Strategic Buyer

Description

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Covenant is a global defense company headquartered in Washington, D.C., building long-range precision strike weapons for the United States and its allies. Its flagship missile, Anthem, combines heavy payload and long range at a fraction of the cost of comparable legacy systems, with production volumes designed to meet the demands of prolonged conflict. Designed as an end-to-end weapon system that is simple to store, transport, and field, Anthem is produced in the United States, Germany, and Israel. For more information, visit covenantindustries.com.

THE ROLE

We are seeking a highly assertive, proactive, and analytical Strategic Buyer to join our procurement team in Leipzig. In this role, you will be responsible for building, optimizing, and securing resilient, cost-effective, and long-term strategic supply chains for demanding, mission-critical defense production programs.

Working closely with Supply Chain, Engineering, and Production leadership, you will oversee category management, lead commercial negotiations, establish global vendor partnerships, and manage compliance with strict regulatory and defense standards. The ideal candidate combines a deep understanding of total cost analysis and supplier relationship management with a hands-on, structured approach to working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Category & Commodity Management: Develop, implement, and execute global sourcing strategies for key commodity groups, custom components, and complex electromechanical systems in the defense and capital goods sectors.
• Global Sourcing & Market Analysis: Continuously monitor international procurement markets, conduct supply chain risk assessments, and identify and qualify strategic suppliers worldwide.
• Contract Negotiations & Framework Agreements: Lead commercial negotiations to establish long-term framework agreements, quality assurance agreements, and non-disclosure agreements with strategic suppliers and partners.
• Cost Analysis & Optimization: Perform Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and cost-breakdown analyses to identify sustainable cost reduction opportunities and drive efficiency improvements across the value chain.
• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM): Drive strategic vendor evaluations, audits, supplier performance management, and joint innovation or risk mitigation programs.
• Compliance & Regulatory Oversight: Ensure all procurement activities comply with applicable legal requirements, export control regulations (e.g., BAFA, ITAR), quality standards (e.g., ISO 9001, EN 9100), and internal security policies.

Requirements

• Education: Degree in Business Administration, Industrial Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or a comparable discipline.
• Professional Experience: 3-5+ years of relevant experience in strategic procurement or category management, ideally within defense, aerospace, mechanical engineering, or complex hardware manufacturing.
• ERP & Systems Proficiency: Proficiency in commonly used ERP systems (e.g., SAP MM, NetSuite, or equivalent) and advanced Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel.
• Negotiation & Commercial Skills: Strong track record in contract negotiation, supplier performance management, and establishing framework agreements.
• Regulatory & Compliance Knowledge: Practical experience or familiarity with quality management standards (ISO 9001, EN 9100) and export control/security requirements relevant to the defense sector.
• Security Requirements: Willingness to undergo official security clearance procedures (Sicherheitsüberprüfung - SÜ) due to the sensitive nature of defense technology.
• Languages: Fluent proficiency in German and strong English communication skills (written and spoken).

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in setting up strategic supply chains in a fast-paced startup or rapidly expanding manufacturing site.
• Background in procuring custom mechanical components, electronics, or specialized defense assemblies.

WHAT MAKES YOU SUCCESSFUL

• Strategic Vision with Practical Execution: You understand global market dynamics and TCO, but you are also ready to roll up your sleeves and solve supplier bottlenecks directly.
• Assertive & Tactful Negotiator: You negotiate firmly to achieve optimal commercial terms while maintaining positive, long-term relationships with key strategic partners.
• High Discretion & Integrity: You maintain the highest standards of confidentiality, compliance, and detail-oriented rigor when handling sensitive defense technology contracts.
• Thriving in Fast-Paced Growth: You excel in dynamic environments where processes are still evolving, taking ownership to establish robust procurement workflows.