Packaging and Technical Services Buyer

Bottom Line Training and Consulting; Paarl; On-site; ZAR 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension fund

Medical Aid benefit participation

Job summary

Doehler in Germany is seeking a procurement professional to source and negotiate contracts and pricing for technical services, including Capex, to meet operational requirements.

The role focuses on supplier research, onboarding, audits, RFQs, tenders, price benchmarking and KPI reporting, with close collaboration across Planning, Operations, Quality and Finance to drive savings and ensure compliant procurement processes.

Qualifications

• Relevant tertiary qualification required.
• More than 4 years of professional experience as a Buyer in the Food & Beverage industry (Flavours advantageous).
• SAP experience is essential.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing, supplier research and onboarding to support procurement decisions.
• Conduct supplier audits, risk assessments and performance reviews.
• Lead negotiations, RFQs, tenders, price comparisons and maintain pricing tools.
• Analyse market trends and supply risks to inform procurement decisions.
• Prepare contracts, purchase orders and order confirmations in SAP.

Education

Relevant tertiary qualification

More than 4 years of professional experience as a Buyer (Food & Beverage)

Tools

SAP

Job description

The people and work culture at Doehler have been part of our success story in the past and will continue to drive our performance in the future. Our headquarters are in Germany and we have close to 10 000 employees located in more than 70 countries around the world. Our culture stems from our fundamentals, which defines our values, who we are and what we stand for. This framework enables us to be agile and to deliver out-standing customer solutions. We are passionate about everything to do with the future of nutrition. The blend of expertise, innovation and our cutting-edge technology appeals to the entrepreneurial mindset of our employees. That is why remarkable people join and stay with Doehler.

YOUR ROLE

The successful candidate will be responsible for the sourcing and contract/pricing negotiation relating to technical services (including Capex) for operational requirements.

YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support supplier, raw material, and packaging research to enable sourcing decisions.
• Identify, qualify, and onboard new suppliers in line with approved sourcing strategies.
• Conduct supplier audits, risk assessments, and performance reviews, and support corrective action follow-up where needed.
• Assist with negotiations, RFQs, tenders, bid evaluations, price comparisons, and maintenance of pricing tools.
• Analyse market trends, supply risks, and price fluctuations to support informed procurement decisions.
• Negotiate lead times, payment terms, and service levels as required.
• Prepare, issue, and track contracts, purchase orders, and order confirmations in SAP.
• Maintain accurate supplier and material master data and ensure procurement records are up to date.
• Support contract renewals, approval workflows, and contractual compliance.
• Manage sample handling and complaint processing in coordination with internal stakeholders.
• Coordinate procurement activities for raw materials, packaging, and technical services.
• Follow up with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery and resolve shortages, late deliveries, missed deliveries, invoice discrepancies, and other supply issues.
• Monitor open purchase orders and expedite critical items where necessary.
• Work closely with Planning and Operations to support material planning, demand and supply alignment, and prevention of shortages or overstock.
• Review stock levels and support inventory optimization, obsolescence management, and slow-moving stock reduction activities.
• Collaborate with Accounts to support timely vendor payments.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships and contribute to localization, dual sourcing, and risk mitigation initiatives.
• Participate in cost‑saving and value‑engineering initiatives.
• Lead localization initiatives and support price benchmarking and stock optimization activities.
• Assist with CAPEX negotiations, project procurement activities, and global sourcing reporting.
• Support category strategy implementation and global sourcing alignment and standardization efforts.
• Ensure procurement activities follow company policies, approval limits, and audit requirements.
• Support audits by maintaining traceable procurement documentation.
• Prepare procurement reports and KPI dashboards, including tracking of savings, service levels, supplier performance, and payment terms.
• Collaborate with Quality, Finance, Planning, Production, and R&D teams to support issue resolution for complaints, deviations, non‑conformances, and cross‑functional projects.
• Assist with continuous improvement initiatives and other procurement‑related tasks as required.

YOUR EXPERIENCE, SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

• Relevant Tertiary qualification;
• More than 4 years of professional experience as a Buyer in the Food and Beverage industry (Flavours advantageous);
• SAP experience (Essential);

YOUR BENEFITS

• The opportunity to join a fast‑growing global company in the Food and Beverage industry.
• A new and challenging role with the freedom to take ownership and make great things happen.
• Being part of a passionate team, who love and feel proud about what they do.
• Pension fund.
• Medical Aid benefit participation (non‑compulsory).