Strategic Buyer (m/f) – Machinery and Plant Engineering
Four openings. Your next move in strategic procurement.
Your role
You want to shape supplier decisions, lead negotiations and see the effect of your work across a business. We are recruiting for four strategic buying positions with a machinery and plant engineering company in Northern Germany. The roles combine commercial judgement with an understanding of technical requirements, supply continuity and long-term supplier relationships. Category allocation remains open: experience in indirect procurement, electronics or injection-moulded parts is particularly welcome. You do not need expertise in all three.
Your responsibilities
- Develop category strategies from business needs, spend and market intelligence, with clear priorities.
- Explore international supply markets and compare sources on cost, quality and delivery capability.
- Manage sourcing events from defining requirements through to a well-supported award decision.
- Lead price and contract negotiations, considering total cost rather than purchase price alone.
- Develop suppliers with internal stakeholders and address performance issues directly.
- Identify supply risks, establish alternatives and make savings and progress transparent.
What you bring
- At least five years of procurement experience and confidence leading negotiations independently.
- Experience managing categories, evaluating suppliers and working with technical or commercial stakeholders.
- Analytical thinking, structured judgement and the willingness to follow decisions through to implementation.
- Business-fluent German and English; Spanish is welcome but not required.
- Willingness to travel internationally for approximately 15% of working time.
Your opportunity to make an impact
Your contribution becomes visible when a sourcing decision delivers on several fronts: competitive terms, dependable supply and suppliers that improve over time. You bring forward options and explain which trade-offs are worth making. That includes challenging assumptions constructively and resolving competing priorities with stakeholders. The role combines a long-term sourcing perspective with practical decisions that matter to day-to-day operations.
Your working arrangements
- Industry: Machinery and plant engineering.
- Region: Northern Germany.
- Contract: Permanent.
- Weekly hours: 40 hours.
- Start: As soon as possible.
- Working model: 50% on site, 50% remote.
- Benefits: 30 days annual leave; flexible hours; professional development; company pension.
- Openings: 4 confirmed.
Apply through DP
You are applying for a specific position with a client company. Dümpelfeld Partners supports recruitment; the client company will be your employer. Its name remains confidential in the public advert. We share your full CV with the client only with your explicit consent for that disclosure. Apply through the form with your CV; no cover letter or account is required. You are welcome to include your professional focus and availability. The reference number is assigned automatically. Joining the talent pool is a separate, optional choice and is not a condition of this application. For questions about the role, contact [email protected].
Frequently asked questions
Do I need experience in all three categories?
No. Category allocation remains open. Experience in one of the areas is especially welcome; we will discuss which of the four positions best matches your background.
Do I need to submit four applications?
No. This advert covers four openings with the same company. Apply once and tell us which category areas interest you most.
Apply now
No account and no cover letter required. The role and reference number are included automatically.
View more roles
Return to the overview of this area or to the careers overview.