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Are you motivated by driving pan-institutional digitalisation projects and want to support our journey to improve the way we manage procurement? Then join us for this exciting project of procurement modernisation.
We are looking for a highly motivated and energetic Subject Matter Expert in procurement digitalisation and automation with the right mindset to support the pan-EMBL Procurement team with this project. Within the Administration, the EMBL Purchasing Department deals with all purchase related activities according to the best-value-for-money principle in an international environment and provides state-of-the art service to the scientific and administrative community. EMBL has embarked on a journey toward a more efficient, streamlined, and interconnected future as we introduce the Workday cloud-based platform in the HR, Finance and Procurement areas; a cutting-edge solution that promises to redefine how we operate and interact and enhance collaboration across the organization.
The Workday solution will replace the current SAP ERP system and offer a user-friendly platform aiming at streamlining processes, standardizing workflows and increasing efficiency. Workday’s procurement module will deliver:
- Centralised procurement management for better cost control
- Simplified vendor management and procurement workflows
- Enhanced data analytics for strategic sourcing
- Improved compliance and supplier relationships With Workday, EMBL can transform procurement into a strategic advantage, optimising costs and ensuring the timely availability of critical resources.
The Workday implementation started at the end of 2023 for the HR team and the Finance and Procurement team will implement Workday in the course of 2025-2026.
The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is one of the world’s leading research institutions and Europe’s flagship laboratory for the life sciences. EMBL operates from six sites across Europe. The main laboratory and headquarters are in Heidelberg (Germany), other sites are located in Barcelona (Spain), Grenoble (France), Hamburg (Germany), Hinxton (UK) and Rome (Italy). EMBL is funded by public research monies from 29 member states. EMBL has one associate member state (Australia) and one prospect member states (Serbia). English, French and German are the official languages of EMBL.
Essential functions and responsibilities:
The successful candidate will be in charge of sounding-out the market for modern procurement marketplaces (IT and Life Sciences market places) and select a solution to connect all EMBL-sites and guide users through catalogues, ultimately automating the ordering process for low-value, low-risk orders.
The successful candidate will support the pan-EMBL Procurement and Stores Teams during the Workday implementation and assist the team will all digitalization aspects of the project: defining and maintaining workflows in Workday, creating internal catalogues for the Stores area and additional catalogues whenever necessary, test business processes and configuration, develop customer-specific training and documentation, support the team with data mapping and cleansing etc.
Main duties:
- Responsible for the whole tendering process (RFI, RFQ, evaluation, reporting on decision etc.) leading to the selection of an IT and a Life Sciences market place -Supporting the pan-EMBL Procurement and Stores teams with the Workday implementation
- Creating and maintaining internal catalogues if required
- Key-user for the Workday solution in the Procurement and Logistics area
- Ownership and management of e-catalogues, market places and underlying processes
- Developing customer-specific desk-instructions and training documentation
- Giving training to EMBL internal users in the area of Procurement and Logistics
- “Train the trainer” role for team members, stay up-to-date with new features and functionalities
- First-support for solving Workday-related issues in the area of Procurement and Logistics
Reporting line and role within the organization:
This position reports to the Head of Purchase Department, based at the EMBL Headquarters in Heidelberg, Germany. The candidate can be located at the EMBL-EBI site in Hinxton, UK or at the EMBL Headquarter site in Heidelberg, Germany. Some remote working is possible and will be discussed upon appointment.
The candidate will have a key function within the institute by interacting with the scientific community and all major departments from the Administration (Finance, Accounting, Legal, HR, IT services, Compliance…) and being the contact person for the external Workday partners.
Your Profile
- Proven track record of steering successful improvement initiatives and leading Procurement Digitalisation projects, ideally in an academic and scientific international environment
- Expert knowledge in using/implementing Workday/or equivalent platforms - SAP ERP knowledge (SAP ERP EHP8 on SAP Netweaver 7.5, MM module)
- Ability to manage a wide range of stakeholders, conflicting requirements & cross-functional overlaps
- Good analytical skills combined with the resilience needed to assess processes in detail and drive improvements to conclusion
- Experience in dealing with international teams and appreciation for cultural differences and diversity
- Excellent communication skills in English required (German knowledge a plus)
Qualifications and Experience
- Completed studies (Bachelor, Master, or Diploma) in Procurement and digitalisation
- Minimum 5-year experience driving and successfully finalising digitisation projects in Procurement. Ideally with Workday
- Proven knowledge of Procurement market places in IT and Lifesciences
- Sound knowledge of purchasing systems and procure-to-pay processes
- Project Management skills and expertise with project management tools (Smartsheet) and standard Microsoft applications
Competency
To perform the job successfully, the candidate should demonstrate the ability to:
- manage multiple tasks simultaneously, have a concise and clear thinking, keep focused
- work independently under minor supervision
- be self-motivated with a positive and enthusiastic approach
- embrace change and aim for innovation and out-of-the-box thinking with problem-solving mindset
- work with integrity with diverse cultural backgrounds, contribute to building a positive team spirit and create a harmonic and fruitful work environment
- approach others in a tactful and constructive manner
- creative and open-minded personality with a good sense of humour
- solid presentation skills and good communication and stakeholder management skills
- strong written and verbal communication skills to deal with various levels of management and staff within the organization
- a high level of engagement, trust and reliability, friendliness, helpfulness and service-oriented personality is required for this position.
- Some German knowledge would be a plus
Do something meaningful
At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind's greatest challenges. EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.
Join a culture of innovation
We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential.
Enjoy lots of benefits:
- Financial incentives: Monthly family, child and non-resident allowances, annual salary review, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
- Flexible working arrangements including hybrid working patterns and hours
- Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
- Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to eight bank holidays
- Relocation package including installation grant (if required)
- Campus life: Free shuttle bus to and from work, on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)
- Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave (under 12), generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
- Benefits for non-UK residents: Visa exemption, education grant for private schooling, financial support to travel back to your home country every second year and a monthly non-resident allowance.
For more details please see our employee benefits page.
- Contract duration: This position is a 3 year fixed-term project-limited contract to work on the Workday project.
- Job location: This role can be based in EMBL Heidelberg (Germany) or in EMBL-EBI Hinxton, (near Cambridge, UK). You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you.
- International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants.
- Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL-EBI, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ and individuals from all nationalities.
- How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system. Please state in your cover letter if you have a job location preference for Heidelberg (Germany) or Hinxton (UK).
- Interviews: interviews will be held via Zoom on 26th June and 3rd July. Exact details will be confirmed to selected candidates.
