Purchasing Manager – Indirect Category

About the Position

Purchasing Manager – Indirect Category

Batu Kawan, Malaysia // Purchasing // With Professional Experience

We are looking for a purpose-driven builder with an entrepreneurial spirit to join our new manufacturing and engineering hub in Batu Kawan, Penang. As a Purchasing Manager – Indirect Category, you will play a pivotal role in setting up structures, improving processes, and taking ownership in a fast-moving environment. You will be part of a global team of around 1,000 employees from ~60 nationalities across Asia, Europe, and the US.

Responsibilities

Greenfield Setup

• Collaborate with various departments for large-scale sourcing and procurement of building infrastructure and services.
• Identify supply bottlenecks and monitor contractor performance against milestones.
• Support Capex budgeting and tracking, ensuring transparency of project spend.
• Establish long-term contracts for MRO, facility services, indirect consumables, and utilities.

Category Strategy & Planning

• Define, develop, and implement non-production and service procurement category strategies.
• Collaborate with Global Indirect Purchasing on global initiatives.
• Conduct market and supplier analysis with respect to cost drivers, risks, innovations, and capacity.
• Identify savings opportunities and value improvement initiatives.

Strategic Sourcing

• Lead supplier selection processes from RFQs/RFPs and contract award.
• Conduct commercial and contractual negotiations.
• Manage framework agreements with regional/international suppliers.
• Continuously drive total cost of ownership (TCO) optimization.

Supplier Management

• Establish and maintain a strategic supplier network and relationships.
• Monitor supplier performance with respect to cost, quality, delivery, and service.
• Lead business reviews to identify improvement potential and conduct Continuous Improvement Projects (CIP).

Team and Performance Management

• Directly lead, train, and supervise the daily operation of the indirect purchasing team.
• Allocate responsibilities and ensure workload balance.
• Coach and mentor team members to strengthen negotiation, analytical, and strategic skills.

Risk & Compliance Management

• Identify and mitigate supply risks and bottlenecks.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, governance standards, and sourcing procedures.
• Monitor contractual obligations, supplier compliance, and team integrity.
• Ensure accurate and complete documentation for audit readiness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Manage budget owner’s demands and guide requirements to achieve the best supply solution.
• Align sourcing decisions with relevant stakeholders.

Requirements

Core Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Supply Chain, or related disciplines.
• 10-12 years of procurement or strategic sourcing experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role in small to mid-sized teams in international manufacturing companies.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Analytical mindset with strong data interpretation capabilities.
• Good interpersonal communication with influencing skills; ability to quickly learn diverse fields and work with various internal groups.

Secondary Skills

• Proficiency in SAP and Coupa is preferred.
• Fluent in English; Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin proficiency is a plus.

Working Conditions & Environment

• Role based at AIXTRON Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
• Majority of the work is at Batu Kawan site.
• Visits to supplier locations will be requested as needed.
• Occasional travel to Headquarters in Germany or other regional sites.

About the Company

AIXTRON is a technology and innovation-driven market leader in deposition equipment (MOCVD) for third-generation semiconductor materials such as GaN, SiC, and GaAs-critical enablers for energy efficiency, data communications, and AI infrastructure. Headquartered in Herzogenrath, Germany, we hold the #1 market position in each of the markets we serve and build some of the industry’s most sophisticated high-tech systems. What sets us apart is how we combine deep technology focus, customer orientation, and speed of innovation with strong team spirit, agility, and a collaborative company culture. Learn more at www.aixtron.com.

We Offer

• Competitive benefits
• Outstanding technical expertise
• Development opportunities and training

Apply now for this exciting opportunity to be part of our innovative team!