Head of Batteries and Power Electronics - Procurement

Company description:

Who are we?Volvo Cars is a company on a mission; to bring traditional car manufacturing into a connected, sustainable and smart future.

Job description: Let's introduce ourselves

Would you like to lead a key part of our Procurement organisation and help shape the future of our Battery and Power & Electrics business?

We are looking for an experienced and business-driven Head of Battery and Power & Electrics Procurement. In this role, you will set the strategic direction for the section, translate strategy into execution and create the conditions for your organisation to deliver sustainable business value.

You will have overall accountability for the section and play an important role in strengthening our competitiveness, developing strategic supplier relationships and managing business-critical opportunities and risks.

Working in a highly international environment, you will collaborate closely with senior stakeholders, suppliers and counterparts across functions and regions. Fluency in both Chinese and English is essential for the role.

Just as importantly, you will lead through other leaders. We are looking for someone who builds capability, creates accountability and develops a high-performing organisation that can navigate change and ambiguity with confidence.

What you'll do

As Head of Battery and Power & Electrics Procurement, you will:

• Set the strategic direction for the Battery and Power & Electric Procurement section, translating company and Procurement priorities into clear objectives, plans and execution.
• Lead, develop and empower leaders and teams, building organisational capability, accountability and a strong performance culture.
• Drive business and procurement performance, balancing commercial value, cost, quality, delivery, risk and long-term competitiveness.
• Shape category and supplier strategies, developing strategic supplier relationships and ensuring external competitiveness while proactively managing business-critical opportunities and risks.
• Drive global and cross-regional alignment, collaborating closely with senior stakeholders and relevant counterparts across functions and geographies.
• Set direction for strategic negotiations and major commercial decisions, acting as a senior escalation point and enabling strong negotiation approaches across the organisation.
• Drive continuous improvement and transformation, challenging established ways of working and creating the conditions for simpler, faster and more effective execution.

What you'll bring

We believe you are a senior leader with a strong commercial mindset and the ability to combine strategic thinking with decisive execution.

You bring:

• Significant experience from Procurement, Supply Chain, commercial leadership or another relevant business environment, with responsibility for complex and business-critical scopes.
• Demonstrated experience leading leaders and professional organizations, building capability and creating sustainable performance.
• Strong business and commercial acumen especially on battery area, with the ability to translate strategy into clear priorities, decisions and measurable outcomes.
• Extensive experience of complex negotiations, strategic supplier relationships and senior stakeholder management.
• The ability to lead and make sound decisions in situations where information is incomplete, priorities compete and the way forward is not always obvious.
• Strong communication and influencing skills, with the ability to create clarity, alignment and engagement across functions, cultures and geographies.
• Fluency in Chinese and English, both written and spoken.
• A proactive leadership approach, taking ownership while creating accountability and empowerment throughout the organization.

You might also have

• Experience from electrification, powertrain/driveline, automotive or another technology-intensive industrial environment.
• Experience leading major transformation, organisational change or cross-functional business initiatives.
• Broad experience working across regions and cultures in a complex global organisation.

The leadership we are looking for:

You create direction without needing all the answers upfront. You are comfortable making decisions in complex situations and bringing people with you through clear priorities, open communication and visible ownership.

You challenge constructively, simplify where possible and move the organisation forward. You combine high expectations with strong people leadership and create an environment where leaders and teams can perform, develop and take accountability.

As Head of Battery and Power & Electrics Procurement, you will be expected to look beyond your immediate area, build alignment across organisational boundaries and contribute to the longer-term development and competitiveness of Procurement.