Indirect Buyer at Gowan Company

The Indirect Buyer Position SummaryThe Indirect Buyer is responsible for the operational procurement of indirect goods and services, purchase order management, across Gowan's four production plants & laboratories in Italy. The role executes local sourcing activities, supports the delivery of regional indirect category projects, and ensures procurement compliance and process discipline across all sites. The position combines hands-on operational buying with growing exposure to category management, sourcing, and supplier negotiation, acting as the local execution arm of the regional and global indirect procurement strategy. This is a site-facing, cross-functional role requiring close collaboration with Plant Management, Maintenance, Quality, EHS, and Finance teams, alongside regular coordination with the Global Procurement Category Manager.

Job Status Permanent Contract * Full-Time * Salaried * Reports to Global Procurement Category Manager (based in Milan, Italy)

Location: Isagro S.p.A., Via Caldera 21, Milan (MI), Italy

Role Responsibilities

• Operational Procurement Receive and process indirect purchase requests from the four Italian plants and the Novara laboratory Verify and evaluate supplier quotations for price, quality, lead time, and commercial terms Issue purchase orders through the ERP system in line with approved sourcing decisions and budgets Confirm receipt and quality of materials, spare parts, and services against purchase orders Investigate and resolve invoice, delivery, and quality discrepancies with suppliers and internal stakeholders Support Finance with indirect OPEX/CAPEX budget planning and cost centre accuracy
• Indirect Category & Sourcing Support Lead execution of regional indirect procurement projects (e.g. Capex, MRO, facilities services, professional services, logistics, equipment) as directed by the Global Procurement Category Manager Conduct local spend analysis to identify savings, demand management, and consolidation opportunities across the four plants and laboratories Manage and run RFx processes (RFI / RFQ / RFP), local and regional, indirect categories Support supplier evaluation, qualification, and onboarding for indirect categories Be responsible for negotiations for local and regional supply agreements under the guidance of category managers. Track and report savings, cost avoidance, and compliance metrics for assigned categories Own contract lifecycle tracking, including renewal and expiry dates, for assigned indirect suppliers
• Supplier & Stakeholder Management Build and maintain effective working relationships with local and regional indirect suppliers Act as day-to-day point of contact for suppliers Partner with Plant Managers, Maintenance, Quality, and EHS teams to align procurement activity with operational needs Support monitoring of supplier performance (delivery, quality, responsiveness) and elevate issues as needed
• Process & Compliance Ensure procurement activities comply with Gowan's Global Procurement Policy and local regulatory requirements Maintain accurate procurement records, contracts, and supplier documentation Support standardization of local procurement processes in line with regional and global templates and tools Assist with internal and external audit requests related to indirect procurement Maintain accurate vendor master data and support catalogue/P2P system adoption Ensure all purchases comply with Gowan's Delegation of Authority and approval limits

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience)

Experience / Skills / Abilities*

• Minimum 5 years of procurement experience, including indirect categories and an industrial or manufacturing environment
• Familiarity with ERP and procurement systems (e.g. SAP, Ariba, Coupa or similar)
• Solid negotiation skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, comfortable working with spend and cost data
• Good stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills
• Fluent English and Italian, written and spoken
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a regional/global procurement team

Job Expectations / Working Conditions*

• Regular travel across the four Italian production plants and the Novara laboratory (approx. 30-40%)
• Occasional travel for regional or global procurement meetings and supplier visits
• Ability to work in both office and plant/warehouse environments
• Frequent interaction with Maintenance, Quality, EHS, Finance, and Plant Management teams