Category Buyer (maternity cover)

KION Group; Kraków; On-site; PLN 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work & Flexible Working Hours

Private medical care (LuxMed)

4 hours off work per year for health (

MyBenefit Cafeteria Platform

Group Life Insurance

Employee referral program

Professional training & courses

Language courses available

No dress code

Growth inside an organization

Job summary

KION Business Services Polska, part of the KION Group, is recruiting a Category Buyer in Cracow. You will steer the supply base to meet strategic goals, develop category strategies, and coordinate with internal partners to optimize costs and supplier performance.

You will negotiate global contracts, manage supplier relationships, and drive sourcing initiatives across Europe. Strong English, strategic thinking, and ability to travel are essential in this role.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or Engineering; 3+ years as a Commodity Buyer in applicable industries.
• Strategic thinking in day‑to‑day decision making.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to lead supplier contract negotiations.
• Understanding of product cost breakdowns and TCO management.
• Ability to read technical drawings and understand manufacturing processes.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office.
• Results driven with project leadership abilities.
• Excellent communicator and presenter to stakeholders.
• Willingness to travel within Europe, at short notice.
• Very good English skills.

Responsibilities

• Engineer and steer the supply base to meet quality, cost, delivery, and innovation goals.
• Develop Category Strategies and supplier portfolio aligned with Category Manager.
• Collaborate with Advanced Sourcing to translate market trends into projects.
• Involve procurement early in development processes with Module Management & Truck development.
• Maintain and develop relationships with strategic suppliers; lead negotiations and manage contracts.
• Drive sourcing initiatives and manage internal and external relations.
• Manage crisis situations and respond to supply failures with solutions.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Contract understanding

Cost breakdowns / TCO

Technical drawings reading

MS Office

Communication

Travel flexibility

English proficiency

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business or Engineering

Tools

SAP/R3 ERP

Job description

KION Business Services Polska is part of the KION Group - a world-leading supplier of forklift trucks, warehouse technology and supply chain solutions. We already employ more than 42,000 people in over 100 countries and are thus significantly driving the future of intralogistics while pursuing a clear sustainability strategy. In Cracow we hire around 750 Employees.

For our procurement department we are currently looking for the Category Buyer. As a valuable member of the Global Strategic Direct Procurement department, you will be in charge of the strategic procurement within the commodity - Mast & Hydraulic. In close coordination with the Category Manager and internal Business Partners, you will shape the Category Strategy, optimize the global supply base; become an integral challenger in the early development phase, achieve material cost optimization at the supplier level also through effective supplier relationship management.

Join KION Business Services and shape the intelligent supply chain solutions that power everyday life!

We offer:

• Hybrid work & Flexible Working Hours

• Private medical care in LuxMed Group

• 4 hours off work per year for health check-ups (“Dzień na U”)

• MyBenefit Cafeteria Platform (with Multisport card available)

• Group Life Insurance

• Employee referral program

• Professional training & courses

• Sharing the costs of foreign language courses

• No dress code

• Possibility of growth inside an organization

Tasks and Qualifications:

• You will engineer & steer the supply base to achieve our objectives on quality, cost, delivery, business, and innovation, considering best practice methods as well as KIONs Procurement Strategy.

• You will develop Category Strategies and the supplier portfolio in alignment with the Category Manager which includes regular supplier and market analysis as well as benchmarking

• You will closely cooperate with Advanced Sourcing to assure project requirements on the supply base and the transfer of market trends into the projects

• You will ensure the early involvement of the procurement (strategy) in the development process (Close cooperation with Module Management & Truck development)

• You will maintain and develop relationships with strategic suppliers. Lead negotiations for the supplier portfolio in your area of responsibility. Manage and negotiate global contracts with strategic suppliers (NDAs, Long Term- / Supply Contracts, etc.).

• You will proactively drive sourcing, resourcing, 2nd sourcing, etc. initiatives, effectively managing all internal as well as external relations to achieve the goals

• You will manage crisis situations. Support and respond to unforeseen supply failures, working with suppliers and plant to deliver solutions

Your Skills and Expertise:

• Bachelor’s degree minimum in Business or Engineering and experience of 3+ years’ as a Commodity Buyer in Material Handling, Construction, Agriculture, Automotive Tier 1, or similarly demanding environment.

• Strategic thinking in the day-to-day decision making.

• Strong negotiation skills. Capable of leading negotiations for strategic supply contracts. Ability to develop and understand legal contracts.

• Good understanding of product cost breakdowns and experience in methods for TCO management, based on product cost analysis and cost engineering.

• Able to read and understand technical drawings and specifications. Good understanding of manufacturing processes and industry quality standards for industrial parts – appreciated.

• Proficient in using Microsoft Office.

• Results driven, with the ability to drive projects self-reliant and successfully.

• Excellent communicator and presenter at key stakeholders / top executive level.

• Flexibility to travel within Europe, also at short notice.

• Very good English skills

• Demonstrates KION Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration and Courage.

• Demonstrates KION Core Values of Integrity, Excellence, Collaboration and Courage.

Nice-to-have:

• Good understanding of manufacturing processes and industry quality standards for industrial parts

• Good SAP/R3 ERP experience

• Fluent German skills