COE Procurement IM&S Buy Desk Team Leader

About the role

IFF is looking for a Scent Buy Desk Team Lead to head its EMEA Buy Desk team and provide procurement support across urgent supply requirements, commercial initiatives, process improvements and business projects. The role combines people leadership, operational coordination, commercial oversight and digital transformation, acting as a trusted business partner across the organisation.

Key responsibilities

• Lead, coach and develop the Buy Desk team, ensuring effective workload management, service continuity and high performance.
• Oversee procurement support for urgent supply needs, spot buying and sourcing across the EMEA region.
• Act as a key procurement partner to Manufacturing Sites, Planning, Procurement Operations, Category Management, Finance and suppliers.
• Support business and cross-functional projects through procurement expertise, market insights, supplier engagement and commercial analysis.
• Manage selected distributor and tail-spend categories, driving sourcing strategies, supplier optimisation, cost savings and risk mitigation.
• Lead negotiations and contracting aligned with category strategies and governance requirements.
• Drive process improvements through automation and digital tools using platforms such as SAP, ServiceNow, Power BI and workflow technologies.
• Establish and monitor KPIs, ensure compliance with procurement policies, delegated authority and documentation standards, and report performance, risks and value delivery to Procurement leadership.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business Administration, Finance or a related field.
• Relevant experience in procurement or supply chain supporting regional or global operations.
• Proven people leadership or team coordination experience.
• Professional fluency in English; additional European languages are an advantage.

Required skills

• Hands-on experience with SAP or similar ERP and procurement systems.
• Experience with sourcing, supplier management, negotiation and urgent supply support.
• Strong analytical, stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Advantageous: ServiceNow, workflow tools, process automation, AI solutions, Power BI, distributor/tail-spend and category management knowledge, and experience leading process improvement or digital transformation initiatives.