Summary:

Interim VP Procurement and Supply Chain

Our Client (Solar B2B Trading) is searching a VP Procurement and Supply Chain to bridge an open vacancy.

Summary:

The Vice President Procurement & Supply Chain is responsible for the end-to-end management of Procurement and Supply Chain in a dynamic, globally connected solar distribution business. Also to define the strategy and operating model, deliver measurable value (cost, service, cash/NWC), and lead a high-performing organization with central and local teams.
To create the balance between centralized strategic steering (categories, supplier portfolio, governance) and strong local execution – with clear roles, standards, and scalable processes.

Key Duties / Responsibilities

1) Procurement (End-to-End) Overall accountability for:

• Plan for Strategy
• Source to Contract
• Purchase to Pay
• Procurement Excellence (methods, standards, academy/toolbox)
• Focus areas:
• Strategic sourcing, procurement & vendor portfolio management
• Building/developing Category Management incl. team and capability building
• Development and management of a supplier panel (Global / Asia / Europe) incl. SRM
• Negotiations & business development with strategic suppliers (price, bonuses/rebates, TCO, contracts)
• Design, rollout, and governance of central and local purchasing processes (incl. policies & compliance)
• Responsibility for the European Central Purchasing Entity incl. team, scope, and performance
• Supplier due diligence, vendor scorecards, market/competitive intelligence
• & risk management

2) Supply Chain Management (SCM)

• Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP): integrated planning across demand/supply/finance
• Inventory Management: inventory strategy, service levels, obsolescence/risk control
• Warehouse Operations & Footprint: capacity, layout, automation, productivity
• Operational Excellence: Lean/CI, KPI system, end-to-end performance management
• Distribution & Transportation Management: carrier strategy, freight cost, OTIF, damage/claims processes

Position Requirements / Key Competencies / Education and Experience

1. Leadership & Interpersonal Competencies

• Digitalization & data-driven management (analytics, dashboards, E2E transparency)
• Value delivery: sustainable cost and terms improvements, TCO optimization
• Working capital / NWC optimization: inventory, payment terms, process levers
• Transformation & change management: new operating models, governance, standardization
• Cross-functional alignment: close collaboration with Sales, Product, Finance, Legal, Operations
• Leadership: leading senior managers, building a high-performance culture
• Capability building: coaching, career paths, procurement/SCM academy, talent pipeline
• Lead, develop, and scale the organization (central + local teams

1. Technical & Functional Expertise

• Define and implement the global Procurement & SCM strategy incl. target system (KPI/OKR)
• Build a scalable governance structure (category boards, supplier reviews, escalation)
• Establish consistent category & supplier management with clear guardrails
• Lead strategic negotiations and framework agreements (incl. T&Cs)
• Introduce/develop a high-performing S&OP and inventory management model
• Develop warehouse/transport network: service, cost, resilience, CO₂
• Performance management with vendor scorecards, due diligence, and continuous improvement

1. Communication & Language Skills

• Fluency in English (required), German (considered a strong advantage).
• Ability to communicate clearly and solution-oriented, proactively addressing and escalating issues.

1. Education requirement

• Master’s degree required, ideally in Business, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Renewable Energy, or a closely related discipline

1. Experience requirement

• Several years of leadership experience in Procurement & Supply Chain (ideally in distribution, trading, renewables, or comparable multi-entity environments)
• Proven success in strategic negotiations, SRM, and cost/TCO programs
• Experience building/managing Category Management and standardizing processes
• Strong understanding of price structures, bonuses/rebates, landed cost, logistics costs, and working-capital levers

Project locations: Bavaria, Germany Project duration: approx. 6 months