Purchasing Manager – Land Operations (Basel)

About the role

The Purchasing Manager for Land Operations will sit at the heart of Viking’s Land Operations Department in Basel, overseeing the procurement of hotels, excursions and contingency programmes that shape the guest experience across Europe. You will work with a small team and collaborate closely with internal stakeholders to ensure quality, reliability and value in all land‑based services.

Key responsibilities

• Scout, evaluate and onboard top‑tier suppliers and partners across Europe.
• Lead negotiations and shape commercial and contractual agreements.
• Build strong, long‑lasting supplier relationships, including occasional short‑notice travel.
• Coordinate and contract all land‑based services supporting the river fleet.
• Monitor supplier performance with a focus on service quality and consistency.
• Create and evolve reports, analytics and dashboards using Excel, Power BI and PowerPoint.
• Leverage Power BI and Power Automate to drive transparency, automation and smarter processes.
• Identify inefficiencies and improvement opportunities and lead corrective actions.
• Prepare statistics, reports and presentations for stakeholders and leadership.
• Represent Purchasing Land Operations in internal meetings and performance discussions.
• Support standardisation and professionalisation of purchasing processes as the company grows.
• Take ownership of personal development and expand responsibilities.
• Support emergency and contingency hotel procurement during operational disruptions.

Required profile

• Strong analytical abilities.
• Ambitious and capable mindset.
• Experience in river cruising or travel is an advantage.

Required skills

• Microsoft Excel
• Power BI
• PowerPoint
• Power Automate