Senior buyer

About the Role

The Procurement Specialist (Buyer) will join the Global Procurement Department and will primarily support procurement activities for the Italian perimeter while contributing to global sourcing initiatives, procurement governance and supplier management programs across the Group.

The role is responsible for managing end-to-end procurement processes, supporting business stakeholders throughout the sourcing lifecycle, identifying value creation opportunities and ensuring compliance with procurement policies and standards.

The successful candidate combines strong analytical capabilities, commercial acumen and negotiation skills with the ability to build trusted partnerships with internal stakeholders and suppliers.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

• Manage end-to-end sourcing activities mainly for the Italian business perimeter, including supplier scouting, RFx management, commercial evaluations, supplier selection and negotiations.
• Support global procurement initiatives and contribute to sourcing projects involving multiple countries and business units.
• Identify cost optimization opportunities and contribute to procurement savings targets.
• Conduct market analysis and supplier benchmarking to support informed procurement decisions.
• Lead commercial negotiations ensuring the best balance between cost, quality, service levels, innovation and risk.

Supplier Management & Governance

• Manage relationships with strategic suppliers and key business partners.
• Support supplier qualification, onboarding, due diligence and vendor lifecycle management activities.
• Ensure supplier information, qualification documents and vendor registries are properly maintained.
• Monitor supplier performance through KPIs, reviews and continuous improvement actions.
• Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Security and Risk Management functions to ensure contractual and regulatory compliance.

Procurement Operations & Process Excellence

• Manage procurement activities through SAP and corporate procurement platforms.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies, approval workflows and governance requirements.

Business Partnership

• Act as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders, translating business needs into procurement strategies and sourcing initiatives.
• Build strong partnerships with business functions to ensure alignment between operational needs and procurement objectives.
• Partner with Finance and Procurement-to-Pay teams to ensure transparency, efficiency and control across the entire Source-to-Pay lifecycle, supporting budget monitoring, spend governance, supplier management, purchase order processes and operational excellence.
• Facilitate effective collaboration between business, suppliers and support functions to maximize value generation.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Engineering, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Computer Science or other STEM disciplines.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Purchasing, Category Management or commercial roles with significant negotiation responsibilities.
• Proven track record of managing supplier negotiations and commercial agreements.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent stakeholder management and partnership-building capabilities.
• Fluent English, written and spoken.
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint.
• Hands‑on experience with SAP and procurement management platforms.
• Knowledge of supplier qualification processes, vendor onboarding, vendor master data management and supplier registries.
• Ability to work effectively in an international and matrix-based environment.

Key Competencies

• Negotiation & Influencing Skills
• Commercial Mindset
• Strategic Thinking
• Analytical Problem Solving
• Results Orientation
• Communication Skills

We offer a safe and inclusive environment where colleagues are encouraged to think outside the box. CRIF is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive work environment and promoting equal opportunities throughout the employee life cycle. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embracing gender, age, culture, religion and disability diversity

Contract: Permanent

The Annual Salary for this position starts from €35.000 gross per year.

The level of classification will be determined during the selection process based on the candidate’s profile and in accordance with the National Collective Labour Agreement (CCNL) for the Tertiary, Distribution and Services sector.

The final compensation package, including any variable components (such as MBO) or additional benefits, will depend on the assessment of the candidate’s profile against the role requirements.