Senior Buyer/Purchasing - Freight & Warehousing
About the job
- A bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Supply Chain, Logistics, or a related field is required.
- At least five years of experience in strategic procurement of logistics services is required.
- Fluency in written and verbal English is required.
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as required is required.
- Experience in manufacturing, automotive, industrial, or chemical environments is required.
- Experience managing logistics categories including road, air, and ocean freight; courier services; warehousing; distribution centers; and third-party and fourth-party logistics providers is required.
- Experience leading cross-functional sourcing, transformation, and implementation projects in an international environment is required.
- Strong knowledge of Total Cost of Ownership, logistics cost modeling, procurement market intelligence, supplier performance management, logistics risk management, strategic sourcing methodologies, transportation procurement, and tender management is required.
- Demonstrated success in leading complex commercial negotiations and managing strategic supplier relationships is required.
- Strong stakeholder management and cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence business decisions, are required.
- Strategic, analytical, problem-solving, and executive communication capabilities are required, along with experience working in regional and global matrix organizations.
- Ability to influence and align senior stakeholders across Operations, Supply Chain, Logistics, Finance, and Procurement is required.
- Multi-country responsibility across North and Latin America is required.
- Advanced Power BI skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office tools and SAP S/4HANA Transportation Management are required.
- Legal authorization to work in the United States is required.
- Develop and execute regional category strategies for freight, warehousing, and third-party and fourth-party logistics services in alignment with global procurement objectives.
- Lead strategic sourcing initiatives, including requests for information, requests for quotations, and requests for proposals; market analysis; supplier evaluation; competitive bidding; commercial negotiations; and contract management.
- Manage the performance and relationships of transportation carriers, warehouse providers, and logistics service providers through key performance indicators, service-level agreements, supplier development plans, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Negotiate logistics contracts to optimize Total Cost of Ownership while balancing service levels, capacity, quality, innovation, and risk.
- Identify cost-saving and value-creation opportunities through freight optimization, network redesign, mode selection, volume consolidation, and logistics productivity improvements.
- Monitor freight market trends, carrier capacity, logistics benchmarks, and supply chain risks, and develop sourcing strategies that ensure cost competitiveness and business continuity.
- Ensure compliance with procurement policies, contractual requirements, environmental, social, and governance standards, and sustainability initiatives across the logistics supply base.
- Lead regional procurement projects across North and South America and collaborate with the global Procurement Team, Supply Chain, and Operations teams on strategic logistics initiatives.
- Act as a strategic business partner for Supply Chain, Logistics, Operations, and other key stakeholders by translating business requirements into effective sourcing strategies and procurement solutions.
- Drive adoption of procurement digital tools and analytics solutions to increase efficiency, transparency, and data-driven decision-making.
- Lead strategic supplier relationship-management activities, including supplier performance reviews, business reviews, development plans, and continuous improvement initiatives.
- Bilingual ability in Spanish and/or Portuguese is preferred.
About the company
Continental is a German manufacturing group best known for making tyres for cars, trucks, bicycles, motorcycles, and buses, sold to vehicle manufacturers and through the consumer aftermarket, and ContiTech supplies rubber and plastic components like hoses, belts, seals, and surface materials. How it works: tyres and ContiTech products are designed, developed, and manufactured at global sites, with tyres built to fit different vehicles and conditions and ContiTech components customized for specific equipment. How it differs from competitors: Continental combines a broad product portfolio with extensive global production, R&D, and after-sales networks to provide integrated mobility solutions across multiple industries, not just tires. Goal: provide reliable mobility by designing and delivering tyres and advanced automotive and industrial rubber and plastic components worldwide, supporting customers from development to aftermarket service.
Company Size
10,001+
Company Stage
IPO
Headquarters
Hanover, Germany
Founded
1871
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- August 2026 Tires margin exceeded guidance, showing strong pricing and mix.
- Volkswagen ID. Polo approval on August 26, 2026 deepens EV fitment relationships.
