Junior Category Buyer

As a Junior Category Buyer, you will engage in an accelerated talent program for young talents interested in starting their commercial career within Procurement. You will begin your career acting as an operational buyer processing purchase request, executing purchases and managing the buying process until successful delivery and payment. With successful performance during at least 18 months, you will develop into a category buyer where you will be executing more complex purchases, engaging into contracting, managing relationship with suppliers and developing sourcing strategies.


You will report to a Category Manager within Shipyards and Machinery Equipment sector and work from our HQ in Zwijndrecht, Belgium and you will be assigned a member of the Procurement leadership team who will coach you through your first steps at DEME.

Your responsibilities during intro program (min 18 months):

• Manage the complete operational purchasing process: from purchase request validation to order creation, follow-up, and issue resolution

• Ensure proper application of supply agreements and framework contracts

• Understand stakeholder needs and specifications to ensure appropriate purchasing decisions

• Maintain and develop strong relationships with suppliers to ensure service quality and reliability

• Monitor supplier performance and collaborate with Category Buyers and stakeholders for continuous improvement

• Provide high-quality operational support and customer service to internal clients, ensuring process compliance

• Contribute to KPI monitoring, continuous improvement initiatives, and market exploration

• Two rotations of 3 months each into other Procurement and logistics roles to enhance your learning with practic

Your responsibilities – after successful evolution Category Buyer:

• Be responsible for strategic sourcing with focus on TCO optimization;

• Lead cross functional teams with focus on early involvement of business & functional stakeholders;

• Negotiate, and conclude contracts and agreements for the sourced scopes;

• Conclude and maintain strategic framework agreements;

• Be accountable for the implementation, communication & optimization of framework agreements;

• Conduct market research (knowledge of suppliers, state of the art technology, etc.);

• Develop and sustain supplier relationship with key suppliers;

• Ensure compliance with sourcing procedures and contract management;

• Centralizes category experience, methodology and category strategy, incl. related documents;

• identify end to end opportunities within the DEME supply chain.

Your profile

• You hold a master’s degree in engineering, applied economics, business engineering, or similar;

• Excellent analytical capabilities and presentation skills (efficient usage of MS Office Excel and Powerpoint);

• Effective communication skills in English;

• Soft skills: Entrepreneurial spirit, team player, goal oriented, persuasive, positive attitude, hands-on mentality, accuracy, drive for ownership and results and high level of integrity;

• Motivation to work in a growing dynamic and international environment.

Our offer

• An extensive mobility program for a healthy work-life balance.

• A permanent training track which allows you to develop yourself personally and professionally.

• A stimulating, innovative workplace with numerous growth opportunities.

• A people-oriented environment with an interactive health program and a focus on employee wellbeing.