance or OV card, 13th month & 8% holiday pay
• Daily fresh lunch, fruit, and great coffee
• Bootcamp, yoga, football team
• Option to lease a bike
• OpenUp for mental well-being + massage at the office
• Discounts on great products & fun company outings
• Support with HSM visa and 30% ruling (if applicable)

Our core values

• Efficient & cost-conscious: We manage time and resources smartly, think critically and value what’s already in place.
• Ambitious with long-term focus: We take ownership, build lasting relationships and stay humble in our success.
• Striving for the best: We measure, learn, improve—and challenge each other to exceed expectations.
• Direct & respectful: We communicate openly and treat everyone with respect, regardless of background.
• We like to have fun: We enjoy what we do and create a positive, energetic work environment.