Your Challenges

Category Strategy & Governance

• Develop, implement, and continuously update the global category strategy for plastic injection molded parts in alignment with Eppendorf’s business, quality, and sustainability objectives.

• Analyze global and regional supply markets (especially China and Southeast Asia), including cost drivers, technology trends, capacity, risk, and ESG developments.

• Define and manage mid- and long-term sourcing roadmaps, including supplier panel definition, localization/near-shoring, consolidation and dual/multi-sourcing strategies.

• Ensure category strategies are aligned with R&D, Operations, Quality and Supply Chain stakeholders globally.

Sourcing & Supplier Management

• Identify, evaluate, and qualify plastic injection molding suppliers, including those with in‑house tooling capabilities and strong engineering support.

• Lead and manage RFQ/RFI/RFP processes, ensuring technical and commercial comparability of offers in close collaboration with Engineering and Quality.

• Negotiate prices, tooling investments, commercial terms and long‑term agreements, optimizing total cost of ownership (TCO) while ensuring supply continuity and quality.

• Build and maintain strategic supplier relationships to drive cost competitiveness, innovation, service performance and sustainability.

• Support supplier development activities, including capacity expansion, process optimization and quality improvements.

Cost Management & Should-Cost

• Develop, maintain and continuously refine should-cost models for plastic components based on:

  • Resin type and raw material cost

  • Tooling concept (cavity number, hot/cold runner, mold steel, tool life, amortization)

  • Cycle time, scrap rate, labor content, automation level and overheads

  • Reasonable margin assumptions by region

• Conduct cost breakdown and gap analysis (supplier quote vs. should-cost vs. current price) to identify savings opportunities and support fact-based negotiations.

• Collaborate with R&D, Engineering and suppliers to enable design-to-cost and design-for-manufacturing (DFM) for new and existing products.

• Conduct and Execute cost reduction negotiation annually to achieve procurement goal.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Act as the primary category interface to global and regional stakeholders (R&D, Engineering, Quality, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance).

• Support NPI / NPD projects to FS by involving suppliers early, conducting feasibility and manufacturability assessments (DFM) and providing cost input and sourcing recommendations.

• Work closely with Quality to support PPAP, process audits, APQP and change management at suppliers.

• Align with Supply Chain and Operations on inventory, logistics models and dual sourcing plans to secure supply and optimize working capital.

Risk Management, Compliance & Sustainability

• Identify, assess and mitigate supply risks (single-sourcing, capacity constraints, geopolitical risk, regulatory, ESG and environmental risks).

• Develop and implement risk mitigation plans, including dual/multi-sourcing, safety stock strategies and regional diversification.

• Ensure suppliers comply with Eppendorf’s requirements on quality, ethics, environment, health & safety and social responsibility.

• Actively support Eppendorf’s sustainability goals, e.g., through material choices, waste reduction, energy efficient processes and responsible supplier selection.

Your Expertise

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or above in Mechanical Engineering, Plastics/Polymer Engineering, Materials Science, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management or a related technical field.

• Additional business qualification (e.g. MBA, Purchasing certification) is an advantage.

Experience

• Typically 4+ years of experience in procurement, category management or strategic sourcing, with a strong focus on plastic injection molded components (preferably for medical devices, diagnostics, life science, laboratory consumables or related industries).

• Proven experience with injection molds and tooling (mold concept, structure, cost drivers, lifetime, maintenance and refurbishment).

• Demonstrated track record in should-cost analysis, cost breakdown and value engineering for plastic parts.

• Solid experience working with suppliers in Southeast Asia, including supplier scouting, qualification, development and performance management.

• Experience in a global or regional role in an international, matrix organization is highly preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of injection molding processes (including process parameters, automation, secondary operations such as printing, welding, assembly, and cleanroom requirements where applicable).

• Excellent commercial acumen and negotiation skills, able to lead complex negotiations and long-term agreements.

• Advanced analytical and financial skills, including TCO, cost modeling and scenario analysis.

• Ability to build and maintain trust-based relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.

• Very good communication skills in English (written and spoken); knowledge of Mandarin is a strong plus.

• Proficient in MS Excel/PowerPoint and ERP/Procurement systems (e.g., SAP, e-sourcing tools).

Your benefits at Eppendorf:

• We truly appreciate our employees and their performance

• We offer a wide range of learning and development opportunities to allow you to deepen your technical knowledge and for continuous growth

• By working with us, you will make a meaningful contribution to improving human living conditions

• Attractive salary, employee benefits and performance bonus