Purchasing & Planning Manager – Global Medical Device

About the role

The Purchasing & Planning Manager will lead end‑to‑end material execution for a global medical device business. Reporting to the Planning & Material Director, you will manage a team of buyer‑planners, ensuring material availability, supply agility, and compliance with high‑precision manufacturing standards.

Key responsibilities

• Negotiate directly with vendors to secure delivery dates and resolve execution‑horizon issues, including expediting or de‑expediting orders.
• Conduct regular demand reviews with key suppliers to identify supply risks early and drive supplier agility.
• Implement inventory optimisation strategies such as consignment, VMI and safety‑stock reviews to reduce working capital while avoiding stockouts.
• Collaborate with Engineering and NPI teams to ensure material readiness for new product introductions, engineering change orders and technology transfers.
• Provide real‑time visibility of material constraints, supplier delivery changes and operational bottlenecks to cross‑functional planning and production teams.
• Lead strategic projects focused on inventory reduction and stock health without compromising production continuity.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Business Administration, Engineering or a related field.
• 6–8 years of hands‑on procurement, material planning or supply chain experience, preferably in medical devices, electronics or semiconductor industries.
• Direct supervisory or team‑lead experience.
• Proven track record in execution‑horizon material management, supplier demand reviews and inventory‑reduction projects.
• Strong knowledge of major ERP systems (SAP, Oracle or Navision) and advanced MS Excel skills.
• APICS (CPIM/CSCP) or Lean Six Sigma (Green/Black Belt) certifications are a plus.

Required skills

• SAP
• Oracle
• Navision
• Microsoft Excel (advanced)
• APICS CPIM/CSCP
• Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
• Lean Six Sigma Black Belt