Strategic Buyer

About the Job

Strategic Buyer – Professional Services

Location: Basel, Switzerland (On-site)

Duration: 7 months

We are looking for an experienced Strategic Buyer – Professional Services to support procurement activities within a global pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. The Strategic Buyer will work closely with Global Category Managers and key site stakeholders to deliver sourcing strategies, supplier management, cost savings, and procurement excellence across assigned sites.

The role will focus on strategic sourcing, tendering, contract negotiation, supplier relationship management, business continuity, procurement process optimisation, and supporting the implementation of global procurement strategies while ensuring compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Economics, Engineering, Procurement, Supply Chain, or a related field.
• Business fluency in English.
• 5-10 years of strategic procurement experience.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Customer service mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to build and maintain global relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Expertise in purchasing, including tendering, negotiation, planning, and contracting.
• Good understanding of procurement and general business practices.
• Experience with category management, supplier management, contract management, negotiations, and e-procurement systems.
• Experience managing third-party spend.
• Ability to influence suppliers and negotiate favourable commercial outcomes.
• Hands-on experience using SAP, Ariba, and Microsoft Office applications.

• Einkaufsfachfrau / Einkaufsfachmann or CIPS certification.
• Experience supporting global and regional sourcing initiatives.
• Experience implementing procurement policies, procedures, and sourcing tools.
• Experience driving procurement process improvements and automation initiatives.
• Experience developing supplier risk mitigation strategies.
• Experience managing supplier performance improvement programmes.
• Experience working within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemical, or another regulated manufacturing industry.

• Collaborate with Global Category Managers to deliver procurement value and continuous improvement across assigned sites.
• Support the development and implementation of category and sourcing strategies.
• Execute sourcing activities, including tendering, supplier selection, negotiation, and contracting.
• Drive cost-saving initiatives by identifying opportunities and delivering measurable savings.
• Manage supplier relationships across a delegated spend portfolio.
• Partner with site stakeholders to understand current and future business requirements.
• Ensure business continuity and the uninterrupted supply of required materials and services.
• Work with finance teams to provide spend and savings forecasts.
• Manage supplier transitions and change activities.
• Build and maintain strong supplier partnerships while improving supplier performance and reducing total cost of ownership.
• Conduct supplier risk assessments and implement mitigation plans where required.
• Support supplier performance reviews and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Monitor supply market trends to identify opportunities and mitigate commercial risks.
• Ensure compliance with internal procurement standards, company policies, and regulatory requirements.
• Support the implementation of procurement tools, systems, policies, and procedures.
• Maintain procurement documentation and ERP master data.
• Complete mandatory training and contribute to ongoing professional development.