Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2024, Continental generated sales of €39.7 billion and currently employs around 190,000 people in 55 countries and markets.
Guided by the vision of being the customer's first choice for material-driven solutions, the ContiTech group sector focuses on development competence and material expertise for products and systems made of rubber, plastics, metal, and fabrics. These can also be equipped with electronic components in order to optimize them functionally for individual services. ContiTech's industrial growth areas are primarily in the areas of energy, agriculture, construction, and surfaces. In addition, ContiTech serves the automotive and transportation industries as well as rail transport.
Descrição da vagaThe role of Regional Category Buyer is responsible for the strategic sourcing and performing all PUR activities of a certain material/service field and its subcategories, with the objective of optimal supply and generating a maximum profit contribution in compliance with the company's policies and purchasing guidelines. This position reports functionally to the Head of Global Category and directly to the Regional Cluster Lead and is expected to steer the implementation of the respective Category Strategy.
Your tasks
▪ Act as interface and represent the interests of Continental and the Purchasing Community towards all internal and external stakeholders (e.g. Engineering, Plants, Suppliers)
▪ Understands the business and purchasing strategy to derive actions for own managed category
▪ Guide, support and train local and central stakeholders to execute with the right tools, methods and processes
▪ Consults internal customers for information regarding provision of goods/services, purchasing constraints and process optimization in his/her area of responsibility.
▪ Plans and organizes regular meetings with internal key customers.
▪ Clarifies technical and commercial requirements together with the requester and the supplier
▪ Give responses or feedbacks through the given tools in an acceptable period of time.
▪ Develop and sustain (supplier) strategy for respective integrated category in alignment with all relevant stakeholders and supervisors (e.g. Engineering, Regions, Plants) and in compliance with all relevant purchasing processes, guidelines and procedures
▪ Understand multiple data management systems and manage data analytics for the respective integrated category (identify spend profile and concentration, estimate / predict demand etc)
▪ Turns strategy into concrete actions and tangible goals as well as reporting relevant KPIs to track progress where applicable
▪ Ensures stakeholder satisfaction through transparent and early communication / involvement
▪ Drive the adoption of digital tools and procurement technologies (e.g., e-sourcing platforms, AI-driven analytics) to enhance efficiency, transparency, and decision-making.
▪ To ensure maintanance of purchasing (and correlated) policies at the locations, clear users questions and escalate topics to other purchasing associates if required.
▪ Identify and push initiation and tendering of regional Projects in cooperation with our internal Customers and the respective leaderships and/or cluster partners.
Supplier Management
▪ Analysis of the global supplier market and conduction of benchmark analysis to derive actions for the global supplier portfolio
▪ Implements and maintains sustainable supplier relationship and conducts Strategic Supplier Meetings to deploy the global integrated category strategy
▪ Responsible for steering the annual supplier evaluation and derives development programs where needed
▪ Performs annual and regular negotiations to constantly improve the cost situation for respective integrated category, actively drives improvement or Total Cost of Ownership programs with suppliers
▪ Monitor if supplier acts in line with Continentals Business Partner Code of Conduct (BPCoC), responsible value chain (RVC) rules and processes and takes actions accordingly
▪ Initiates the New Supplier Introduction Process
▪Collect Vendors documents and information for submission into VM platforms
▪Share information and escalation level for Vendor Master and Master Data maintenance.
▪Support Execution of Market Intelligence studies and ensure the ideal balance of Competition and Pooling through supplier reduction to achieve a maximum cost reduction contribution and best possible synergy effects.
▪ Detect new suppliers and optimize number of existing suppliers.
P2P
▪Complete handling of the ordering process via CEOS and SAP, including any complaints handling as well as internal and external communication
▪ To work on RFQs, create and complile decision sheets, ensure BPCoC and NDA signatures, collect financial and commercial records, when applicable.
▪ Approval and negotiations of shopping carts and Purchase Requisitions
▪ Creates and sends Purchase Orders to the suppliers.