- Expected €2.5 billion shareholder payout from ContiTech sale supports valuation and buybacks.
What critics are saying
- ContiTech sale to Lone Star, announced July 4, 2026, still needs approvals.
- ContiTech cut 1,600 German jobs in May 2026, signaling persistent cost pressure.
- Sales depend on autos and replacement demand; 2026 guidance still faces volatility.
What makes Continental unique
- After July 2026, Continental becomes a pure-play tire maker, simplifying strategy.
- September 2026 added 650 UHP sizes through 2027, strengthening premium replacement demand.
- May 2026 Rayong expansion added 3 million tires and local motorcycle production.
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Benefits
Performance Bonus
Company News
Continental AG, a German semiconductor specialist, listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange on 27 July, becoming China's largest listed firm by market capitalisation. The debut set records for price appreciation and turnover, with the stock added to the MSCI China All-Share Index. The company's recent quarterly reports show strong DRAM growth, driven by demand in high-performance computing and data-centre applications. Continental's R&D spend reached €150 million last year, representing 10% of revenue. Continental's chairman announced a share-repurchase plan running from December to July next year, aimed at share cancellation and capital reduction. The company plans no further capital reduction for 12 months, followed by a scheduled increase targeting €10 billion cumulative value. The listing provides Continental access to local financing and potential regulatory advantages in China's semiconductor market.
Continental's plastics technology subsidiary Contitech will cut 3,000 jobs globally, including 1,600 in Germany, following an agreement with the IGBCE union on framework conditions. The company said some affected activities will be relocated abroad, whilst operational redundancies will be avoided until at least the end of 2030. The cuts form part of Continental's cost-saving programme announced in November, targeting €150 million in annual savings from 2028. The agreement includes voluntary programmes, early retirement arrangements and job placement support for affected workers. IGBCE executive board member Francesco Grioli said whilst job cuts cannot be prevented, the agreement mitigates impact on employees and secures investment commitments for German sites. Contitech pledged to make all measures as socially responsible as possible.
Continental AG reported full-year 2025 sales of €19.7 billion with 0.8% organic growth, alongside adjusted EBIT of €2 billion and a 10.3% margin. The company proposed a dividend of €2.70 per share, representing a 4.8% yield. The tyre segment showed resilience with 2.4% organic growth and €3.6 billion in Q4 sales, achieving a 13.9% adjusted EBIT margin. However, ContiTech faced headwinds with a 5.2% organic decline in Q4 due to challenging automotive and industrial markets. Continental reduced net debt, improving its leverage ratio to approximately 2.0. For 2026, the company projects sales of €17.3 billion to €18.9 billion with an adjusted EBIT margin of 11% to 12.5%, whilst navigating anticipated declines in light vehicle production and challenging market conditions in the Americas.
German automotive parts maker Continental reported a net loss of €165 million for fiscal 2025, compared with a profit of €1.168 billion the previous year. Sales declined to €19.676 billion from €20.077 billion. The company's earnings were impacted by €1.2 billion in non-cash special effects from the Aumovio spin-off and planned OESL sale. Adjusted operating result fell to €2.035 billion from €2.212 billion, whilst the adjusted EBIT margin decreased to 10.3% from 11%. Despite the loss, Continental will increase its dividend to €2.70 per share, up €0.20 from last year. For fiscal 2026, the company anticipates consolidated sales of €17.3 billion to €18.9 billion with an adjusted EBIT margin of 11% to 12.5%, citing continued market volatility.
Continental has acquired Slovakian mold specialist EMT Púchov s.r.o, taking over all shares from majority shareholder Dynamic Design (Romania) in early April. The acquisition enhances Continental's internal technology portfolio, allowing it to independently produce tire molds for various applications. All 107 employees with specialized knowledge were retained. Grant Thornton's cross-border team from Germany and Slovakia conducted financial and tax due diligence. Continental reported a 2023 revenue of €41.4 billion.