Strategic Buyer - Projects

ABOUT US

Get on board with Damen Naval, along with more than 1,200 professionals based in The Netherlands, Romania, and Germany. We are the naval division of the family-owned Damen Shipyards Group which employs 12,000 professionals globally. Damen Naval designs and builds advanced naval vessels for customers all over the world. With a passion for technological innovation and sustainable solutions, we continue to push the boundaries in naval shipbuilding. You can be part of our team! Are you ready for duty?

THE ROLE

As the Strategic Buyer of Projects, you drive strategic procurement for the construction of advanced naval vessels. You coordinate acquisitions, build a high-performing supplier network, and manage contracts. You provide key budgeting insights, lead category strategies, and ensure procurement efficiency and effectiveness, making a significant impact on our projects with your strategic sourcing expertise.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Drive strategic procurement by coordinating the acquisition and outsourcing of systems, products, materials, and services, ensuring alignment with project goals and procedures.
• Build and sustain a high-performing supplier network by developing and nurturing professional relationships with strategic subcontractors and suppliers.
• Conduct insightful market research to monitor cost trends for key raw materials and anticipate sector changes that could impact company activities.
• Ensure robust contract management by creating comprehensive supplier contracts that account for all cost variables and ensuring their correct execution.
• Identify and qualify top suppliers through thorough research, evaluation, and qualification processes.
• Lead impactful improvement initiatives with strategic subcontractors and suppliers, leveraging supplier qualifications and evaluations.
• Implement mitigation strategies to address performance issues with key suppliers and ensure continuous improvement.
• Guide and manage a category team in defining, implementing, and executing category strategies for both strategic and non-strategic suppliers.
• Provide crucial budgeting insights by delivering reliable data for budget and cost price calculations.
• Develop and maintain key performance indicators and offer evaluations to ensure procurement effectiveness and efficiency.

SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

We are looking for candidates with the following qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree, preferably in a technical field, supplemented with Nevi-1 and Nevi-2 certifications or a willingness to follow these courses.
• At least ten years of relevant experience, preferably gained in a technical environment with complex projects and project management.
• Thorough knowledge and experience with strategic sourcing principles.
• Strong negotiation skills and assertiveness, combined with an independent, well-structured, and hands-on mentality.
• Proficiency in Dutch and English, both spoken and written.
• Competencies: customer orientation, teamwork, results-oriented, flexibility, quality-oriented, planning and organizing, problem analysis, decisiveness, negotiation, persuasiveness, and initiative.
• Excellent references, as a security screening is part of the hiring process.
• Permanent EU citizenship and passport are both required. Candidates with EU (work) visa or with both an EU and non-EU nationality and/or passport are not eligible in accordance with the requirements imposed by the military nature of our projects.

WHAT WE OFFER

At Damen Naval, we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. We also provide our employees with:

• A competitive salary and 8% holiday pay.
• 27 holidays and 13 ADV days.
• Travel allowance of 23 cents per kilometre.
• PME-pension arrangement with an employer contribution of 60%.
• Profit sharing based on company results.
• Flexibility to work from home up to two days a week.
• Additional benefits including a bicycle plan and company fitness.