Vacancy | NPI Purchaser | Leuven

For our office in Leuven we are looking for highly qualified and motivated professionals like you. If you think you have what it takes to keepSeptentriofirmly in Pole Position get in touch.

We need you for the position of

NPI Purchaser

The Job

As an NPI Purchaser you are responsible for managing the end-to-end purchasing activities that support Septentrios New Product Introduction (NPI) projects. Working as the purchasing expert within multiple cross-functional Product Life Cycle (PLC) teams you ensure new products are introduced on time at the best total cost of ownership and with a robust supplier base ready for serial production.

You collaborate closely with Engineering Industrialization Supply Chain Manufacturing Product Management Finance Legal and suppliers worldwide to drive purchasing activities from concept through industrialization. This is a highly autonomous role for someone who enjoys combining technical understanding commercial negotiations project coordination and supplier management in an international environment.

Your Mission

New Product Introduction (NPI) Purchasing

• Manage all purchasing activities throughout the Product Life Cycle (PLC) from supplier selection to production readiness.
• Lead RFIs RFQs quotation benchmarking and supplier evaluations for new product developments.
• Support product teams by providing component cost estimates sourcing recommendations and purchasing expertise during development.
• Ensure purchasing deliverables are completed in line with project milestones and time-to-market objectives.

Supplier Management & Procurement

• Act as the primary purchasing contact between Engineering Industrialization Operations and suppliers throughout new product introductions.
• Manage purchase orders for prototypes tooling non-recurring engineering (NRE) and pilot production to ensure timely material availability.
• Monitor supplier quality and delivery performance during prototype and pre-production phases driving corrective actions where needed.
• Identify qualify and onboard new suppliers to support emerging technologies and business needs.
• Support supplier audits and participate in the preparation and negotiation of supply agreements.

Project Coordination & Cost Optimization

• Plan monitor and report purchasing activities across multiple concurrent NPI projects.
• Coordinate purchasing deliverables within Septentrios stage-gated Product Life Cycle (PLC) process.
• Perform cost analyses Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) evaluations make-versus-buy assessments and supply chain risk analyses.
• Identify opportunities to reduce component costs lead times inventory levels and supply chain risks before serial production.

Systems & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain supplier and procurement master data for new components within SAP.
• Ensure purchasing documentation is accurate complete and aligned with company processes.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of sourcing strategies purchasing processes and supplier performance.
• Stay informed about relevant compliance requirements including RoHS REACH and trade compliance regulations.

Your Qualifications

Experience & Background

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Engineering Supply Chain Business or a related field with proven experience in technical purchasing.
• 35 years of purchasing experience within an industrial or manufacturing environment.
• Experience managing purchasing activities within New Product Introduction (NPI) or stage-gated product development projects.
• Strong understanding of technical drawings specifications and manufacturing processes ideally within electronics or electromechanical products.
• Experience with supplier selection RFIs/RFQs contract negotiations and supplier performance management.
• Knowledge of product costing Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Incoterms and supply chain risk assessment.
• Experience working with ERP/MRP systems (SAP preferred) and good knowledge of Microsoft Office. Experience with JIRA Confluence or Product Data Management (PDM) tools is a plus.

Skills & Competencies

• Excellent project planning and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple NPI projects simultaneously.
• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to evaluate commercial and technical trade-offs.
• Proactive structured and self-driven with a strong sense of ownership.
• Confident communicator who enjoys collaborating in cross-functional international project teams.
• Results-oriented quality-focused and comfortable working as the purchasing expert within multidisciplinary development projects.
• Fluent in English. Knowledge of Dutch and/or French is an asset or willingness to learn.
• Willingness to travel internationally (approximately 10%) including occasional intercontinental supplier visits and periodic travel within Europe.

Our Offer

In exchange for your talent we offer a very competitive compensation package in a top-notch high-tech international working environment. At Septentrio youll have room to grow both personally and professionally. Our on-boarding plan is legendary our homework policy family-friendly. Get in touch and help us shoot for the moon the stars and beyond.