EU Purchasing Director

About the Role We are looking for an experienced and strategic EU Purchasing Director to lead and develop our purchasing organization across Europe. This is a key leadership role responsible for defining and executing procurement strategies that support business growth, improve supplier performance, optimize costs, and ensure supply chain resilience. The successful candidate will be a commercially driven leader with extensive experience in strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, and cross-functional collaboration within an international environment. Key Responsibilities Develop and execute the European purchasing strategy aligned with business objectives. Lead, coach, and develop purchasing teams across our European locations. Build and maintain strong strategic relationships with key suppliers. Drive cost optimization initiatives while maintaining quality, service, and sustainability standards. Lead contract negotiations for strategic suppliers and high-value agreements. Identify and mitigate supply chain risks through proactive supplier and sourcing strategies. Collaborate closely with Operations, Engineering, Sales, Finance, and Supply Chain teams. Monitor market trends, raw material developments, and supplier capabilities. Establish procurement KPIs and ensure continuous performance improvement. Promote compliance with company policies, ethical sourcing standards, and relevant regulations. Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, or a related field. Master's degree is considered an advantage. 5+ years of progressive procurement experience, including senior leadership responsibilities. Proven experience leading international purchasing organizations within Europe. Strong negotiation, strategic sourcing, and supplier management skills. Experience working in a manufacturing and/or industrial environment is highly desirable. Strong analytical and financial acumen. Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills. Fluent in English, both written and spoken. Additional European languages are an advantage. Willingness to travel across Europe as required. Personal Attributes Strategic thinker with strong business acumen. Results-oriented and capable of driving organizational change. Collaborative leadership style with the ability to influence at all levels. Excellent decision-making and problem-solving skills. High level of integrity and professionalism.