Head of Global Procurement & Planning (m/f/d)

We are supporting a mid-sized, international industrial manufacturing group in identifying a Head of Global Procurement & Planning. This is a high-impact leadership role with a unique mandate: to build and shape global procurement and planning capabilities from the ground up.

You will operate at the intersection of strategy and execution, acting as a hands-on leader who drives tangible business results while establishing scalable structures, processes, and best practices.

Your Mission

As Head of Global Procurement & Planning, you will take ownership of developing a modern procurement function and implementing a pragmatic Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) framework. You will play a key role in strengthening supplier performance, improving cost competitiveness, and enabling reliable, scalable growth across the organization.

Build and Lead Procurement & Category Management

• Establish and implement a global category management framework
• Define key spend categories and drive strategic sourcing initiatives
• Lead supplier negotiations and contracting activities
• Deliver measurable cost savings and total cost of ownership (TCO) improvements
• Develop procurement governance, policies, and processes

Develop Supplier Base & Supplier Management

• Implement a structured Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) approach
• Drive supplier performance across quality, cost, delivery, and compliance
• Build strong partnerships with strategic suppliers
• Introduce supplier evaluation, audit, and risk mitigation practices

Establish and Drive S&OP

• Design and implement a fit-for-purpose S&OP process
• Align sales forecasts, production capacity, and procurement planning
• Translate demand into actionable supply plans
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Production, Finance, and Engineering
• Introduce pragmatic planning tools, KPIs, and decision frameworks

Operational Procurement & Supply Chain Support

• Maintain hands-on involvement in daily procurement activities
• Ensure delivery reliability, quality, and cost efficiency
• Support resolution of supply disruptions and operational challenges

Process Development, Tools & KPIs

• Develop simple, effective processes across procurement and planning
• Define and track KPIs (cost savings, supplier performance, delivery precision, inventory)
• Ensure alignment with ERP/MRP systems and improve data-driven decision-making

Leadership & Capability Building

• Build and develop a high-performing procurement and planning function
• Act as a hands-on leader, coach, and change agent
• Drive continuous improvement and best practice implementation
• Influence stakeholders across functions in an international environment

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field
• 7–15 years of experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, category management, or supply chain
• Proven track record in supplier negotiations and sourcing
• Experience with S&OP or similar planning processes (implementation experience is a strong plus)
• Background in manufacturing, machinery, or industrial environments
• Strong commercial mindset combined with operational execution capability
• Ability to build structures from scratch in a pragmatic and hands-on way
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills
• High level of ownership, drive, and solution-oriented thinking

• Opportunity to build a global procurement and planning function from the ground up
• High visibility and direct impact on business performance
• Combination of strategic influence and operational responsibility
• International environment with strong growth ambitions