Transportation Procurement Manager - Senior

Transportation Project Manager
 
Start date: ASAP
Duration: 31st December 2025 (options to extend)
Location: Antwerp, Belgium.
Rotation: Monday-Friday.
Type: Freelance contract.  


Project Description and responsibilities:
Within the category of Transport, you lead and drive the development of category practices, including sourcing strategy definition, deployment and stakeholder management to maximize added value (based on total cost of ownership) for the company. You are responsible for target setting, in alignment with the Head of Transport and the strategic business partners. You drive procurement added value contribution to our strategic business partners while respecting policies, strategies and procedures.

You act as procurement manager within the Transportation Competence Center. You establish active customer-centric stakeholder management. Overall you contribute to sustainable and safe transport solutions for Business Units and products, at an economically feasible cost and taking into account applicable regulations for Dangerous Goods, (hazardous) waste and valuables


Primary Tasks and responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategy for Transport related procurement.
o Take a strategic and long term view in identifying and developing innovative sources and contractual arrangements, and establish the targets in alignment with the Head of Transport and the strategic business partners.
o Ensure that clients’ needs are reflected in the category strategy
o Establish spend baselines and category profile, inclusive risk assessment, supplier relationship management and procure to pay strategy
o Prepare and lead agreement negotiations in cross functional teams.
o Execute and monitor the added value initiatives as originating from the category strategy.
o Ensure alignment with global business strategies, overall procurement strategy and the projected added value plan

• Co-Lead and develop the Category Procurement Center Transportation
o Provide strategy and category expertise, act as an account manager/liaison between the client and the suppliers and establish strong business relationships for what concerns Transport related procurement activities.
o Share sourcing trends, best practices and results and organize knowledge distribution
o Be a challenger in the different sourcing teams

• Define and control the Transport end-to-end procurement cycle
o Involve the business for actions related to supplier optimisation, KPI implementation and follow-up
o Conduct spend map analysis to monitor spend and ensure that our purchases follow the purchasing process
o Monitor forecasted versus actual added value in scope. Support definition of corrective actions and if needed follow up on them.

• Drive optimisation of user compliance, supplier performance, contracts and customer satisfaction for the Transport related procurement
o Define, consolidate and execute improvement plans and ensure stakeholder alignment

• Manage commercial supplier relationship and contracts for the Transport related key supply base.
o Maintain and manage relationship with key strategic Transport related suppliers and monitor their performance
o Lead supplier development activities, set up cross-functional review meetings with key strategic suppliers in order to improve performance and further reduce costs
o Support the identification of potential contract improvement opportunities and re-negotiations
o Initiate and/or conduct key supplier audits where relevant


• Manage projects or contribute to projects, in consultation with the Head of Transport, that contribute to the development of the client group transport competencies (such as hazardous waste, dangerous goods, high valuables), transport solutions or the transport management process. Within all projects a strong focus on the following is required:
o Understanding (and documenting) regulatory requirements in different countries and regions by working with the client compliance teams and external parties where needed.
o Understanding transport requirements and needs of the client Business Units and the operational transportation processes by working with internal Business Unit stakeholders and the Transport Manager – Forwarding & Advisory and external parties where needed.
o Applying the principles of project management, business/operational excellence, continuous improvement and best practice sharing across sites.


Technical Profile requirements
• Master Degree or equivalent due to experience
• At least 5 years of relevant working experience in a similar environment
• Expertise in logistics and procurement:
o Knowledge of transportation processes, functioning of different transportation modes, available transportation solutions and transportation systems
o Understanding of market trends regarding digitalization and emission reductions.
o Knowledge of following regulations: customs, transport, Dangerous Goods, Transboundary Waste Shipments.
o In-depth knowledge of transportation market and cost drivers
o In-depth knowledge of procurement
• Fluent in Dutch and English, other languages are a plus
• Excellent Microsoft office skills (PowerPoint, Excel, …)


Non-Technical Profile Requirements
• Performance and result oriented, customer oriented, strives for continuous improvement
• Strong problem-solving skills and stress resistan

Analytical & conceptual thinking and decision making; strong project and risk management skills
• Exemplary behaviour towards ethics and integrity
• Strong communicator and interpersonal impact (influencing and persuading)
• Teamwork, collaboration & flexibility

Location
• Antwerp 
• occasional visits to Brussels Office are possible
• Occasional homework is possible as well after introduction period - max 2days/week home-office

Language:
• ENG mandatory.
• Dutch is a plus

Duration:
• contract till EOY 2025
 
 
Required Skill
Project Management Experience -            7 Years
Project Planning-                                    7 Years
Transportation & Logistics-                       7 Years