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

Projektnummer: IM260605

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