Global Strategic Sourcing Manager - Packaging, IT & Prof. Services

The position of Global Strategic Sourcing Manager – Packaging, IT & Professional Services places you at the heart of VAT’s worldwide procurement function, a technology firm that relies on efficient sourcing to stay competitive. You will be responsible for delivering end‑to‑end sourcing activities across the packaging segment and selected indirect categories such as professional services and IT, working hand‑in‑hand with internal partners to secure cost‑effective, reliable supply. Your daily work will involve running sourcing projects, dissecting spend data, demand patterns, supplier landscapes, cost drivers and risk factors. You will identify and qualify suppliers on local, regional and global levels, manage the full cycle of RFIs, RFQs and RFPs, assess proposals, and formulate data‑driven recommendations. The role also requires you to negotiate prices, commercial terms and service levels, oversee contract finalisation, supplier onboarding and rollout, and track savings, performance metrics and compliance. Maintaining the packaging sourcing roadmap and supporting supplier consolidation and risk mitigation are also part of the remit, alongside close collaboration with operations, IT, HR, finance, legal and regional procurement teams. The ideal candidate holds a degree in business administration, supply chain, procurement, engineering, IT or a related discipline, and brings at least five years of procurement, sourcing or category‑management experience in an international setting. Demonstrated expertise in packaging procurement and a solid grasp of supplier markets are essential, as are proven abilities in tendering, negotiating, contracting and implementation. Fluency in both German and English is required, and strong commercial, analytical and supplier‑management capabilities are expected. Additional assets include exposure to professional services, IT or other indirect categories, familiarity with ERP or e‑sourcing tools, and a structured, pragmatic, execution‑oriented approach. The role offers high visibility, autonomy to drive improvements, and the chance to influence global procurement strategy while collaborating across a diverse, multinational team.