Supplier Manager / Tactical Buyer

Unity Partners; Nijmegen; On-site; EUR 82,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

€ 91,000 gross per year (including 8%/

Job summary

Unity Partners is seeking a Tactical Buyer to own a dedicated portfolio of suppliers and/or product categories within a technical manufacturing environment. You will manage both tactical and strategic activities, focusing on performance, cost, continuity and long-term supplier relationships.

You will work at the intersection of engineering, operations and Planning & Logistics, getting involved early in new product introductions, addressing supplier issues, and acting as a sparring partner for

Qualifications

• Experience as a tactical or strategic buyer in a technical, production-driven environment.
• Experience with NPI sourcing and scaling suppliers toward series production.
• Strong negotiation skills and commercial insight.
• Structured, data-driven approach to supplier performance and risk management.
• Ability to build lasting supplier relationships while holding suppliers accountable.
• Fluency in Dutch and English.

Responsibilities

• Develop and independently execute supplier and sourcing strategies for assigned suppliers/product categories.
• Select, qualify and onboard new suppliers.
• Run NPI sourcing and ensure supplier readiness for series production.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, contracts and other commercial conditions.
• Manage and follow up on supplier contracts.
• Monitor and improve supplier performance on quality, delivery, cost and KPIs.
• Conduct supplier assessments and drive improvement actions.
• Identify and deliver cost-down programs.
• Reduce continuity risks through second sourcing and by cutting single-source dependencies.
• Flag obsolescence risks and initiate alternative sourcing.
• Set up commercial agreements on topics like VMI and clustering into modules.
• Escalate toward suppliers for structural quality, delivery or commercial issues.
• Support operational buyers with tactical purchasing questions.

Job description

Tactical Buyer / Supplier Manager | High-Tech Manufacturing

Are you a buyer who doesn’t just place orders, but actually makes suppliers better? Someone who enjoys owning a supplier portfolio end to end, from NPI sourcing through series production, and who knows how to balance cost, quality and continuity? Then this role is worth a closer look.

About the role

We’re looking for a Tactical Buyer to take ownership of a dedicated set of suppliers and/or product categories within a technical manufacturing organization. You’ll be responsible for both the tactical and strategic management of your portfolio, with a clear focus on performance, cost, continuity and long-term supplier relationships.

You’ll sit at the intersection of engineering, operations and Planning & Logistics. That means this is not a back-office purchasing role: you’ll be involved early in new product introductions, you’ll be the one suppliers deal with when things go structurally wrong, and you’ll act as a sparring partner for the operational buyers in the team.

What you’ll do

• Help develop and independently execute supplier and sourcing strategies for your assigned suppliers and/or product categories
• Select, qualify and onboard new suppliers
• Run NPI sourcing and ensure supplier readiness for series production
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, contracts, framework agreements and other commercial conditions
• Manage and follow up on supplier contracts
• Monitor and improve supplier performance on quality, delivery, cost and other KPIs
• Conduct supplier assessments and drive improvement actions
• Identify and deliver cost-down programs
• Reduce continuity risks through second sourcing and by cutting single-source dependencies
• Flag and address obsolescence risks on the supplier side, and initiate alternative sourcing
• Set up commercial agreements on topics such as VMI, inventory concepts and clustering into modules, based on input from Planning & Logistics
• Act as the escalation point toward suppliers for structural quality, delivery or commercial issues
• Support operational buyers with tactical purchasing questions

What you bring

• Experience as a tactical or strategic buyer in a technical, production-driven environment
• Hands-on experience with NPI sourcing and scaling suppliers toward series production
• Strong negotiation skills and solid commercial insight
• A structured, data-driven approach to supplier performance and risk management
• The ability to build lasting supplier relationships while still holding suppliers accountableA bachelor’s or master’s level background, ideally in supply chain, purchasing or a technical field
• Fluency in Dutch and English

Total package of up to € 91,000 gross per year (including 8% holiday allowance).