Senior Project Purchaser

Wärtsilä Switzerland AG seeks a Senior Project Purchaser in Surgères, CH, to manage supplier selection and contract negotiation for obsolescence resolution projects within the marine and energy sectors.

This position sits within the Obsolescence Projects Department, acting as a central figure in the project team. The main objective is to handle the entire supplier lifecycle—from identification and selection to contractualization and monitoring—to resolve complex obsolescence challenges. Once issues are resolved, the role involves transferring the completed projects to colleagues managing serial life components.

Responsibilities

• Gather and refine all project specifications, including technical, quality, and normative standards, prior to issuing requests for quotation.
• Locate supplier partners that align with the Strategic Purchase Department’s criteria.
• Verify that short-listed suppliers acknowledge and approve all purchasing, technical, quality, and customer requirements.
• Negotiate key purchase terms such as lead times, costs, quality standards, and quantities.
• Establish manufacturing plans for prototypes, ensuring inspections meet project manager and customer contractual obligations.
• Evaluate supplier offers and facilitate decision meetings to choose the most appropriate partner.
• Finalize terms and conditions with selected suppliers through contracts or orders for prototypes and initial serial production.
• Monitor manufacturing progress, secure critical milestones, manage risks, and create recovery plans when needed.
• Collaborate with other departments to support obsolescence resolution efforts.
• Enter negotiated conditions into the SAP ERP system.
• Alert the Project Manager to any planning changes, non-conformities, or events impacting time, cost, or quality.
• Ensure a seamless handover to the team responsible for component serial life once obsolescence is addressed.

Requirements

• Five years of higher education in Purchasing.
• At least ten years of experience in project purchasing within an industrial setting with strict requirements.
• Understanding of project management principles.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes for mechanical parts.
• Strong organizational skills and a rigorous work approach.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multiple projects simultaneously.
• Good proficiency in English, both written and spoken.
• Commitment to rigor and adherence to processes required in a Nuclear environment.
• Willingness to travel for business visits to suppliers, approximately 40% of the time.

Nice to have

• Strong interpersonal abilities.
• High motivation to drive projects forward.
• Goal-oriented mindset.
• Capacity to build team spirit.
• Excellent analytical and summarizing capabilities.
• Superior communication skills and relationship-building abilities.
• Proactive in suggesting improvements to existing operating methods.

About the company

Wärtsilä is a global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets. The company is dedicated to enabling sustainable societies through technological and service innovations, helping partners accelerate their decarbonization journeys with market-leading technologies and power system modeling expertise.

• Leading the transition toward a 100% renewable energy future.
• Focusing on sustainable societies through innovation.
• Providing lifecycle solutions for marine and energy sectors.