Damen Naval offers you a career that is challenging, exciting and fun in equal measure. The Naval division of the family-owned Damen Shipyards Group is established in Vlissingen and in Schiedam. With over 850 professionals and a rich tradition of naval shipbuilding, with its original roots stemming back more than 150 years. For more than 50 years Damen Naval is the dedicated shipbuilder for the Royal Netherlands Navy. Based on decades of accumulated experience Damen Naval offers navies worldwide a broad range of defence and security vessels, ranging from 7m to more than 200m in length. Damen Naval is the only supplier of naval vessels in the Netherlands. Damen Naval has delivered more than 420 vessels to satisfied customers all over the world and have has earned a reputation for excellence along the way. While taking pride in heritage, Damen Naval is looking towards the future, are you ready for duty?

As Strategic Purchaser you develop, improve, and ensure professional relationships with strategic subcontractors and suppliers. You will also initiate market research and monitors and report cost trends for key commodities. As Strategic Purchaser you will lead a category team in purchasing materials, products and outsourcing activities. 

As Strategic Purchaser, you wil:

  • Develop professional relationships in the marketplace to understand industry changes which may impact the company’s business.
  • Monitor and report on cost trends for key commodities.
  • Ensure supplier contracts are complete, properly executed and have considered all cost variables.
  • Research, qualify and evaluate on a project basis international suppliers and sub-contractors.
  • Initiate market research and enhance supplier development to build up, maintain and ensure a suitable strategic supply base.
  • Drive improvement processes with strategic subcontractors and/or suppliers based upon supplier qualification and/or evaluation.
  • Ensure supply contingency plans are in place in case key suppliers are unable to perform as required.
  • Develop, initiate, and maintain project related terms & conditions.
  • Responsible for creating unambiguous processes, procedures, and preconditions for the acquisition process project-based and non-project-based.
  • Leading a category team, define category strategies, implement, and execute strategy with relation to both strategic and non-strategic suppliers.
  • Define procurement budgets for the Products & Proposals department.
  • Provide reliable information for budget and cost price calculations.
  • Develop and maintaining quotation evaluations and key figures.
  • Purchase products and materials and outsource activities specifying, selecting, evaluating, contracting, contract management and aftercare.
  • Set up proposals for standardization, develop framework contracts and monitor and maintain them.

As Strategic Purchaser, you need to have:

  • Bachelor or Master degree preferably in a technical direction and complemented with Nevi course(s).
  • At least ten years relevant experience preferably gained in a technical environment with complex projects and project management.
  • Substantive knowledge of and experience with strategic sourcing principles.
  • Strong negotiation skills and assertiveness in combination with an independent, well structured, and hands-on mentality.
  • Good command of the Dutch and English language written & verbal.
  • Competences: customer orientation, teamwork, results orientation, behavioural flexibility, quality orientation, planning and organising, problem analysis, decisiveness, negotiating, persuasiveness, and initiative.
  • Excellent antecedents as a pre-employment security screening and investigation are a part of the recruitment procedure given the military nature of our projects.
  • Permanent EU citizenship with valid EU work visa is required to be considered as a viable candidate.

As Damen Naval we highly value our employees, and we will support your professional and personal development. To that end we invest in all our employees by offering:

  • A technology and innovation focused dynamic international work environment.
  • A competitive salary package and other benefits.
  • On-going learning and development opportunities within a diverse and rewarding work environment.
  • An active social environment in terms of business culture, events & sports.

Are you interested in the position of Strategic Purchaser, and do you recognise yourself in the job description? Please respond directly via career.damen.com.

For more information about the vacancy, Damen Naval or the application process, please visit career.damen.com or call the Corporate Recruitment department on +31 0118- 485 000.

Please note, that only candidates with an EU citizenship or valid EU work visa will be considered as viable candidates. A pre-employment and security screening and investigation form part of the recruitment process.

Damen Naval does not approve of commercial, contractor and/or agency acquisition or commercial use of this advertisement. Proposing candidates without invitation is not appreciated and will not be considered.