Materials scientist Jobs in Sankt Augustin

Job Title: European Pricing Gatekeeper

Job Purpose

Provide data analysis on European AFR bids. Quantify the impact for customers on pricing input from the countries and the regions and facilitate fact‑based decision making by relevant senior management stakeholders. Calculate, analyze, and quantify business risks and exposures for multimillion (EUR) AFR RFQs to support fact-based decision making by the relevant senior management stakeholders and define pricing instructions leveraging standards accordingly. Be the responsible person for the AFR assigned RFQs, for the preparation of the final submission to the Customer in the required format, for the correctness, completeness, and competitiveness of the submission and of the rates on each round to gain and retain business. Support smart pricing using all available sources of intelligence. Drive continuous improvement of AFR pricing quality in coordination with regional and country pricing teams.

Differentiator

Strong AFR Product and Operations Knowledge

• Review and evaluate the possible acceptance of non-standard T&Cs regarding RFQs and measure the related exposure to DGF.
• Strong AFR Pricing Knowledge
• Understand selling and costing structures to perform sanity checks and provide effective proposals.
• Monitor rate development and identify key market drivers.
• Provide pricing strategies to countries and regions.

Commercial Mindset

• Approach RFQs effectively and communicate with customers during meetings (physical or virtual).

International Trade Understanding

• Knowledge of Incoterms®, CDZ, and local regulations to support pricing strategies for countries and regions.

Project Management Skills

• Lead and coordinate various tasks and individuals involved within defined timelines.

Analytical and Creative Mindset

• Highly analytical, forward-thinking, and creative in problem-solving.

Matrix Organization Experience

• Work effectively in a matrix organization and drive results globally.

Data Handling Ability

• Manage massive, noisy, and semi-structured data.

Strong Communication Skills

• Communicate effectively with both internal and external stakeholders.

Responsiveness and Decision-Making

• Demonstrate strong responsiveness and the ability to make timely decisions.

Strategic and Operational Issue Identification

• Identify strategic and operational issues in all areas of air freight pricing.

Data Analysis and Statistical Modeling

• Conduct data analysis, develop statistical models, and implement solutions in collaboration with subject matter experts.

Business Context Interpretation

• Interpret statistics in a business context and prepare them for discussion with top management.

Solution Proposals

• Propose solutions and/or seek required input to support countries/regions with issues.

Energetic and Results-Focused

• Be an energetic, results-focused, and creative problem solver.

Solid Analytical Skills

• Demonstrate the ability to think “outside the box.”

Multi-Cultural and High-Pressure Environment Adaptability

• Work effectively within a multi-cultural program and high-pressure environment.

Tolerance for Ambiguity

• Maintain focus on critical deliverables while prioritizing effectively.

MS Office Proficiency

• Excellent command of MS Office tools, particularly MS Excel.
• Manage internal and external templates.
• Prepare analyses on customer profitability, volume, and STP.
• Prepare analyses and impact overviews on RFQ submissions.

Organizational Skills

• Exhibit strong organizational skills paired with proactive behavior to manage simultaneously complex project deliverables and deadlines.

Language Skills

• Excellent verbal and written English language skills to communicate with the DPDHL network and customers.

Teamwork and Independence

• Proven ability to work independently as well as a team member.

Decisiveness

• Be responsive and unafraid of making decisions.

Key Tasks

• Drive competitive pricing from Europe perspective by staying informed on market developments.
• Analyze customer profitability and shipping profiles.
• Translate and explain business requirements (RFQ documents, contracts, local experience, commercial input) into bid instructions for regional and country ACCs.
• Initiate and explore all possibilities for uplift and routing options to achieve optimal results.
• Flag exposure, non-standard T&Cs, and non-standard operational procedures proposed by the customer to stakeholders and SMEs and prepare the final T&Cs version for submission.
• Instruct regions or country ACCs and ensure timely delivery of pricing inputs.
• Check all received CT pricing input for quality, including completeness, adherence to pricing instructions and DGF standards, pricing correctness, and competitiveness.
• Prepare IPTs and translate them into CPTs, while addressing country inquiries.
• Drive and support the agreed pricing process, ensuring data quality and compliance.
• Guide and support global AFR pricing specialists’ activities as needed.
• Ensure competitive pricing using various benchmarking tools.
• Summarize the overall level of competitiveness and key exposures to global and regional AFR management for approval.
• Participate in QBRs and customer meetings as the AFR expert in conjunction with the commercial team.
• Lead final rate negotiations with customers, including face-to-face meetings.
• Ensure that rates submitted to customers are profitable.

Stakeholders

• AFR European management
• AFR House of Pricing teams – European
• AFR Country ACC and AFR heads
• European AFR Procurement and Operational teams
• AFR Data Scientist and solution design
• AFR Product Development
• CSI and Commercial Team
• European Management
• Customer (European Procurement Team, European Logistic Team, Quality Control)

Management Responsibility

• Individual contributor who may manage two or fewer employees.
• May direct the work of other lower-level professionals or manage processes and programs.
• Coach, review, and delegate work to lower-level professionals.

Education Level

• Coach, review, and delegate work to lower-level professionals.

Experience Level

• More than 6 years relevant experience.
• Experience in data analytics, preferably in airfreight/forwarding.
• Preferably supervisory or team lead experience.