Global Director of Purchasing

Actylis; Ireland; Hybrid; EUR 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A global manufacturing firm is seeking a Global Director of Purchasing to manage global purchasing activities with an estimated spend of $70–80M USD annually. This role involves establishing purchasing standards, ensuring compliance, and optimizing supplier performance. Candidates should have 7–10 years of progressive purchasing experience, preferably within the pharmaceutical or chemical industries, and possess strong negotiation and supplier management skills. The position is hybrid-based and requires a valid passport for global travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Engineering, or related field; MBA or certification preferred.
• 7–10 years of progressive purchasing experience in chemical, pharmaceutical, or life sciences manufacturing industry.
• Demonstrated success in global or multi-site purchasing roles.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement global purchasing policies across all sites.
• Drive strategic purchasing initiatives for indirect spend and direct spend.
• Lead negotiations for supplier agreements to optimize cost and service.

Job description

Overview

This role can be based in Netherlands, Germany or Ireland.

Hybrid Based

Position Summary

The Global Director of Purchasing responsible for managing all global purchasing activities across all company-wide indirect spend and site-related direct spend, excluding sourcing of products sold/distributed to customers, covering an estimated $70–80M USD annual spend. This role provides functional leadership for purchasing operations across all sites worldwide, ensuring alignment with company objectives, compliance requirements, and cost efficiency.

This position is expected to establish global purchasing standards, leads negotiations, and acts as the central point of coordination and decision-making for purchasing. The incumbent will work closely with site purchasing teams, operations, supply chain, and finance to optimize supplier performance and deliver sustainable value. The scope of this position also explicitly includes capital expenditure and equipment purchasing.

Responsibilities will include:

• Define and implement global purchasing policies and procedures across all sites and categories.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on company-wide purchasing spend.
• Drive strategic purchasing initiatives for both indirect spend (capex, equipment, services, MRO, IT, facilities) and site-related direct spend.
• Ensure alignment of purchasing activities with business goals, compliance requirements, budget targets, and operational needs.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, supplier consolidation, and improved value creation.
• Leverage data to support fact‑based decision-making and continuous improvement.

Functional Leadership & Collaboration:

• Provide functional leadership and oversight for all site‑based purchasing activities worldwide.
• Act as the subject matter expert and escalation point for purchasing‑related issues.
• Support capital projects, new product launches, and site expansions with purchasing expertise.
• Contribute to global supply chain planning and S&OP processes where purchasing alignment is critical.
• Guide and support site buyers and procurement staff, fostering best practices and process harmonization.
• Partner with operations, R&D, supply chain, and finance teams to ensure purchasing strategies support business objectives.

Compliance & Risk Management:

• Ensure all purchasing activities comply with global standards, local regulations, GMP requirements (where applicable), and company policies.
• Act as the organizational lead for enforcing compliance in purchasing across all sites.
• Proactively identify and mitigate supply risks to protect business continuity.
• Support sustainability and ESG objectives through responsible sourcing practices.
• Lead negotiations for global or regional supplier agreements to optimize cost, service, and quality.
• Develop strong supplier relationships while ensuring compliance with quality, regulatory, and ethical standards.
• Conduct supplier evaluations, performance reviews, and risk assessments.

Required Experience & Knowledge

Educational Requirements:

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business, Finance, Engineering, or a related field; MBA or professional certification (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) is preferred.

Experience Qualifications:

General Experience:

• 7–10 years of progressive purchasing experience with exposure to both direct and indirect categories, preferably in the chemical, pharmaceutical, or life sciences manufacturing industry.

Specific Experience (Required):

• Demonstrated success in global or multi‑site purchasing roles, preferably within pharmaceutical, chemical, or manufacturing industries.
• Strong negotiation, supplier management, and contract management skills.
• Proficiency in Sage ERP systems, planning tools (Power BI), and advanced Excel/data modeling tools.
• Strong leadership presence with ability to influence and align cross‑functional teams without direct authority.
• Excellent communication skills and experience working in complex, multinational environments.

Other Experience/Competencies (Preferred):

• Experience working within GMP‑compliant or regulated environments is preferred.
• Strong decision‑making, problem‑solving, and conflict‑resolution abilities.
• Must be highly detail‑oriented and organized, able to work both independently and as a team player with a positive attitude.
• Experience in developing time‑management strategies to ensure work is performed within required timelines.

Supervisory Responsibilities

N/A

Hybrid Based

This position will require global travel. A valid passport is required. The incumbent of this position can expect an estimated 0‑25% of required travel during the course of the business year.

Terms and Conditions

Recruiters please do not contact this job poster. Please be advised: Actylis does not accept unsolicited resumes or services from third‑party recruitment agencies. In the event, a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement we shall explicitly reserve the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to Company employees, shall be deemed the property of the Company.Please note:
Actylis does not accept unsolicited resumes from third‑party recruiters or agencies. Any profiles submitted without a prior agreement will be considered the property of Actylis, and we reserve the right to proceed with candidates without any fee or obligation. Recruiters: please do not contact the job poster directly.

Actylis is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Actylis US does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non‑disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law. All employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.