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Air Liquide

Industrial and medical gas provider

Category Specialist - Professional Services

Full-Time
No salary listed
Mid
Bachelor's
Bagneux, France
In Person

About the job

Requirements
  • Master 2, business school, or engineering school education with a specialization in purchasing or supply chain.
  • Three to five years of experience in a purchasing role, ideally managing significant purchasing volumes in matrixed or industrial environments.
  • Expertise in spend mapping, contractual negotiation, and e-procurement tools.
  • Fluent English for daily exchanges with the European Category Manager.
  • Fluent French for daily exchanges with colleagues and stakeholders.
  • Ability to map and analyze spend and build and deploy a purchasing strategy aligned with organizational directions.
  • Proficiency in negotiation methodologies and contracting with suppliers.
  • Ability to use computerized purchasing tools; knowledge of LBC, Kactus, or Avetta is an advantage.
  • Ability to understand internal stakeholders' needs and advise them on suitable providers.
  • Strong numerical aptitude and ability to monitor performance indicators.
  • Curiosity about market innovation and commitment to change management.
Responsibilities
  • Define and deploy purchasing strategy for major professional-services categories in France, including consulting, engineering services and expertise, engineering design offices, finance, communications, and events, in coordination with the European Category Manager.
  • Map and analyze spend to identify entity-specific optimization opportunities.
  • Propose new working methods, platforms, and market innovations.
  • Negotiate and contract with leading suppliers.
  • Generate and secure savings through a robust savings pipeline.
  • Monitor project finances and ensure budget objectives are achieved.
  • Optimize and rationalize the supplier panel by reducing the number of active suppliers.
  • Establish and manage dedicated supplier panels, including Advisory & Support Services and Design Offices panels.
  • Structure supplier relationship management, including contract monitoring, dispute management, and performance evaluation of key suppliers.
  • Manage purchasing projects day to day in close coordination with operational teams at Air Liquide France Industrie and headquarters.
  • Advise internal stakeholders, including marketing, finance, and human resources teams, on defining needs and selecting providers.
  • Provide daily operational support for purchasing tools.
  • Lead the digitization of purchasing processes by deploying, promoting, and ensuring compliant use of LBC and Kactus.
  • Integrate responsible-purchasing criteria by launching and implementing supplier sustainability-evaluation platforms such as Avetta.
  • Lead continuous process-improvement projects for professional-services purchasing methods within the Group.
  • Contribute to achieving defined savings objectives.
  • Implement and deploy projects with operational teams while monitoring deployment indicators.
  • Monitor changes in contractual coverage of spend.
  • Monitor supplier-panel optimization through the reduction rate of suppliers.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience managing significant purchasing volumes in matrixed or industrial environments.
  • Knowledge of LBC or Kactus for managing consulting, engineering, expertise, or event services.
  • Knowledge of Avetta or other supplier sustainability-evaluation tools.

About the company

Air Liquide produces and supplies industrial and medical gases, such as oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, argon, and specialty gases, to manufacturers, healthcare providers, electronics, and energy companies. It operates through production plants, pipelines, cylinder networks, and on-site supply units, and it also designs and builds gas production and separation systems, including cryogenic air separation plants and large electrolyzers, via its engineering arm. Its Gas & Services business serves industry and healthcare and it is a major producer of hydrogen, investing in low-carbon hydrogen projects and electrolysis as part of industrial decarbonization. It serves the semiconductor industry and space programs as well. Its goal is to enable industrial decarbonization and the energy transition by providing reliable gases and engineering capabilities for large-scale gas production, hydrogen supply, and on-site services.

Company Size

10,001+

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

Paris, France

Founded

1902

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Q2 2026 comparable sales grew 3.5%, and electronics project decisions topped €1 billion.
  • Air Liquide said H1 2026 industrial investment decisions reached €2.9 billion, up 26%.
  • The Taichung, Taiwan plant opened March 25, 2026, serving AI chipmakers.

