Strategic Sourcing Manager

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Belgium, +2 more countries.

📋 Description

• Oversee large-scale sourcing projects and essential sourcing activities, including supplier selection, performance management, contract negotiations, and risk mitigation.

• Formulate and implement multi-year category strategies for a diverse supplier portfolio.

• Direct comprehensive strategic sourcing initiatives, which encompass market analysis, RFP development, competitive tendering, supplier evaluation, negotiation, contracting, and implementation.

• Utilize spend, cost, demand, and market data to uncover value opportunities, construct business cases, set savings targets, and facilitate benefits realization.

• Negotiate commercial agreements that optimize total cost of ownership, service quality, innovation, payment terms, capacity, and risk management.

• Establish strategic supplier relationships, set performance expectations and scorecards, conduct business reviews, and lead corrective and continuous improvement initiatives.

• Collaborate with portfolio, operations, commercial, marketing, quality, finance, legal, and other stakeholders to convert business needs into sourcing strategies.

• Work with Global Sourcing to consolidate demand, leverage enterprise scale, and uncover regional and global opportunities.

• Source chemicals, life-science products, raw materials, and company-branded manufacturing operations.

• Evaluate and mitigate risks associated with suppliers, geopolitical factors, capacity, quality, regulatory compliance, and continuity; develop contingency and alternative sourcing strategies.

• Ensure contracts adhere to company standards and comply with applicable legal, regulatory, and compliance requirements.

• Lead annual price negotiations and keep track of commodity, inflation, supplier, and market trends.

• Report on sourcing pipelines, financial impacts, supplier performance, risks, and recommended actions to business leaders.

• Mentor and develop sourcing professionals, where applicable.

• Carry out additional duties as assigned.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, business, finance, engineering, science, or a related field; an advanced degree is preferred.

• Five or more years of progressive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, procurement, or supply chain within a complex, global, or regulated environment.

• Proven success in leading competitive sourcing events, complex negotiations, supplier selection, and contract implementation.

• Relevant category experience in laboratory chemicals, life-science products, and raw materials.

• Experience managing substantial spend portfolios and delivering measurable savings, value creation, supplier performance, and risk-reduction outcomes.

• Familiarity with tendering chemicals and life-science products, market analysis, spend analytics, and total-cost-of-ownership models.

• Strategic and commercial mindset that links sourcing decisions to growth, margin, working capital, quality, and supply resilience.

• Advanced negotiation, influencing, and relationship management skills.

• Strong analytical skills, including spend analysis, cost modeling, market intelligence, benchmarking, scenario analysis, and financial business cases.

• Knowledge of category management, strategic sourcing methodologies, supplier segmentation, performance management, and risk mitigation.

• Ability to lead multiple complex initiatives, establish governance, balance competing priorities, and achieve results.

• Clear and persuasive written and verbal communication skills.

• Working knowledge of contract principles, international trade, procurement compliance, and relevant product or industry regulations.

• Proficiency with enterprise resource planning, e-sourcing, contract management, supplier performance, and data visualization tools.

• Market knowledge of manufacturers in chemicals, reagents, raw materials, and related categories.

• Frequent travel is required.

🏝️ Benefits

• Opportunities for learning and career advancement.

• A diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture.