Purchasing Director Ekinops Group

Job Description 

The Purchasing Director is responsible for overseeing the negotiation, the procurement of the Ekinops Group.  He is also in charge of developing and implementing purchasing strategies that align with the overall business objectives of the company. This includes developing the procurement strategies for the acquisition of components, subassemblies, finished goods, supplies and for all the services acquired by Ekinops. 

He or she will work across functions and geographies within the group to ensure high levels of customer service and satisfaction relative to his department activity and will always strive to minimize costs and working capital. 

The Purchasing Director reports to the Manufacturing Vice President. 

Job Content 

• Manage the purchasing team (10 people located in Lannion, Paris and Leuven) 
• Oversee the day-to-day operations of the purchasing department, including the management of the team of purchasing professionals.
• Manage purchasing strategies, policies, and process in a cost and inventory conscious mind-set taking into account quality, lead times, optimized MOQ, payment terms, flexibility etc.  
• Negotiate contracts and prices with suppliers and establish partnerships with key suppliers at C level to ensure a steady supply of high-quality components and materials. 
• Build forecasts in relationship with Marketing department. 
• Monitor market trends and developments in the electronic and optical industry to ensure that the company is positioned to take advantage of new opportunities and stay ahead of the competition. 
• Ensure that procurement processes are efficient, effective, and compliant with all relevant laws and regulations.
• Collaborate with other departments, such as product marketing, engineering, production, and logistics, to ensure a seamless and integrated supply chain. 
• Analyze and interpret data related to purchasing, including cost trends, supplier performance, and inventory levels, to make informed decisions and drive continuous improvement. 
• Develop and maintain a risk management strategy to minimize the impact of supply chain disruptions and ensure business continuity. 
• Anticipate needs at all stages of the product (and components) lifecycle by organizing frequent meetings with internal teams and by inviting strategic suppliers to be informed of their products road map  
• Prepare and maintain supplier evaluation forms and manage the department KPIs.
• Provide a monthly reporting on all purchasing activities  
• Review and resolve any discrepancies with supplier invoices, grievances, claims, conflicts, product non-conformance or quality issues 
• Develop reliable alternative sources of supply, meeting company requirements at the most competitive cost  
• Communicate and alert hierarchy and colleagues if any sourcing risk is detected 
• Collaborate with R&D, Industrialization team, product management to:
  • Improve EMS (Electronic Manufacturing Services) management 
  • Select best components, subassemblies, subcontractors
• Provide active support to the procurement team managing J.I.T and rush sourcing 
• Assess all internal purchase requests to ensure cost effectiveness  
• Use company ERP system and suggest improvement axis in the use of this SAP solution 

Profile and skills 

The ideal candidate should have a strong background in purchasing, supply chain management and procurement, as well as experience in the electronic industry for the Telecom space. Strong leadership, negotiation, and analytical skills are also important, as is the ability to build and maintain relationships with suppliers, customers, and stakeholders. 

• Engineer, Master’s degree in electronic or equivalent with strong experience in Supply Chain Management (3-5 years) 
• Experience in international sourcing and purchasing in South East Asia
• Knowledge of the electronic components market 
• Excellent communication skills in both verbal and written English 
• Charism to develop high level relationship with Components Manufacturers, distributors and EMSs 
• Proven ability at writing and negotiating contracts 
• Office Pack (perfect knowledge of Excel)
• ERP system (ideally SAP ECC or SAP S4/HANA ) 

At a personal level you will also demonstrate:

• Excellent negotiating skills  
• Eagerness to work hard and to persist in meeting goals and deadlines
• Ability to work on its-own and as a team player  
• Strong analytics skills 
• Ability to think at a strategic level  
• Availability to travel to different internal and production sites across regions where suppliers might be based