Procurement Logistics Manager

Make a +Difference at Kraton!

At Kraton, we make a Positive Difference, and we are looking for individuals who are also looking to make a difference in their jobs, for our customers and to the world.  We are looking to hire a key member of our Procurement team at our Almere location.

We are looking for a strategic and collaborative Logistics Procurement Professional who can drive best-in-class procurement strategies for all EU logistics activities, from multimodal transport to warehousing. In this role, you will leverage your industry network, negotiation skills, and market insights to secure optimal value, build strong supplier partnerships, and support key internal stakeholders across Supply Chain, Operations, Sales, Finance, and Legal. Your ability to translate business needs into effective sourcing strategies, manage complex vendor relationships, and contribute to continuous improvement will be essential in strengthening Kraton’s competitive position in the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Assume responsibility for adherence to the Kraton Purchasing Policies and Procedures.
• Develop and implement buying strategies and tactics for the procurement of Logistics for the EU region (all modes of transport (vessel shipments, rail & truck transport) and storage (warehousing & tankage)) that create a competitive advantage for Kraton.
• Work closely with other functional areas like Supply Chain, Legal, Finance, Sales and Operations as a member or leader of a cross-functional team to define and execute on the logistics spending framework.
• Achieve best “value for money” results by ensuring the process of price and service level negotiation includes a current and specific analysis of the suppliers industry, capabilities and financial situation as well as more general benchmarking.
• Given the need for cross-functional dialogue and alignment in this position, the leadership competency of approachability/ability to work in a team is key. Establishing positive, effective relationships with internal customers will be integral to achieving best practice value based Procurement. Ability to communicate well across different levels and forums.

Required Skills

• 5+ years of experience in Procurement of Logistic Services in a B2B environment. Experience in the Chemical Industry is preferred.
• Demonstrably have a wide network in the Logistics world.
• Able to negotiate and develop effective strategies at high level to ensure lowest cost/best value to the company.
• Establish and maintain effective strategic supplier relationships as well as relationships with key internal customers in order to gain an understanding of their needs to improve the service provided (fit for purpose).
• Fluent in English (oral/writing).
• Ensure that our EU Logistics Procurement strategies and their implementation are supportive of and consistent with Kraton Chemical’s corporate strategy, as well as the functional strategies of Supply Chain, Global Procurement and Sales.
• Provide Logistics support to the ASPAC region on an ad-hoc basis.
• Assume responsibility for vendor sourcing, bidding & bid evaluation, negotiation, recommendation for award, contract set-up and management.
• Evaluate vendor performance and assume responsibility for resolving contract disputes, price amendments or scope variation in close cooperation with the EU Planning, Supply Chain, Plant Supply Chain and Sales.
• Develop appropriate supplier and internal customer relationships and manage them in a professional and effective manner.
• Provide market information to stakeholders by leveraging relationships with vendors, through industry platforms and literature.
• Identify and drive continuous improvement efforts and cost reduction initiatives in the Logistics Procurement arena.
• Logistics/Procurement background.
• Project management skills.
• SAP knowledge (procedural and operational).
• Standard application software handling capability.
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What we Offer

• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
• Opportunity to work with a talented and diverse team of professionals in the field.
• Continuous learning and development opportunities to enhance your skills.
• A supportive work environment that values teamwork and collaboration.

Education, Certifications & Licenses

• Bachelor/MBA degree preferred (Supply Chain Management/Operations Management & Logistics).

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The statements above are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this classification.  Statements are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required for this position.

Kraton’s internal talent acquisition team manages our recruiting efforts and from time to time works with pre-selected/pre-approved external staffing agencies. We do NOT accept unsolicited resumes or candidate referrals from recruiters and/or agencies who are not pre-selected/pre-approved.

Kraton is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.