Buyer – Northern, Central

Buyer – Northern, Central & Eastern Europe

With one shared mission of opening the world through education, EF is a multicultural and multilingual community of team members working across 55 countries all around the world. Bring your talents, your perspective, and your ambition. In return, we offer a vibrant, dynamic working environment, and a fulfilling international career.

EF Educational Tours makes it possible for thousands of North American students every year to see the world and discover new cultures through our professionally guided tours.

We are now looking for an entrepreneurial negotiator with a nothing is impossible attitude to join our Procurement team in our dynamic and multi-national Production Headquarter in Zurich.

As a part of the Procurement team, your responsibility will be procuring cost-effective and qualitative services and solutions for accommodation, activities, and meals - all while keeping our customer’s experience at the forefront.

WHAT YOU WILL DO:

1. Procurement, Negotiation & Contracting – leading negotiations of pricing and commercial terms for the assigned categories, geographies, and suppliers, while also scouting the market for potential new suppliers.
2. Cost and Quality Management – meeting cost and process efficiency targets by giving EF access to favorable pricing and conditions whilst maintaining a high standard of quality and customer satisfaction.
3. Inventory Management – analyze, procure, and process adequate inventory levels to meet forecasted demand.
4. Strategy & Execution – actively participating in setting and delivering on mid to long term strategic direction and supplier segmentation for the area of responsibility.
5. Category Management – implementation of a category management approach, continuous expansion of know-how for the assigned categories and geographical regions.
6. Supplier Relationship Management – manage relationships with current and potential supply base through the implementation of a SRM approach.
7. Risk and Safety Management – proactively manage and monitor potential risk exposure and safety concerns.
8. Budget and Cash Flow Management – continuously monitor, project, and deliver on costs according to a set plan, while also participating in the budget processes as part of the EF budget cycles.
9. Technology – contribute to the development of technology solutions and the continuous improvement of current tools and processes.
10. Market Knowledge, Trends and Innovation – being on the forefront of the supply market by consistently networking and researching within the industry, as well as gaining market insight into evolving trends in spend categories and geographies with a focus on bringing innovation to EF.
11. Accountability and Team commitment – When our customers are on the road, they might face unexpected disruptions and emergencies. We are as committed to our team members as we are to our customers’ experience meaning we are there for each other, and we own up to our responsibilities when we face challenges. Considering this we expect all team members across all operations departments to join at least three weekend shifts per year to support the emergency team with communication and problem solving.

Travelling is required for up to 20-25% of the time depending on the season, in order to be on the road learning the market, cultivating relationships with suppliers, and securing business agreements.

OBJECTIVES FOR THIS ROLE

1. Articulate and execute on a multi-year procurement strategy by applying supplier segmentation for the area of responsibility internally, and externally define EF’s value proposition to suppliers.
2. Manage supplier relationships and lead negotiations of pricing and commercial terms for assigned categories, geographies, and suppliers, all while meeting cost, quality, safety, and process efficiency requirements.
3. Analyse, procure, and process adequate inventory levels to meet forecasted demand, all while monitoring, projecting, and delivering on costs according to a set plan.

YOU

• Strong communication, negotiation skills and cultural awareness.
• Strategic mindset whilst actively engaged to run day-to-day priorities.
• Strong and proven analytical skills.
• Agile and open-minded team player, with a solution-oriented, innovative, and driven mentality.
• Entrepreneurial spirit and sense of ownership.
• Relationship builder and networker.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• 2-5 years’ experience in procurement, Hospitality, or Tourism preferred.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in business, economics, or tourism.
• Native German Speaker or C2 Level certificate, English C1 level or higher.
• Other Languages are a plus.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE WORKING WITH US

People at EF make things happen. We encourage you to take full ownership of your work, regardless of your level or experience. EF team members often say we operate like the world’s largest startup because this boundless entrepreneurial spirit is built into our organization’s DNA.

EF offers a wide range of benefits ready for our team members to enjoy during weekends, after work and with friends & family, including:

• Discounted passes to local destinations and tourist hot-spots such as mt. Titlis or Kunsthaus Zurich.
• Full reimbursement of the SBB ‘halb-tax’ travel card, covering country-wide public transportation.
• Tuition reimbursement of 1500 CHF for professional development once per year.
• Participation in our Staff Travel Experience Program once a year including travel on one of our tours.
• Yearly kick off conference around the world.
• Free membership for our newly built gym or get involved with our variety of sports teams.
• Seasonal and monthly office events including holiday parties, ski trips and pay-day happy hours.
• Discounts on a wide range of local restaurants, shops, hotel stays and EF products.
• 15% off in-house childcare service.
• Discounts on EF & Hult products for staff and family members.

About EF Education First

At EF we believe that the world is better when people try to understand one another. Since 1965, we have helped millions of people see new places, experience new cultures, and learn new things about the world and about themselves. Our culturally immersive education programs—focused on language, travel, cultural exchange, and academics—turn dreams into international opportunities.

When you join EF, you join a multicultural and diverse community working across more than 600 schools and offices in 50 countries, all with one shared mission of opening the world through education. Whoever you are, whatever you are passionate about—we welcome you and want you to bring that to work every day. EF is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to inclusion and belonging across race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, caste, parental status, identity, experience and everything else that makes you unique.

Founded in Sweden in 1965, EF has schools and offices around the world, including hubs in Boston, London, Mexico City, São Paulo, Shanghai, Stockholm, Zürich, and more. Learn more at https://www.ef.com.

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