Knowledge Expert - Procurement

McKinsey & Company; Wrocław; On-site; PLN 645,994 - 818,259; Full time

Job summary

McKinsey & Company is seeking a senior procurement content expert to drive sustainable impact for clients across Europe. You will lead and co-lead critical workstreams, from category strategy to supplier innovation, guiding teams and advising senior stakeholders.

You will join the European Procurement Hub, contributing to knowledge assets, analytical tools, and best-practice guides. This role involves mentoring junior colleagues and traveling extensively.

Qualifications

• A university degree is required; an advanced degree in engineering, technology, or supply chain is preferred.
• 7+ years of professional experience in procurement, supply chain, operations consulting, or a procurement leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience leading procurement transformations or major category initiatives.
• Deep expertise in one or more procurement domains, such as strategic sourcing, category management, or costing.
• Strong understanding of procurement value levers and digital tools (e.g., e-sourcing, spend analytics).
• Superior analytical and quantitative skills with excellent problem-solving judgment.
• Strong project management capabilities and the ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders, as well as to lead, coach, or develop teams and colleagues.
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally (over 60%).
• Fluent level language skills in English are required and at least one other European language (German, French, Italian, or Spanish) is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement transformations or major category initiatives for clients in Europe.
• Guide teams on category strategy, strategic sourcing, supplier innovation, and value-capture tracking.
• Collaborate with client service teams and senior client stakeholders to deliver sustainable impact.
• Contribute to shaping the European Hub's knowledge agenda and development of proprietary assets and best-practice guides.
• Coach and mentor junior colleagues and build trusted client relationships.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Stakeholder influence

Travel readiness

English fluency

Additional European language

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree in engineering/technology/supply chain

Tools

e-sourcing

spend analytics

Job description

Who You'll Work With

Driving lasting impact and building long‑term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.

Who You'll Work With

Driving lasting impact and building long‑term capabilities with our clients is not easy work. You are the kind of person who thrives in a high performance/high reward culture - doing hard things, picking yourself up when you stumble, and having the resilience to try another way forward.

In return for your drive, determination, and curiosity, we'll provide the resources, mentorship, and opportunities you need to become a stronger leader faster than you ever thought possible. Your colleagues—at all levels—will invest deeply in your development, just as much as they invest in delivering exceptional results for clients. Every day, you'll receive apprenticeship, coaching, and exposure that will accelerate your growth in ways you won’t find anywhere else.

When you join us, you will have:

• Continuous learning: Our learning and apprenticeship culture, backed by structured programs, is all about helping you grow while creating an environment where feedback is clear, actionable, and focused on your development. The real magic happens when you take the input from others to heart and embrace the fast‑paced learning experience, owning your journey.
• A voice that matters: From day one, we value your ideas and contributions. You’ll make a tangible impact by offering innovative ideas and practical solutions, all while upholding our unwavering commitment to ethics and integrity. We not only encourage diverse perspectives, but they are critical in driving us toward the best possible outcomes.
• Global community: With colleagues across 65+ countries and over 100 different nationalities, our firm’s diversity fuels creativity and helps us come up with the best solutions for our clients. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from exceptional colleagues with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
• World‑class benefits: On top of a competitive salary (based on your location, experience, and skills), we provide a comprehensive benefits package to enable holistic well‑being for you and your family.

Your Impact

You will be a vital member of our global Operations Practice, a growing service line dedicated to helping organizations achieve competitive advantage through world‑class purchasing and supply management.

You will serve as a senior procurement content expert and thought partner to both client service teams and senior client stakeholders. Your primary focus will be on driving sustainable impact for clients across Europe by applying your deep functional expertise to solve complex procurement challenges. You will lead and co‑lead critical workstreams on client engagements, guiding teams on everything from category strategy and strategic sourcing to supplier innovation and value‑capture tracking.

You will work within our Centre of Procurement Excellence, joining the European Procurement Hub in either Wroclaw or Lisbon.

Beyond your direct client work, you will play a crucial leadership role in shaping the future of our procurement capabilities. You will help define the knowledge agenda for the European Hub, leading the development of proprietary assets, analytical tools, and best‑practice guides. Your insights will be instrumental in identifying emerging procurement topics and translating them into scalable capabilities for our firm. A significant part of your work will involve fostering our community by coaching and mentoring junior colleagues, ensuring the quality of their work, and supporting their professional development. You will contribute to a collaborative, high‑performing team environment while also building trusted relationships with clients to support business development. Your work requires extensive travel, which may account for more than 60% of your time.

Your Qualifications and Skills

• A university degree is required; an advanced degree in engineering, technology, or supply chain is preferred
• 7+ years of professional experience in procurement, supply chain, operations consulting, or a procurement leadership role
• Demonstrated experience leading procurement transformations or major category initiatives
• Deep expertise in one or more procurement domains, such as strategic sourcing, category management, or costing
• Strong understanding of procurement value levers and digital tools (e.g., e‑sourcing, spend analytics)
• Superior analytical and quantitative skills with excellent problem‑solving judgment
• Strong project management capabilities and the ability to advise and influence senior stakeholders, as well as to lead, coach, or develop teams and colleagues
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally (over 60%)
• Fluent level language skills in English are required and at least one other European language (German, French, Italian, or Spanish) is preferred