Director of Sourcing

Role overview

This is a senior leadership opportunity for a Director of Sourcing in Germany. The role is posted on behalf of a partner organization, which will handle all applications and the remaining hiring steps. In this position, you will lead sourcing strategy within a global supply chain setup, with direct responsibility for supplier performance, cost optimization, and supply continuity.

You will work across manufacturing, quality, marketing, and operations to support business growth and day-to-day execution. The position blends strategic planning with practical supplier leadership, including negotiations, governance, and process improvement. As a people manager, you will also be expected to develop a capable sourcing team and promote a culture of accountability, ethics, and collaboration.

This is a high-impact role in an international environment where your decisions will affect product availability, quality outcomes, and long-term supply stability.

Key accountabilities

• Direct strategic sourcing programs that improve supplier performance, lower costs, and safeguard long-term supply across global operations.
• Create sourcing approaches that support business goals, including supplier development plans, geographic sourcing strategies, and risk-reduction measures.
• Handle supplier identification, qualification, negotiations, and contract finalization, with a focus on commercial strength and service expectations.
• Run supplier performance management processes, including scorecards, business reviews, escalation handling, and corrective action follow-up.
• Work closely with Quality and other internal teams to schedule and complete supplier audits and close out findings in a timely manner.
• Coordinate with Manufacturing, Marketing, and Operations to enable launches, secure material availability, and ensure production readiness.
• Lead, mentor, and grow the sourcing team while reinforcing ownership, ethical conduct, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

• Significant background in sourcing, procurement, or supply chain leadership, preferably in complex international settings.
• Strong command of supplier management, strategic sourcing, and contract negotiation.
• Demonstrated success in managing supplier performance programs, audits, and continuous improvement efforts.
• Proven cross-functional experience with Manufacturing, Quality, Regulatory, Finance, and Operations teams.
• Track record of people leadership, including coaching, team development, and performance management.
• Working knowledge of procurement systems, ERP platforms, and supplier management tools.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management abilities, with confidence influencing senior stakeholders.

Benefits

• Competitive leadership compensation aligned with experience and market norms.
• Chance to influence global sourcing strategy and supplier performance at scale.
• Inclusive, collaborative international workplace.
• Strong emphasis on innovation, continuous improvement, and ethical business practices.
• Opportunities for professional growth and leadership development.
• Standard benefits package focused on wellbeing and work-life balance.
• Exposure to global cross-functional initiatives spanning supply chain, manufacturing, and commercial teams.

Application and privacy information

The partner company oversees applications and the next stages of the hiring process. Applications are reviewed through an AI-supported matching process that helps identify strong-fit candidates for the shortlist, which is then shared with the hiring employer. Final decisions, interviews, and assessments are managed internally by the employer.

By applying, you acknowledge that personal data will be processed to assess candidacy and share relevant details with the employer, under legitimate interest and pre-contractual measures where applicable, including GDPR-based rights such as access, rectification, erasure, and objection. AI tools may assist with screening, resume analysis, response review, and detection of inconsistencies, but human judgment remains central to the final hiring decision.