Senior Buyer

As an Engineer in Offshore & Shipbuilding, you play a crucial role in creating safe, sustainable and efficient projects on or offshore. From shipbuilding to floating offshore platforms.

Responsibilities

• The Senior Buyer acts as the focal point with Vendors on assigned Turnkey Project(s) or Fleet vessel(s).
• You are responsible to implement Global Supply Chain sourcing strategy.
• You are responsible to efficiently and adequately set-up the Request For Quotation for the Purchase under consideration.
• In line with project or vessel specific requirements, market conditions, you are responsible to negotiate and purchase equipment/services with the aim to obtain best commercial and contractual conditions to create value and position the Company competitively (cost, schedule, quality and technical requirements).
• Once Purchase Order is placed, the Buyer is responsible to provide commercial support until Purchase Order close-out:
• Commercial Purchase Order execution including, but not limited to, negotiation of Variation Orders at best commercial and contractual conditions, support for claims, notification to Supplier in line with Purchase Order T&C and after review and approval by PMT, support for Purchase Order commercial close out including Vendor commercial and contractual performance.
• The Buyer shall deliver those key objectives in line with:
•  GEMS SAPHYRE processes
• Sourcing strategy defined by Category Manager
• Specific Project or Vessel conditions as defined by relevant Purchase Requestor
• Purchasing strategy agreed at Tender phase or at RFQ start and reflected in the Commercial Bid Evaluation
• Role Contribution 
• In order to efficiently and adequately set-up the Request For Quotation strategy for the Purchase under consideration, you are to:
• Familiarize with relevant market trends, key players and activity levels to confirm capability and capacity of invited bidders in line with relevant Vendor List, as set by Category Manager (s) / Global Strategic Sourcing.
• Familiarized with Vendor Qualification processes and tools to confirm active qualification status or ask for a temporary exemption and/or qualification ahead of RFQ
• Liaise with relevant Category Manager(s) to ensure she/he utilizes pre-agreed terms with Vendor if any and as appropriate.
• Escalate issues with strategic Vendors and promote areas of improvement for Global Strategic Sourcing
• The measure of your effectiveness in this will be:
• No RFQ sent to non-qualified Vendor and without proper Non-Disclosure Agreement in place
• No PO issued without including pre-agreed terms
• Positive feedback from Project Procurement Manager (PPM), Category Manager, Global Supply Chain Excellence team and relevant Project Management members
• In order to negotiate and purchase equipment/services at best commercial and contractual conditions to create value and position the Company competitively, you are to:
• Lead the tendering phase in compliance with processes and business ethics principles
• Manage internal stakeholders to ensure she/he has sufficient means (time, technical resources) to run a satisfactory tendering process including clarifications, normalization of all bidders and negotiations.
• Ensure that the Business/Project scope to source is well identified and defined
• Ensure detailed cost breakdowns and scheduled are obtained and to challenge as necessary to prepare for any future variations
• Lead commercial and contractual negotiations with the support of the Category Manager as relevant, coordinating all required functions.
• Identify opportunities for savings (technical & commercial), manage internal approval for identified saving, conduct final commercial negotiations after close-out of all technical, commercial and contractual clarifications.
• Ensure with the support of the relevant Category Manager that the short listed vendors have the adequate Capacity and Capability to execute the potential awarded scope
• Develop precise and complete Commercial Bid Evaluation with substantiated Recommendation to Purchase (RTP), including risks and opportunities identified during bid phase.
• The measure of your effectiveness in this will be:
• Proactivity in proposing technical simplification generating savings (cost & schedule)
• Quality of Commercial Bid Evaluation reflecting clear purchasing strategy, benchmark, risks with associated mitigations and opportunities
• Schedule performance vs plan: PO date, delivery time
• Quality of contractual terms obtained
• Compliance with Category Strategy and no PO to non-qualified Vendor(s)
• Total Cost of Ownership / Full Lifecycle cost, in liaison with related Category Manager taken into consideration for recommendation to Purchase
• Compliance with GEMS SAPHYRE process (Bidding Process, …)
•  In order to provide commercial support until Purchase Order close-out, you are to:
• Support the business during Purchase Order execution on any commercial topics related to the Purchase Order such as leading negotiation of Variation Orders or drafting letters in case of deviation to commercial terms (typically Defect, Force Majeure, Identification of Delay with associated exposure to Liquidated Damages …)
• Lead any claim negotiations with Vendor up to settlement agreement, seek support from Contracts Engineer as appropriate. Deliver commercial close-out POs
• Expedite satisfactory Vendor support and performance during construction / integration, pre[1]commissioning and commissioning activities
• Perform Vendor Performance rating with support of relevant project stakeholders if not performed by other team member (Project Procurement Lead or Project Engineer)
• Organize and lead hand over session(s) with completion team per package if not performed by other team member (Project Procurement Lead or Project Engineer)
• The measure of your effectiveness in this will be:
• Quality of Contract Management including notifications to vendors
• Ability to draft commercial letters autonomously
• Ability to develop VO or claim negotiation strategy and protect Company position at best Timely PO close-out
• As a Senior Buyer (Turnkey Projects), you are responsible to:
• Lead the Buyers Project and Category Buyers allocated on the project.
• Provide tool support, schedule requirements, scope allocation and feedback on performance achievement
• Report on Budget performance (actuals and forecast)
• Pre-Order: escalate issues (cost, schedule, quality) early so that the Project and/or Global Supply Chain teams can provide efficient guidance and support
• Post-Order: ensure good collaboration with post-order management teams so that support and actions are managed in the best interest of the Company
• The measure of your effectiveness in this will be:
• Meet overall procurement budget and schedule
• Ensure new joiners fully aligned with project strategy and specific requirements
• Adherence to the processes by your team in project

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
• Advanced certifications in procurement or supply chain management (e.g., CIPS, CPSM) are preferred.
• Minimum of 8–10 years of experience in procurement, supply chain management, or a related field, preferably in a technical or engineering-intensive environment.
• Proven track record of successfully managing complex tendering and purchasing processes.
• Experience in negotiating contracts, handling vendor claims, and achieving significant cost savings.
• Strong knowledge of procurement systems, tools, and methodologies (e.g., SAP, GEMS SAPHYRE).
• Familiarity with Vendor Qualification processes and global sourcing strategies.
• Proficient in contract management, including drafting and executing Variation Orders and managing claims.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, with the ability to assess Total Cost of Ownership and Lifecycle Costs.
• xcellent interpersonal and communication skills to engage with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, including mentoring and guiding project buyers.
• Exceptional organizational and time-management abilities to meet tight deadlines.

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