Strategic Buyer - Purchasing Department

Push boundaries as a strategic buyer

This is a vacancy for an indefinite period with an employment percentage of 80-100%.

How do you push boundaries?

1. Develop purchasing and category strategies

• You analyze the needs of internal customers and translate them into clear functional, technical, and organizational requirements.
• You develop and implement multi-year category plans based on spend analysis, market knowledge, risks, Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), and the strategic objectives of UZ Leuven.
• You identify opportunities for standardization, bundling, collaboration, cost optimization, and quality improvement.

1. Manage the full source-to-contract process

• You lead purchasing trajectories from needs analysis and market exploration to award, implementation, and transfer to operational follow-up.
• You prepare purchasing files, evaluate quotes, and independently conduct negotiations within the applicable legal, budgetary, and organizational framework.
• You organize and guide multidisciplinary working groups and ensure transparent decision-making and support.

1. Build professional contract and supplier management

• You monitor the correct execution of contracts and safeguard quality, service, costs, risks, and contract compliance.
• You segment suppliers and build targeted relationships with strategic suppliers.
• You define and monitor KPIs and service levels, organize performance reviews, and drive improvement actions.

1. Work in a data- and result-oriented manner

• You use spend data, market information, contract data, and supplier performance to determine opportunities, risks, and priorities.
• You contribute to reliable master data, contract data, and transparent purchasing planning.
• You support the further digitalization and process optimization of purchasing, including within the evolution towards an integrated ERP landscape and a process-driven organization.

1. Integrate sustainability, innovation, and security of supply

• You actively follow market developments, technological evolutions, and innovative solutions within your categories and encourage suppliers to contribute to innovation, process improvement, sustainability, and supply chain resilience.
• You integrate sustainability, circularity, and social criteria where relevant and legally possible.
• You assess risks in the supply chain and develop appropriate management measures and alternatives together with stakeholders.

1. Take an active role in projects and end-to-end collaboration

• You act as a purchasing expert in multidisciplinary and organization-wide projects, including technological, infrastructural, and digital change trajectories.
• You work closely with operational purchasing and other supporting functions to ensure a smooth transition from strategy and contracting to ordering, implementation, and follow-up.
• You share knowledge, support colleagues, and actively contribute to uniform working methods and the further professionalization of the purchasing organization.

What do you need for this?

• A master's degree, preferably in TEW, engineering sciences, or equivalent through experience.
• Knowledge of purchasing processes and preferably of legislation regarding public procurement.
• Strong negotiation skills and excellent communication capacities.
• An analytical mind and strong problem-solving abilities.
• Competencies such as customer orientation, integrity, quality awareness, collaboration, and result orientation.
• Good knowledge of MS Office. Experience with an ERP system is a plus.
• Fluent command of French and English.