Head of Global Direct Spend

Shape the Future of Procurement at Vanderlande

Are you ready to make a big impact? Vanderlande is searching for an ambitious and strategic Head of Global Direct Spend to shape the future of our procurement strategy. Reporting directly to the CPO, you’ll oversee a €350 million spend, driving innovation and optimizing supply chains on a global scale. This is your chance to lead a talented team, collaborate with regional experts, and deliver tangible results that keep us ahead in a competitive market. If you thrive in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment, we want to hear from you!

Our global procurement organization enables our projects and business functions by maximizing value and minimizing risks via the procurement of goods and services in the most smart, cost-effective and sustainable way. We ensure a resilient and competitive supplier ecosystem and aim to advance towards best-in-class practices, and ensure the organization is efficient, effective, and future-proof. Furthermore, our procurement organization plays an important role in Vanderlande's transformation from an Engineer-to-Order (ETO) to a Configure-to-Order (CTO) business model. This new model aims at enhancing value for its customers through increased standardization, scalability, and more competitive solutions.

What will you be doing?​

In your role as Head of Global Direct Spend, you'll be a change champion, responsible for setting up a new organizational unit and leading the establishment of the Global Direct Spend domain as a new entity within Vanderlande. You will manage a significant spend portfolio, playing a crucial role in aligning our global direct procurement activities with Vanderlande’s strategic goals and ensuring that global category strategies leverage synergies from the Configure-to-Order model to secure better prices and terms and conditions. You will develop a high-performing team of procurement professionals dedicated to optimizing direct spend strategies.

Your responsibilities

• Manage the global direct spend organization and team, as well as develop global procurement strategies that align with market dynamics, Vanderlande’s objectives, and industry best practices
• Guide and cultivate a global and high-performing team, building category management capabilities, and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement
• Provide strategic leadership to develop and implement global direct spend strategies, ensuring that category strategies leverage synergies from the Configure-to-Order model to secure better prices and terms and conditions
• Maintain oversight of overall direct spend trends and market developments, including commodity price risk management (CPRM) and third-party manufacturing (TPM), to inform strategic procurement decisions
• Work collaboratively with regional direct spend heads and cross-functional departments, ensuring alignment between procurement objectives
• Guide the management and enhancement of supplier relationships to ensure the reliability, quality, and cost-effectiveness of direct goods and services
• Serve as a key point of contact and support discussions and processes during negotiations or contentious situations with strategic suppliers
• Identify innovative solutions and cost-saving opportunities and guide procurement process optimization initiatives for global direct categories to boost efficiency and value
• For your team, support the definition of KPIs, oversee budget management, and report on performance to ensure transparency and alignment with business objectives
• Proactively identify and manage risks associated with global direct procurement, maintaining compliance and safeguarding operations

Your profile

To be successful in this role, you should have:

• At least 7 years of experience in procurement, with a strong focus on managing direct spend in global, complex environments, specifically within a project setting, for goods and services (e.g., mechanical and electrical services)
• Proven experience and willingness to build a new organizational unit with a global footprint, demonstrating entrepreneurial skills such as visionary thinking, adaptability, and problem-solving
• Demonstrate a proven track record of developing and implementing strategic procurement plans that align with organizational goals
• Exhibit strong leadership abilities, with a talent for managing and developing high-performing procurement teams
• Utilize an analytical mindset to drive data-informed decision-making and optimize procurement practices effectively.
• Exceptional communication and negotiation skills to effectively manage relationships with external stakeholders such as suppliers, as well as internal stakeholders to promote the implementation of procurement best practices across other domains.
• About the team​
• The Global Direct Spend team is composed of procurement specialists and category experts who focus on crafting and executing global direct spend strategies. They work on building robust supplier partnerships, negotiating contracts, and identifying cost-saving opportunities to enhance efficiency and value across the organization. The Global Direct Spend team works closely with demand management, procurement centers of excellence, heads of direct spend of the various regions and external suppliers to drive the global procurement performance.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% precent of your time.

What do we offer

In the challenging and responsible position, you will have the chance to make a significant contribution to industry-leading projects and be connected to our dedicated people and customers. We offer a position in an informal, international and professional working environment with a lot of scope for personal development. By joining our profitable and growing company you will be able to reach your goals and focus on your future.​

This position offers a competitive salary range of €7,000.00 to €9,500.00 gross per month (excluding 8% holiday allowance). Through exceeding performance expectations, you even have the possibility to grow outside this scale.

On top of your fixed salary you’ll receive the following secondary benefits:​

• 40 vacation days (20 statutory days and a flexible budget worth 20 days).​
• Bonus component
• Lease car
• Flexible working hours.​
• A hybrid workplace (40% working from home and 60% in the office).​
• A Health & Wellbeing budget worth €300 per calendar year.
• Commuting allowance, including full reimbursement of travel by public transport.​
• Working from home allowance.​
• Collective pension scheme and discount on additional health insurance.​
• On-site company health centres with a gym, physiotherapists and occupational therapists.​
• Vanderlande Academy and training facilities to boost your skills.​
• A variety in Vanderlande Network communities and initiatives.​
• And a great company restaurant and coffee bar with barista.

Diversity & Inclusion

Vanderlande is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regards to race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, or disability status.