The client of Personato is an international company in office supplies.

Flexible, dynamic, no nonsense, professional, international.

Purpose of Position:
To ensure optimization of assortments and cost of goods synergies for a designated product category across Europe, delivering optimal growth and profitability. Working closely with the suppliers to optimize their cost, quality and delivery performance.

Primary Accountabilities:

• Selects products for purchase by testing, observing, or examining items and estimates values according to knowledge of market price. May work with suppliers to develop new products.
• Determines and prepares vendors for method of procurement (such as direct purchase, bid, e-auction, tender).
• Reviews bid proposals and negotiates contracts within budgetary limitations and scope of authority. Monitor the performance of product lines and suppliers, and, if necessary, terminate contracts.
• Discusses defective or unacceptable goods or services with inspection or quality control personnel, users, vendors, and others to determine source of trouble and take corrective action.
• Negotiate contracts with suppliers and prepare Master Purchase Order agreement and Rebates and Allowance schedules for signatures.
• Monitor market changes, competitor prices and products. Liaise with regions, provide market and price insight and works closely on vendor harmonization programs.

Required Skills / Knowledge:

• Bachelor Degree (B.A. / B.S.).
• Two to four years experience and/or training.
• Experience of buying goods and services and working within a purchasing environment, creating and building relationships with suppliers.
• Experience of either B2B or B2C retail, distance selling or contract based merchandising and product marketin.
• Knowledge of products and of the office products industry preferable.
• Working within a matrix, local / central organisation.
• Professional Buying Qualifications.
• PC literate, extensive Excel Skills (pivot table, VLOOKUPS, macro's etc.) Essbase, SAP, AS400, RMS-Merscant Portal.
• Ability to analyze statistics and spot trends.
• Verbal and written communication skills, negotiating skills.
• Team working and decision-making skills and ability to work to tight deadlines.
• Willingness to travel.
• Fluent in English, spoken and written, knowledge of French, German, Dutch, Spanish or Italian an advantage.

Good terms of employement. Good primairy salary and secundair terms of employement like 36 days.