Strategic Sourcing Manager
At Alcon, we are driven by the meaningful work we do to help people see brilliantly. We innovate boldly, champion progress, and act with speed as the global leader in eye care. Here, you'll be recognized for your commitment and contributions and see your career like never before. Together, we go above and beyond to make an impact in the lives of our patients and customers. We foster an inclusive culture and are looking for diverse, talented people to join Alcon.
As Strategic Sourcing Manager, you are part of Alcon's Procurement organization, reporting into Global Finance. You own the direct materials spend for the Custom Pak plant in Puurs and the packaging materials for the Bornem distribution center. You translate global Finance and Procurement targets, savings, budget/PPV attainment and a secure supply base into results through strong sourcing strategies, contracts and supplier partnerships.
In this role, a typical day will include:
- Savings & spend management
- Own and deliver annual savings targets for materials, aligned with site objectives as well as global Finance and Procurement objectives.
- Set and attain the Custom Pak® materials budget (USD 35M) and the Bornem packaging budget (USD 1M), including PPV tracking, forecasting and monthly reviews.
- Lead price negotiations and assess the impact of price changes to protect margin.
- Identify savings through supplier consolidation, specification optimization, dual sourcing and process improvements.
- Strategic sourcing & supplier management
- Develop and execute sourcing strategies for direct materials, balancing cost, quality, supply resilience and risk.
- Run sourcing and tender events (RFI/RFP/RFQ), including market analysis and supplier selection.
- Coordinate with the Materials and Warehouse teams to support portfolio switches and vendor onboarding.
- Manage supplier performance (quality, delivery, cost) together with QA and Materials, and act as point of escalation for supplier-related supply issues.
- Align with the Custom Pak® site in Houston on shared suppliers and projects.
- Contracting & negotiation
- Negotiate supply agreements and pricing for direct materials above threshold
- Manage procurement actions related to new component setup, product changes and change controls.
- Back-up scope
- Support contract manufacturing (CMO) materials, indirect spend and CAPEX sourcing as needed.
- Process & compliance
- Drive continuous improvement of the direct materials Requisition-to-Pay process, working with shared services.
- Ensure site compliance with global Alcon Procurement guidelines, policies and budgetary constraints.
- Report procurement performance to the site leadership team and support business continuity and improvement projects.
WHAT YOU'LL BRING TO ALCON:
- Master's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Operations Management or equivalent experience.
- Minimum 5 years of procurement experience, ideally in manufacturing, medical devices or pharma.
- Experience working in regulated environments (GxP, CE, EU MDR, ISO standards, audits).
- Proven track record in negotiation, contracting and savings delivery.
- Strong financial acumen: budgeting, PPV and cost modelling.
- Experience with procurement tools (e.g., SAP, BI, Ariba, Icertis) is a plus.
- Fluent in Dutch and English.
HOW YOU CAN THRIVE AT ALCON:
- Take ownership of a strategically important procurement portfolio with direct impact on business performance, supply continuity, and customer satisfaction.
- Collaborate with local and global teams across Procurement, Manufacturing, Finance, Quality, and Supply Chain in a highly visible role.
- Join an innovative and purpose-driven organization that invests in professional development, continuous improvement, and long-term career growth.
Alcon Careers
See your impact at alcon.com/careers.
ATTENTION: Current Alcon Employee/Contingent Worker
If you are currently an active employee/contingent worker at Alcon, please click the appropriate link below to apply on the Internal Career site.
Find Jobs for Employees
Find Jobs for Contingent Worker
