Category Buyer Indirect Material

What you will do

Key Responsibilities

Category Ownership & Strategy (MRO)

• Own, develop and continuously improve the MRO category strategy, aligned with Imec’s operational, technical and sustainability objectives.  The strategy is co-owned with the other MRO buyer, who focusses on project buying in the MRO realm.
• Translate business needs into structured sourcing pipelines, category roadmaps and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Drive standardization, demand consolidation and total cost of ownership (TCO) thinking across the MRO spend landscape.
• Ensure ongoing delivery & performance of incumbent suppliers.

Strategic Sourcing & Contract Management

• Lead end-to-end sourcing activities (RFx, negotiations, supplier selection and contracting) for MRO goods and services.
• Negotiate, renegotiate and manage framework agreements and long-term contracts with key and strategic suppliers; both new and existing.
• Ensure contractual clarity, compliance and alignment with imec procurement policies and legal standards.  Help the maturity journey in building new templates and keeping existing ones up to date.

Technical Services Supplier Management (Hook-up)

• Manage procurement activities related to hookup associated MRO goods and technical services, in close collaboration with internal stakeholders & project teams.
• Act as procurement point of contact for suppliers delivering installation, modification, maintenance or support services linked to hookup and facility related operational environments.
• Ensure sourcing, contracting and supplier performance management are executed in line with procurement governance, safety requirements and operational continuity needs.
• Support alignment between project driven requirements and existing framework agreements, ensuring clarity on scope, roles and commercial conditions.
• Monitor supplier performance, risks and dependencies in a multi-supplier, high criticality environment, and initiate corrective or improvement actions where required.
• Provide procurement expertise and governance support to complex, technically driven sourcing decisions, without assuming technical or project ownership.

Supplier Performance & Relationship Management

• Act as primary procurement interface for strategic and critical MRO suppliers.
• Monitor and improve supplier performance on cost, quality, delivery, service levels and sustainability.
• Organize supplier reviews, performance evaluations and continuous improvement initiatives.

Stakeholder[KR1]  Management & Business Partnership

• Build strong partnerships with internal stakeholders across operations, facilities, engineering, EHS, finance and legal.
• Challenge and clarify demand to ensure optimal sourcing outcomes.
• Act as a trusted procurement advisor for MRO‑related and facility‑driven sourcing decisions.

Governance, Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure compliance with procurement processes, policies and internal governance frameworks.
• Contribute to audits, risk management and procurement process improvements.
• Share best practices and actively contribute to procurement community initiatives within imec.
• Stay informed on market developments, supplier innovations and procurement best practices.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

Education & Experience

• Master’s degree (or equivalent experience) in engineering, economics, business or supply chain.
• 5–8+ years of relevant procurement experience, preferably within indirect categories.
• Proven experience in strategic sourcing, contract negotiation and supplier management.
• Fluent in English and Dutch

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong understanding of MRO environments, including technical services, spare parts, maintenance contracts and facility‑related services.
• Knowledge of or experience with public procurement
• Solid commercial and negotiation skills.
• Ability to work autonomously in a complex, high‑tech and multi‑stakeholder environment.
• Strong analytical skills (spend analysis, TCO, business cases).
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.

Personal Attributes

• Structured, assertive and solution oriented.
• Comfortable operating in critical operational environments.
• Proactive, resilient and able to balance operational support with strategic objectives.
• Keeps his/her cool and brings stability when pressure is put on.
• Fluent in English and Dutch

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.