Sr. Strategic Buyer

Lonza; Vacaville (CA); Hybrid; Confidential; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Performance-related bonus

Medical, dental and vision insurance

401(k) matching plan

Life insurance, as well as short-term/

Employee assistance programs

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Lonza in Vacaville, CA is seeking a Senior Strategic Buyer (Indirect) to partner with Central Procurement and site stakeholders. You will lead category strategies, drive supplier negotiations and contracting, and optimize delegated spend to ensure continuity and value.

The role is office-first with the option to work remotely up to 20% of time. A strong background in tendering, SAP Ariba, and ERP systems is essential to deliver cost savings and robust supplier performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, MBA, or advanced degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Procurement, or Supply Chain.
• 5–10 years of experience in Operational Procurement and Strategic Buying/Category Management.
• Expertise in tendering, negotiation, planning, and contracting.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Central Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies.
• Lead sourcing initiatives for delegated spend across sites, driving efficiency and cost savings.
• Provide expert support in tendering, negotiations, contracting, and procurement planning.
• Assist in global and regional sourcing efforts, supporting the rollout of procurement policies, procedures, and tools across sites.
• Manage supplier relationships, transitions, performance monitoring, and risk assessments.

Skills

Tendering

Negotiation

Contracting

Procurement planning

SAP ERP

SAP Ariba

E-auctions

Online catalogs

Supplier management

Stakeholder collaboration

Microsoft Office

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor's degree, MBA, or advanced degree

Tools

SAP ERP

SAP Ariba

Job description

Sr. Strategic Buyer (Indirect)

Location: Vacaville, CA

As a Senior Strategic Buyer, you will play a key role in driving value for site stakeholders by working closely with the Central Procurement team to ensure seamless business continuity and alignment with site-specific objectives. You will build strong partnerships with key stakeholders across sites to manage and optimize supplier relationships and performance. Drawing on your expertise in tendering, negotiation, contracting, and procurement systems, you will lead the execution of strategic sourcing initiatives while overseeing delegated spend to ensure procurement processes are both efficient and impactful at the site level.

This is an office‑first role. Working together in person supports close, real‑time collaboration and team alignment, enabling us to deliver our best work. You will work primarily in the office, with the flexibility to work remotely for 20% of your time (one day per week).

What you will get:

The full-time base annual salary for this position is expected to range between $93,000-$155,000. In addition, below you will find a comprehensive summary of the benefits package we offer:

• Performance-related bonus
• Medical, dental and vision insurance
• 401(k) matching plan
• Life insurance, as well as short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Employee assistance programs
• Paid Time Off

Compensation for this role will be determined by the candidate's qualifications, skills, experience, and relevant knowledge.

What you will do:

• Collaborate with the Central Category Manager to develop and execute category strategies, ensuring alignment with current and future business needs at the site level.
• Lead sourcing initiatives for delegated spend across assigned sites, driving efficiency and cost savings.
• Provide expert support in tendering, negotiations, contracting, and procurement planning, ensuring compliance and best practices.
• Assist in global and regional sourcing efforts, supporting the roll‑out of procurement policies, procedures, and tools across sites.
• Optimize procurement activities by identifying cost efficiencies, driving automation, and utilizing leading-edge tools like e-auctions and online catalogs.
• Manage supplier relationships, including transitions, performance monitoring, and risk assessments (e.g. supply, quality, financial risks).
• Partner with site stakeholders and controllers to forecast spend, track savings, and ensure business continuity for indirect materials, while identifying risks and opportunities for improvement.

What we are looking for:

• Bachelor's degree, MBA, or advanced degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Procurement, or Supply Chain.
• Solid understanding of general business practices and procurement fundamentals.
• 5- 10 years of experience in both Operational Procurement and Strategic Buying/Category Management with strong experience in Strategic Buying.
• Expertise in tendering, negotiation tactics, planning, and contracting.
• Proven track record in third‑party spend management and supplier relationship management.
• Ability to influence and persuade suppliers to secure the best outcomes for Lonza.
• Hands‑on experience with SAP ERP and SAP Ariba (for Strategic Buyer, Indirect Procurement).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other essential tools for procurement operations.
• Strong customer service mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Positive attitude and a proactive approach to learning new skills.

About Lonza

At Lonza, our people are our greatest strength. With 30+ sites across five continents, our globally connected teams work together every day to manufacture the medicines of tomorrow. Our core values of Collaboration, Accountability, Excellence, Passion and Integrity reflect who we are and how we work together. Everyone's ideas, big or small, have the potential to improve millions of lives, and that's the kind of work we want you to be part of.

Innovation thrives when people from all backgrounds bring their unique perspectives to the table. At Lonza, we offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you're ready to help turn our customers' breakthrough ideas into viable therapies, we look forward to welcoming you on board.