EMEA Professional Services Category Buyer

Autoliv; Jelcz-Laskowice; On-site; PLN 360,000 - 480,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

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Job summary

Autoliv seeks an experienced professional to oversee the EMEA Professional Services category, driving strategic sourcing, supplier selection and commercial negotiations to optimize total cost, quality, and service across the region.

You will develop a long-term strategy aligned with Global IPU, support local buyers and stakeholders, and ensure compliance with purchasing processes while pursuing value-improvement initiatives.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s in business/admin, Economics, Procurement, SCM, or Engineering.
• Expertise: Knowledge of strategic sourcing and category management methodologies.
• Experience: 5+ years in strategic purchasing, sourcing or category management.
• Skills: Negotiation, analytical thinking, stakeholder management, communication, English; AI awareness.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the Professional Services category across EMEA, including Consultancy, HR Services, Temporary Help, and other services.
• Develop and maintain the long-term EMEA category strategy and Category Business Plan in line with Global IPU strategy.
• Support local buyers and stakeholders across EMEA in defining requirements and Statements of Work; aid supplier selection.
• Lead strategic sourcing, supplier selection and commercial negotiations to deliver competitive total cost, quality, service and contracts.
• Drive savings, cost avoidance, supplier consolidation and other value-improvement opportunities against category targets.
• Ensure sourcing and supplier-management activities comply with Autoliv purchasing processes and requirements.
• Create and deploy the EMEA category strategy and Category Business Plan with EMEA stakeholders and IPU teams.
• Lead or support RFI/RFP/RFQ processes, bid evaluations, supplier selection, negotiations, and contracting.

Skills

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

English

AI awareness

Education

Bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration, Economics, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Engineering

Job description

Autoliv's primary goal is to Save More Lives. Our products never get a second chance. This is why we can never compromise on quality. We are working to increase vehicle safety by developing seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels and you can be part of our team as EMEA Professional Services Category Buyer.

Should you be interested in overseeing these tasks and aiming for enhanced performance standards, your role will involve:

• Manage the Professional Services category across EMEA, covering Consultancy, HR Services, Temporary Help, Sorting Services, Engineering and R&D Consultants, and Operational Consultants.
• Develop and maintain the long-term EMEA category strategy and Category Business Plan, aligned with Global IPU strategy and business requirements.
• Support local buyers and stakeholders across EMEA in defining requirements and Statements of Work and in selecting the right sourcing approach and suppliers.
• Lead strategic sourcing, supplier selection and commercial negotiations to deliver competitive total cost, quality, service and contractual coverage.
• Drive savings, cost avoidance, supplier consolidation and other value-improvement opportunities against agreed category targets.
• Ensure sourcing and supplier-management activities comply with applicable Autoliv purchasing processes and requirements.
• Create and deploy the EMEA Professional Services Category Strategy and Category Business Plan in close cooperation with EMEA stakeholders, local buyers and relevant Global IPU Category teams.
• Execute EMEA category initiatives and support execution of relevant Global IPU strategies and global sourcing initiatives within EMEA, ensuring regional requirements are represented.
• Build and maintain the category sourcing pipeline based on spend, demand, contract, supplier and market analysis.
• Conduct supply-market intelligence, supplier benchmarking and commercial analysis, including rate cards, cost structures and total-cost evaluation, to support sourcing and negotiation decisions.
• Lead or support RFI/RFP/RFQ processes, bid evaluation, supplier selection, negotiations, Sourcing Board preparation and contracting in cooperation with stakeholders and local buyers.
• Coordinate the supplier registration, qualification and onboarding process for newly selected suppliers, ensuring required purchasing documentation, approvals and system setup are completed before implementation.
• Lead negotiations on pricing and commercial models, payment terms, indexation and other key commercial conditions, ensuring alignment with applicable legal and contractual requirements.
• Manage the EMEA supplier portfolio, including preferred-supplier development, consolidation, alternative-source qualification, supplier performance reviews and phase-out of non-strategic suppliers where appropriate.
• Establish regular engagement with EMEA stakeholders and local buyers to capture future demand, challenge requirements, improve Statements of Work and identify opportunities for demand optimization and standardization.
• Coordinate with Global IPU Category teams to align EMEA strategy with global direction, share regional market intelligence and leverage global agreements and synergies where beneficial.
• Own and monitor agreed category KPIs, including savings, cost avoidance, sourcing pipeline, payment terms, contract coverage and supplier performance; identify gaps and drive corrective actions to achieve agreed targets.
• Proactively identify and propose new sourcing approaches, supplier solutions, commercial models, process improvements and digital opportunities that increase value, efficiency, competitiveness or risk resilience across the EMEA Professional Services category.
• Act as the EMEA Professional Services category point of contact for purchasing teams, business stakeholders and strategic suppliers.

If You Have/are

Education

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in business administration, Economics, Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Engineering or a comparable field

Expertise/ Training

• Strong knowledge of strategic sourcing and category management methodologies
• Good understanding of Professional Services commercial models, including hourly/daily rates, time and material, fixed-fee and project-based engagements
• Good understanding of Statements of Work, rate cards, supplier cost structures, contracting principles and supplier performance management

Experience

• Minimum 5 years of experience in strategic purchasing, sourcing or category management, preferably in an international organization
• Proven experience leading complex competitive sourcing processes and commercial negotiations
• Experience developing and implementing category or sourcing strategies across multiple stakeholders or locations

Skills And Competences

• Excellent negotiation and commercial decision-making skills
• Strong analytical capability for spend, bid, rate-card, market and total-cost analysis
• Strong stakeholder management, influencing, communication and presentation skills
• Ability to challenge demand constructively and translate business requirements into effective sourcing solutions
• Ability to coordinate local buyers and cross-functional stakeholders across EMEA without direct reporting authority
• Very good command of English
• Digital and AI awareness, with the ability to identify practical opportunities to use AI-enabled tools responsibly in sourcing, market analysis, supplier research, commercial analysis and procurement process improvement.

Personality

• Proactive, accountable and results-oriented
• Commercially minded with a structured and pragmatic approach
• Able to work independently while building effective cross-functional relationships
• Comfortable operating in an international and multicultural environment

Others

• Ability to work effectively across EMEA countries and time zones
• Willingness to travel when required

We will be more than glad to chat with you about your experience and your career goals.

In our international work setting, you will find a range of opportunities that are designed to enhance your career and personal development. Including new and different perspectives is part of what ensures the team’s success. We are committed to develop people’s skills, knowledge and creative potential. Our training and development programs emphasize technical competency, leadership development and business management skill.

More lives saved – more life lived!