Senior Strategic Buyer - Electronics

About the role

A leading global industrial technology organisation is recruiting an experienced Senior Strategic Buyer / Category Manager for electronics to join its international procurement team in Basel, Switzerland. The client is a financially strong global manufacturer known for technological innovation and investment in advanced manufacturing. The role takes ownership of an electronics sourcing portfolio of around CHF 25 million in annual spend and plays a part in strengthening global sourcing strategies, supplier partnerships and supply chain resilience.

Key responsibilities

• Implement and support strategic sourcing and category strategies across electronic components, working with global category management teams.
• Manage a large portfolio of electronics suppliers, ensuring cost competitiveness, quality, delivery performance and supply continuity.
• Lead supplier identification, qualification, selection, negotiations and contract management, and develop long-term supplier partnerships.
• Identify supply chain risks such as component shortages, allocation constraints, extended lead times and obsolescence.
• Drive cost optimisation, supplier consolidation, dual sourcing and supply chain improvement initiatives.
• Conduct market intelligence, spend analysis and supplier benchmarking.
• Collaborate with engineering, manufacturing, quality, logistics and procurement stakeholders internationally, and support procurement transformation, process improvements and digitalisation.

Required profile

• 10+ years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement or category management, ideally in electronics or technical manufacturing.
• Demonstrable experience developing category strategies and managing international supplier portfolios.
• Experience in industrial manufacturing, electronics, automotive, automation, instrumentation or high-tech environments.
• Fluent English; German is advantageous.
• Willingness to travel internationally, approximately 10%.

Required skills

• Strong electronics commodity expertise, especially semiconductors, microcontrollers, passive components, PCBs and PCBAs.
• Commercial negotiation, supplier relationship management and contract management.
• Supplier quality, lead time and delivery performance management.
• Analytical, commercial and stakeholder management skills.

What we offer

• A key role in an international procurement transformation within a globally established, financially stable organisation.
• International exposure and collaboration with global procurement and engineering teams.
• Flexible working arrangements and a supportive, collaborative culture.
• Long-term career development opportunities.