Procurement Officer

Procurement Officer

EMBL – European Molecular Biology Laboratory

Heidelberg, Germany

Organisation data: Purchase
Job Number: HD02621
Contract Type: Staff Member
Advertised Grade-Grading: Grading: 5 (monthly salary starting from 3,5k EUR after tax + other paid benefits)
Contract Duration-Length of Time (years/months): 3 years (renewable)
Closing date: 4 July 2024

About the team/job

We are looking for a dedicated, highly energetic and flexible Procurement Officer with the right mindset to join and strengthen our purchase team (6 members in Purchase and 4 members in the Stores) located at the headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.

Within the Administration, the EMBL Purchase Department deals with all purchase related activities according to the best-value-for-money principle in an international research environment and provides state-of-the art service to the scientific and administrative community.

This position reports to the Head of Purchase Department. The candidate will have a key function within the institute by interacting with the scientific community and all major departments from the Administration (Finance, Legal, HR, IT services, Facility Management) and being the contact person for external partners.

Your role

As procurement officer, you will be in charge of:

• procuring a wide range of products and services. The core activity of this position will concentrate on the purchase of consultancy services but also diverse scientific equipment, plastic-glassware and chemicals will be part of the daily ordering routine;
• developing and managing calls for tender for pan-EMBL projects (mostly for services) according to EMBL Financial rules and Regulations upon request.

Main duties:

• accurate and timely procurement of products and services and order monitoring;
• responsible for the negotiation and preparation of consultancy contracts and their extension;
• guarantee cost-effective purchase of all materials and services whilst ensuring compliance with the EMBL policies and procedures;
• seek and partner with reliable suppliers, request quotations, negotiate effectively while maintaining mutually beneficial relationships;
• provide first-rate customer service to ensure a high level of customer satisfaction and alleviate scientific community from all purchase related administrative tasks;
• draft procurement desk instructions and procedures as requested;
• actively engage in the improvement of procurement processes;
• develop and manage calls for tender for pan-EMBL projects (RFI, RFQ, drafting scoring matrix, evaluating tender, assisting and organising bidder interviews);
• draft tendering templates to be used by all EMBL sites.

You have

To perform the job successfully, the candidate should demonstrate the ability to:

• work with diverse cultural backgrounds, contribute to building a positive team spirit;
• and create a harmonic and fruitful work environment;
• work with integrity and ethics, promoting a harassment-free environment;
• approach others in a tactful and constructive manner;
• manage multiple tasks simultaneously;
• work independently under minor supervision.

The individual should also possess strong communication and organisation skills to deal with various levels of management and staff within the organization and with vendors.

Excellent spoken and written English language skills is a must. German would be an advantage. A high level of engagement, trustability/reliability, friendliness, helpfulness and service-oriented personality is required for this position.

Qualifications and Experience

The ideal applicant should have a sound and adequate hands-on work experience in procurement (at least 6 years) preferably in a dynamic, challenging and international academic research environment.

The candidate should demonstrate the ability to draft and manage a complete tendering process from tender drafting to bids scoring/evaluation and contract award.

A University degree in Procurement/Business Administration or equivalent commercial education is demanded. Distinctive commercial understanding and a high sense of service is expected.

You might also have

Familiarity both with SAP and Workday ERP systems is advantageous.

EMBL has embarked on a journey towards a more efficient, more streamlined and interconnected future as we introduce the Workday cloud-based platform in the HR, Finance and Procurement areas; a cutting-edge solution that promises to redefine how the EMBL Administration operates and interacts and enhance collaboration across the organization. The Workday solution will replace the current SAP ERP system. The post will therefore require mastering computing tools and the successful candidate is expected to demonstrate a profound interest and affinity for digitization and embrace change. Currently, the Purchase Department works with the SAP MM module (Material Management). The Workday implementation for the procurement part is planned during the course of 2025-2027.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work.

Enjoy lots of benefits

• Financial incentives: Income tax exemption, monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, a pension scheme, life insurance, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances;
• Flexible working arrangements;
• Certified training and continued development of your professional and personal skills;
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family;
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year;
• Generous relocation package including installation grant (if applicable);
• Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave and monthly family and child allowances;
• Benefits for international newcomers: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.

What else you need to know

Please note that appointments on fixed term contracts can be renewed up to 9 years in total, depending on circumstances at the time of the review.

Don’t meet every single requirement? We are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply nevertheless.

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