The posting
The Opportunity:
Indirect Sourcing Manager Europe (M/F/D)
Location: Czech Republic (fully remote) Travel: International travel as required
About the Role
Avantor is seeking an experienced Indirect Sourcing Manager Europe to lead indirect procurement initiatives across Europe, with opportunities to support global sourcing projects. This role is responsible for developing and executing sourcing strategies, driving cost savings and productivity improvements, managing supplier relationships, and supporting key business stakeholders across multiple functions.
The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution, leveraging market intelligence, spend analysis, and strong stakeholder management skills to deliver measurable business impact.
What You'll Do
- Manage assigned categories within Indirect Materials and Services across Europe and globally.
- Develop and implement sourcing strategies that reduce costs, mitigate supply risks, and improve supplier performance.
- Drive productivity and cost-saving initiatives across indirect spend categories.
- Analyze spending trends and identify opportunities for process optimization and savings.
- Build and maintain a rolling sourcing strategy and project roadmap with clearly defined goals and execution plans.
- Lead sourcing activities including RFI/RFQ processes, supplier qualification, negotiations, and contract execution.
- Manage supplier relationships and resolve commercial, pricing, and performance-related issues.
- Monitor category spend to ensure sourcing savings are captured and sustained over time.
- Support budgeting activities by providing market intelligence and pricing insights.
- Establish and maintain governance, processes, reporting structures, and sourcing documentation.
- Provide regular project updates, reporting, and escalation management to senior leadership.
- Collaborate closely with business stakeholders, Legal, Finance, and Procurement leadership to achieve strategic objectives.
- Proactively identify productivity projects and drive successful implementation of sourcing strategies and continuous improvement initiatives.
What We're Looking For
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance, or a related field.
- Minimum 10 years of professional experience.
- At least 5 years of indirect procurement, strategic sourcing, operational, or commercial experience.
- Proven experience managing indirect spend categories in a multi-country or international environment.
- Experience working within global, matrix organizations.
- Fluent English communication skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master's degree in Engineering, Finance, Supply Chain, or a related discipline.
- Professional Procurement or Project Management certification.
- SAP software environment skills.
- Knowledge of sourcing analytics and advanced spend analysis methodologies.
- Experience within the chemical, life sciences, pharmaceutical, or manufacturing industries.
What Will Help You Succeed
- Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
- Demonstrated ability to negotiate contracts and manage supplier partnerships.
- Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings and productivity improvements.
- Excellent project management skills and the ability to lead complex initiatives.
- Strategic mindset combined with a hands-on approach to execution.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to extract key insights from complex projects and data.
- Experience using Lean, Six Sigma, or continuous improvement methodologies.
- Ability to prioritize effectively, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and work independently in a remote work environment.
- Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills.
- Strong organizational and time-management skills.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, matrixed, and sometimes ambiguous environment.
- Team player with proven leadership capabilities.
- Willingness to travel internationally as required.
- Commitment to Avantor's Values and culture.
#LI-EUR
#LI-Remote
Why Join Avantor?
At Avantor, you'll have the opportunity to influence significant European and global sourcing initiatives, collaborate with diverse international stakeholders, and contribute directly to business growth, efficiency, and operational excellence in a highly visible role. You'll work in a flexible remote environment while helping shape sourcing strategies that deliver meaningful impact across the organization.
Disclaimer:
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of employees assigned to this position. Avantor is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
Why Avantor?
Dare to go further in your career. Join our global team of 14,000+ associates whose passion for discovery and determination to overcome challenges relentlessly advances life-changing science.
The work we do changes people's lives for the better. It brings new patient treatments and therapies to market, giving a cancer survivor the chance to walk his daughter down the aisle. It enables medical devices that help a little boy hear his mom's voice for the first time. Outcomes such as these create unlimited opportunities for you to contribute your talents, learn new skills and grow your career at Avantor.
We are committed to helping you on this journey through our diverse, equitable and inclusive culture which includes learning experiences to support your career growth and success. At Avantor, dare to go further and see how the impact of your contributions set science in motion to create a better world. Apply today!
EEO Statement:
We are an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action employer and VEVRAA Federal Contractor. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/province, or local law.
If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [email protected] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
Privacy Policy:
We will use the personal information that you have submitted to us in order to consider your application for the relevant role.
Your privacy is important to us. Please click here for our Privacy Policy which explains the purposes for which we will use your personal information and the ways in which we will handle and retain your information. It also explains the rights you have in relation to your information, and how to contact us with any queries or requests.
3rd Party Non-Solicitation Policy:
By submitting candidates without having been formally assigned on and contracted for a specific job requisition by Avantor, or by failing to comply with the Avantor recruitment process, you forfeit any fee on the submitted candidates, regardless of your usual terms and conditions. Avantor works with a preferred supplier list and will take the initiative to engage with recruitment agencies based on its needs and will not be accepting any form of solicitation.
