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Organisation data: Purchase
Job number: HD01959
Contract Type: Staff Member
Job Function: Administrative Officer (gr. 4-6)
Closing date: 16 May 2021

About the team/job

We are looking for a dedicated, energetic and flexible Purchase Officer with the right mindset to join and strengthen our purchase team (5 members in Purchase and 3 members in the Stores) located at the headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany.

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

In this role, you will have a key function within the institute by interacting with the scientific community and all major departments from the Administration (Finance, Accounting, Legal, HR, IT- services, Facility Management, etc.) and being the contact person for external partners.

Your role

You will be in charge of the sourcing and procurement of a wide range of products and services. The core activity of this position will concentrate on the purchase of laboratory equipment and on the support of new group leaders in setting-up their laboratories. Diverse other plastic-glassware, chemicals will also be part of the daily ordering routine.

Furthermore, you will be involved in the negotiation of large construction contracts and will be responsible for the placement of Facility Management orders according to EMBL procurement rules (orders for architect/engineer offices, maintenance contracts, hourly wage rate negotiations…). A sound interest and understanding of the very diverse and complex building activities is a clear benefit. You will also be responsible for dealing with the management of mobile phone contracts.

Main duties:

• accurate and timely procurement of products and services;
• monitor purchase orders in SAP;
• guarantee cost-effective purchase of all materials and services whilst ensuring compliance with the EMBL procurement 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;
• deal with and solve complaints in a timely and satisfactory manner;
• be the interface between requisitioner and supplier.

Additional functions and occasional tasks:

• support and assist administrative assistants from other duty stations with purchasing related issues;
• train new colleagues;
• participates actively in the improvement of purchasing processes;
• engage in the improvement of the SAP MM module.

You have

As our ideal candiadte, you 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.

Qualifications and Experience:

• You should have a sound and adequate hands-on work experience in procurement of at least 3 years preferably in the Life Sciences in a dynamic, challenging and international academic research environment;
• A University degree in Business Administration, Logistics or equivalent commercial education is demanded;
• Distinctive commercial understanding and a high sense of service is expected;
• The post requires mastering computing tools, in particular the MM (Material Management) module of SAP and MS Office;
• You should should demonstrate good communication and organization skills;
• A high degree of flexibility, team spirit and service readiness are essential;
• Excellent spoken and written English and German language skills are a must.

You should also possess strong written and verbal communication skills to deal with various levels of management and staff within the organization and with vendors. A high level of engagement, trustability and reliability, friendliness, helpfulness and service-oriented personality is required for this position.

You might also have

• First experience in leading small-scale projects and knowledge of digital and automated procurement solutions would be an asset;
• Additional experience in the purchase area of building maintenance would be an asset.

Why join us

Working for EMBL gives you an opportunity to apply your skills and energy for the greater good. EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. Competitive tax free salary, a relaxed culture, ongoing professional development, canteen and library all make EMBL a great place to work. EMBL is an inclusive, equal opportunity employer offering attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family friendly working environment.

What's it like to work at EMBL? Hear what some of our staff have to say on our YouTube channel http://s.embl.org/lifeatembl.

What else you need to know

We are Europe's flagship research laboratory for the life sciences - an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with 1700 employees from many nations operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (DE, headquarters), Barcelona (ES), Hinxton near Cambridge (UK), Hamburg (DE), Grenoble (FR) and Rome (IT).

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

this job offer is not open for applications