Purchasing Specialist – Rail Systems Sector

About the role

A company operating in the rail systems sector is looking for a Purchasing Specialist to join its Purchasing Department in Ankara. The role covers procurement of rail systems and electric vehicles, including negotiations, order placement, category strategy and supplier management.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct procurement activities for rail systems and electric vehicles, negotiating price, payment terms, delivery methods and order parameters
• Generate and place orders with suppliers according to annual, periodic and monthly requirements and the production plan
• Build category strategies together with the global procurement team
• Analyse procurement and spend data with AI-supported tools to find savings opportunities and price deviations
• Use AI tools for market and supplier research, price benchmarking and quotation comparison
• Build and manage the company's purchasing policy and search alternative sourcing strategies based on total ownership cost
• Negotiate and prepare contracts, using AI tools to draft, review and compare them and to spot contractual risks
• Monitor supplier performance and supply risks through data-driven reports and dashboards
• Identify repetitive tasks suitable for automation and contribute to AI integration projects in purchasing

Required profile

• BSc or MSc in Industrial or Mechanical Engineering or a similar discipline
• At least 3 years of experience in global procurement operations
• Fluent written and spoken English; German is a plus
• No military service obligation for male candidates and no domestic or international travel restrictions
• Living in or able to live in Ankara

Required skills

• Purchasing and material planning, category management, supplier evaluation and contract negotiation
• SAP experience; knowledge of ISO 9001 and collective quality systems
• Claim management and experience in process automation or digital procurement projects are a plus
• Strong analytical skills, negotiation skills and openness to digital transformation