Head of Procurement (m/f) – Automotive Supply Industry
Lead a procurement function that controls costs and keeps making sound decisions under pressure.
Your role
We are recruiting a Head of Procurement for an automotive supplier in Bavaria. The position calls for strategic judgement and the ability to turn priorities into action. You combine the development of the procurement organisation with effective cost programmes and a disciplined approach to supplier risk. Decisions must account for production requirements, quality and commercial performance together. You give your team direction and represent procurement as a dependable partner to other business functions.
Your responsibilities
- Develop procurement strategy and translate business objectives into prioritised actions for the organisation.
- Lead and develop colleagues, establishing clear responsibilities and decision paths.
- Manage cost programmes using transparent baselines and assess implementation effort and risk.
- Lead strategic supplier discussions and support demanding negotiations.
- Evaluate dependencies and supply risks, coordinating countermeasures with production and quality.
- Build clear reporting on results, risks and decisions requiring wider business support.
What you bring
- At least eight years in procurement, including several years in a leadership role.
- Experience in automotive supply or a comparably demanding industrial series-production environment.
- Demonstrated experience with procurement strategies, cost programmes and complex supplier relationships.
- Leadership capability, commercial judgement and the ability to address competing priorities constructively.
- Business-fluent German and English, with willingness to travel internationally for approximately 20% of working time.
Your opportunity to make an impact
You shape how procurement prepares decisions, takes responsibility and explains its results. Your aim is a team that works systematically and remains effective when conditions become difficult. That means connecting immediate action with longer-term supplier development. You do not need to lead every negotiation yourself: you build the conditions for the whole organisation to make dependable decisions and recognise issues before they escalate.
Your working arrangements
- Industry: Automotive supply industry.
- Region: Bavaria.
- Contract: Permanent.
- Weekly hours: 40 hours.
- Start: By agreement.
- Working model: Hybrid, up to two remote days where leadership and site commitments allow.
- Benefits: 30 days annual leave; leadership development; flexible working arrangements; company pension.
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
How does this differ from a purely strategic procurement role?
It combines procurement strategy with responsibility for the organisation, its people and its connection to day-to-day operations.
What does meaningful impact look like?
Transparent commercial outcomes, deliberate management of supplier risk and an organisation with clear responsibilities. Specific targets are agreed for the position.
Apply now
No account and no cover letter required. The role and reference number are included automatically.
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