What critics are saying

  • Elliott built a stake August 31, 2026, and demands margin improvement and more buybacks.
  • Air Liquide executed only €167 million of buybacks in early 2026, versus Linde's $4.6 billion.
  • Electrolyzers and chip plants need flawless commissioning; Normand'Hy, ELYgator, and Taiwan delays defer returns.

What makes Air Liquide unique

  • Air Liquide runs 54 semiconductor facilities in Taiwan and a first local advanced materials plant.
  • Its Normandy hydrogen network links pipelines, electrolyzers, CCS, and TotalEnergies contracts.
  • DIG Airgas, closed January 13, 2026, doubled South Korea workforce and scale.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Life Insurance

Disability Insurance

Health Savings Account/Flexible Spending Account

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Flexible Work Hours

Remote Work Options

Paid Vacation

Paid Sick Leave

Paid Holidays

Sabbatical Leave

Hybrid Work Options

Stock Options

Company Equity

401(k) Retirement Plan

401(k) Company Match

Performance Bonus

Profit Sharing

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Relocation Assistance

Employee Referral Bonus

Student Loan Assistance

Parental Leave

Family Planning Benefits

Fertility Treatment Support

Adoption Assistance

Childcare Support

Elder Care Support

Pet Insurance

Bereavement Leave

Professional Development Budget

Conference Attendance Budget

Training Programs

Tuition Reimbursement

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

↑ 5%

1 year growth

↑ 5%

2 year growth

↑ 6%
Euronext
Sep 7th, 2026
Activist investor Elliott builds Air Liquide stake, pushes for changes, sources say | live

By Svea Herbst-Bayliss NEW YORK, Aug 31 (Reuters) - Activist investor Elliott Investment Management has built a stake in Paris-based Air Liquide and is urging the French multinational company to improve its margins, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Air Liquide
Jul 6th, 2026
Air Liquide invests over 170M USD in the U.S. to support SK hynix’s ambition to build a global AI memory ecosystem | Air Liquide

Air Liquide invests over 170M USD in the U.S. to support SK hynix’s ambition to build a global AI memory ecosystem

Yahoo Finance
May 1st, 2026
Air Liquide's fair value rises to $224 as analysts lift targets to $234

Air Liquide's fair value estimate has shifted from €196.58 to €198.15, moving closer to external analyst targets clustered around €206 to €207. Recent analyst activity, including raised price targets from Citi (to €207 from €195) and Berenberg (to €206 from €202), alongside upgrades from Kepler Cheuvreux and Morgan Stanley, reflects growing confidence in the company's revenue and cash flow potential. The company recently announced significant investments, including over $350 million for oxygen and nitrogen supply to HYUNDAI-POSCO Louisiana's facility, €200 million for industrial gas units in Hiroshima, and completion of an Advanced Materials plant in Taiwan. An upcoming Analyst and Investor Day is expected to provide further details on medium-term priorities and capital allocation.

World-Energy
Apr 1st, 2026
Air Liquide launches $565M green bond to refinance hydrogen and sustainability projects

Air Liquide has launched its first green bond issue, raising €500 million to finance and refinance sustainable projects including hydrogen development. The 10-year bond was issued at a yield of 0.461% under the group's Euro Medium Term Note programme. Proceeds will refinance Air Liquide's September 2021 bond maturities and support the company's long-term growth. The issuance follows ambitious sustainable projects announced in March, particularly focused on reducing CO2 emissions. Fabienne Lecorvaisier, Executive Vice-President of Finance and Operations, said the transaction demonstrates investor confidence in Air Liquide's sustainability commitments. The company plans to become a regular issuer of sustainable bonds, integrating ESG considerations with economic and financial performance in its growth strategy.

Nikkei Asia
Mar 25th, 2026
Air Liquide opens first Taiwan chip materials plant in $1B+ AI investment

Air Liquide, Europe's largest industrial gas maker, has opened its first chip materials plant in Taiwan on Wednesday. The facility is part of the company's investment exceeding $1 billion in Taiwan to support growing demand for AI chip production. The plant will supply materials to Taiwan's semiconductor industry, which is experiencing increased demand driven by artificial intelligence applications.