▪ Realization of saving opportunities by bundling operational demands, substitution of suppliers, negotiations of payment-/delivery terms and warranty extensions
▪ Clearance of invoice deviations in case of price difference;
▪ Management of the RfQ-Process for demands/shopping carts, offer evaluation, creation of offer comparison, including the awarding of suppliers;
▪ Identification and support on the creation of electronic catalogs to reduce manual processing requirements, while promoting the usage of existing ones through negotiations;
▪ Support for specialists in clarifying differences in the region within the catalogs used
▪ Ensure necessary transparency and documentation of supplier decisions according to compliance guidelines (e.g. Sourcing Decision Sheet).
▪ Sustainable reduction of purchasing prices in consideration of functional and quality aspects.
▪ Escalation Management/Problem Solving by executing approaches with the aim to secure local objectives;
▪ Offer support for market surveys.
▪ Implement measures and support the Category and Operations Center team in reaching team's common targets.
▪ Ensure Compliance with Business Partner Code of Conduct, Continental Ethics and Values and all Corporate Guidelines;
Search for and point out automation opportunities and drive execution.
S2C
▪ Autonomous preparation, conduction and finalization of international negotiations for own integrated category including supplier decisions compliant with the relevant internal policies (incl. audit-compliant documentation) with the target to achieve the defined goals and a special focus on highest value creation (e.g. with support of Terms & Conditions (TCO) analysis)
▪ Drives make or buy scenarios, optimizes bundling effects and initiates Value-Engineering projects
▪ Conduct complaint and claim negotiations with special strategic interest which can’t be performed independently by the local units
▪ Effective management of contract lifecycle for both existing and new contract agreements - compliant with the relevant internal policies (incl. audit-compliant documentation) - in order to ensure performance, financial and operational success
▪ Ensure Compliance with Business Partner Code of Conduct, Continental Ethics and Values and all Corporate Guidelines
▪ To look and implement and guide the team through synergies creation across the region in alignment with global level counterparts.
▪ Drive negotiations considering best commercial and operational aspects and ensure compliance with valid rules
▪ Starting point for contracts/agreements settlements, in partnership with Legal, plant and other regional purchasing roles and plants manufacturing, engineering and R&D teams. To ensure these agreements are created, approved and signed and communicated those to regions and plants
- University Degree
- Advanced English skills, advanced Spanish is strongly desired
- Strong professional experience in Purchasing (or similar functions) in an international environment
- Advanced experience working in projects with an international scope / environment
- Experience in conducting negotiations with a multi regional responsibility
- Knowledge on purchasing processes (and/or relevant to the field) description and optimization International and intercultural competency as well as several years of work experience in an international environment required
- Working experience in negotiating and operating with different cultures and international teams (e.g. on purchasing issues)
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Skills Required
- University degree
- Advanced English skills
- Advanced Spanish skills
- Strong professional experience in purchasing or similar functions in an international environment
- Advanced experience working on projects with an international scope or environment
- Experience conducting negotiations with multi-regional responsibility
- Knowledge of purchasing processes and process description and optimization
- International and intercultural competency
- Several years of work experience in an international environment
- Experience negotiating and operating with different cultures and international teams
Continental Industry Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Continental Industry and has not been reviewed or approved by Continental Industry.
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests retirement matching and pension contributions are highlighted across several locations, with some roles advertising a 6% 401(k) match and immediate vesting. Such features are portrayed as competitive elements within the overall package.
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Healthcare Strength — Feedback suggests comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with HSA contributions in the U.S., are commonly offered. Wellness initiatives and preventive care are also noted in multiple regions.
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Strong & Reliable Incentives — Feedback suggests weekly attendance or production bonuses and annual performance bonuses are present in various roles. Profit-sharing and other financial incentives are also described in company materials for certain locations.
Continental Industry Insights
What We Do
ContiTech is a leading industry specialist that develops and produces sustainable, safe, and convenient material-based solutions using rubber, plastics, metal, and fabric. It serves diverse industrial sectors, including off-highway mobility, mining, agriculture, construction, energy management, and the automotive industry, providing system-critical components like hoses, conveyor belts, and air springs for challenging industrial environments globally.








