Senior Procurement Professional – Automation & Industrial Technology – 7092
Our client, a global market leader in the production and process support of active pharmaceutical ingredients, both in the chemical and biotechnology sectors, is recruiting for a Senior Procurement Professional – Automation & Industrial Technology for a 12-month contract starting ideally the 15th November 2026 extension possible.
This is an hybrid role based in Visp, Switzerland.
The Senior Procurement Professional – Automation & Industrial Technology leads procurement activities for automation-related products, systems, equipment, and services within a pharmaceutical manufacturing environment.
The role will own the Automation Procurement category, developing and executing category strategies, managing key technology and equipment suppliers, leading complex sourcing and commercial negotiations, and partnering closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Automation, IT/OT, Quality, Validation, Supply Chain, and Project teams.
The successful candidate will combine strong procurement and negotiation expertise with a solid understanding of industrial automation technologies and the pharmaceutical manufacturing environment. They will be expected to understand the technical and commercial implications of automation investments and be able to effectively challenge and negotiate with major automation OEMs, system integrators, and specialist technology suppliers.
Main Responsibilities:
Automation Category Management
- Own and develop the Automation Procurement category strategy, aligned with site, manufacturing, engineering, and global procurement objectives.
- Develop category plans covering automation equipment, systems, software, services, spare parts, upgrades, maintenance, and lifecycle support.
- Analyze category spend, supplier markets, technology trends, and business requirements to identify sourcing and value-creation opportunities.
- Establish appropriate sourcing models, preferred suppliers, framework agreements, and commercial standards.
- Develop long-term strategies for automation technology suppliers, including standardization and supplier consolidation where appropriate.
- Identify opportunities to optimize total cost of ownership (TCO) across the automation lifecycle rather than focusing solely on initial purchase price.
Automation Technology & Product Expertise
Demonstrate a strong working understanding of automation technologies and products commonly used in pharmaceutical manufacturing, including where applicable:
- PLC/DCS/SCADA systems
- Distributed control systems and process control platforms
- PLC hardware, I/O systems, controllers, HMIs, and industrial networks
- MES and manufacturing automation interfaces
- Building management and facility automation systems
- Industrial PCs and automation infrastructure
- Robotics and automated material handling systems
- Process instrumentation and control systems
- Drives, motors, control panels, and electrical automation equipment
- Industrial communication protocols and network infrastructure
- Automation software, licenses, upgrades, and cybersecurity-related services
- Batch/process automation systems
- Data historians and production data systems
- Automation engineering, system integration, commissioning, and support services
- Spare parts, obsolescence management, lifecycle support, and modernization programs
Ability to engage credibly with technical stakeholders and suppliers regarding product specifications, technology choices, system architecture, lifecycle considerations, service models, and commercial implications.
Vendor & OEM Management
- Manage strategic relationships with major automation OEMs, technology vendors, distributors, system integrators, engineering contractors, and specialist service providers.
- Develop a strong understanding of the relevant automation supplier landscape and technology ecosystem.
- Lead supplier selection and qualification processes for automation projects and ongoing operational requirements.
- Negotiate pricing, framework agreements, service contracts, software licensing, maintenance agreements, warranties, lead times, payment terms, and other commercial conditions.
- Establish and manage preferred supplier agreements and strategic partnerships.
- Conduct supplier performance reviews covering cost, quality, delivery, technical support, responsiveness, and lifecycle support.
- Develop strategies to reduce dependency and manage commercial and supply risks associated with single-source OEMs.
- Negotiate with suppliers on legacy-system support, technology obsolescence, upgrades, migrations, and end-of-life situations.
Pharmaceutical Project Procurement
- Lead procurement for automation components and systems supporting CAPEX, facility, manufacturing, process, and technology projects.
- Work with Engineering and Automation teams from the early project-design phase through supplier selection, contracting, delivery, commissioning, and handover.
- Participate in technical-commercial evaluations of automation solutions.
- Ensure procurement strategies account for project timelines, technical requirements, validation requirements, and total lifecycle costs.
Qualifications and Experience:
- Relevant working/residency permit or Swiss/EU-Citizenship required
- Educational background: preference for Engineering, Procurement, Supply chain
- GMP environment - strong advantage
- 10+ years of experience within roles in Procurement
- Stakeholder (internal/external) management in multinational environment
- Ariba and SAP work experience
- Languages; English - fluent, German - Nice to have