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F126 Procurement Program Manager

Job Description

Location: Hengelo, Netherlands

About the team
Procurement is an important delivery engine within Thales Netherlands is Procurement contributing to 50-80% of the Thales deliveries. With a team of about 50 colleagues spends in average 300 M Euro per year, partly within the Thales group.
About your future job

To be fully responsible for the management of a set of subcontracted Work Packages to multiple suppliers within the F126 project, where the suppliers develop and deliver complex, high risk, high value equipment or services under specific terms and conditions (customer downflow).


Strictly managing time, cost, quality, risks, opportunities and performance on both Thales and supplier side, as on the interfaces, are the enablers to meet our expectations.

The role will be in cooperation with the Global Procurement Project manager F126, the Category Managers and their Technical Support and there will be frequent and close engagement with our suppliers to ensure that the project is executed in accordance with technical, cost and performance (quality and delivery) requirements.


Principal Relationships:

  • Procurement Project Manager (PPM). 

  • Acquisition Technical Support

  • Category Manager and Global Category Manager

  • F126 Project Management team

  • Supplier

  • Legal and Contract Management

  • Engineering


Key Responsibilities and Tasks:

Integration with the Project Team

A leader according to the Thales Group leadership competences

  • Shape solutions out of complexity; to see both the overall and immediate picture; sharp thinker, make the right choices. 

  • Be ambitious and Accountable. Proactive:

  • Team early, inform and take initiative. Accountability : feel and show ownership of important Procurement subjects (Strategy, contracts, savings, actions). Challenger. 

  • Perform through cooperation; drive successfully cross functional Procurement process and teams. And seek synergies within and across entities. 

  • Influence key stakeholders; work with Thales sub domain leaders, Engineering, Product management, Bid Management and Segment Procurement leaders, to ensure the right governance and performance on Procurement 

  • "Manage Self; be a role model, pursue own development, recognize emotions, aware of strengths and areas for development. 

  • Leads the Thales team on a specific Procurement Work package comprising of representatives from other functions in order to ensure resources and obligations are delivered in time within budget and at the right performance. Sizes the team linked to the maturity of the solution and the progress.

  • Liaises with the PDA & Engineering to optimize design requirements

  • Challenges the solution.

  • Provide the input to the Program reporting, the Financials and the Program Risk Register, 

  • Works with the Technical teams to implement the optimal design and resolve issues impacting on Supplier performance

  • Coaching of Category Managers regarding PM skills and associated tools


Supplier Contract Management

  • Manage the launch meeting / Kick-off (Purchase Vet 4) and associated actions to minimize risk in cooperation with the Category Manager and the Global PPM

  • Manage sourcing costs through the lifecycle of the project, identifying focus areas or opportunities for reduction in cooperation with the Category Manager.

  • Review the procurement performance including cost, delivery/lead time, quality, resource management, risks and opportunities with the Global PPM

  • Organize and conduct in cooperation with the Category Manager the supplier’s performance reviews on progress, risk and opportunities, put in place recovery actions as required

  • Manage the schedule and performance of the allocated work package, ensuring strong adherence to project management, procurement, quality and technical governance

  • Deploy effective Key Performance Indicators specific to the subcontract

  • Coordinate related topics in Export Control, Milestone tracking, Legal topics and Finance.

Continuous Improvement

  • Being responsible for the deployment of corrective and preventive action plans which address process, product, interface or component issues or customer / operational feedback.

  • Supports the Category Manager to improve the overall interface between Thales and the Supplier, using lessons learned for the continuous improvement of both parties.

  • Manage the Subcontract Risk Register to identify, evaluate and mitigate risk – consolidate and contribute to the project risk register. 

  • Work with the Supplier Development team to identify opportunities for collaborative or other systemic improvements required

  • Support the Category Manager in order to improve supplier performance in the Segment/Category 

  • Maintain an ethical approach to tasks and relationships in accordance with the Thales policies


Key performance Indicators against Responsibilities and Tasks: 

  • Your outcome focused approach will enable you to lead and set a collaborative and results driven vision with the team.

  • A good supplier On-Time and In-Full Delivery

  • A good supplier On Conformity Delivery

  • Supplier milestone achievement

  • Maintaining the work package budget


Why you'd be a good match

Essential

  • Analytical Skills

  • Program management (Multidisciplinary view)

  • Risk and Opportunity Management, Subcontract Management

  • Team management, and leadership development

  • Flexibility in communication and cooperation skills based on situational awareness

  • Convincing written and oral communication and presentation skills.

  • Interpersonal skills to optimize cross organization working and to work effectively with supplier(s) and other Thales Departments

  • Well-developed organizational skills including planning, forecasting, monitoring and tracking

  • Good listening skills combined with your ability to shape solutions and be able to cut through levels of complexity will be invaluable in this position.

  • This project will be very high profile and your outcome focused approach will enable you to lead and set a collaborative and results driven vision with the team.

Desirable

  • Finance models and Financials impacts

  • Technical and commercial understanding of the Thales product and associated bought in supplied parts and services 

  • Needs Analysis, Technical Interface Management, Supplier Management,

  • Commercially skilled with advanced negotiation skills and experience including differing contracting models

  • German language


Experience

  • Relevant experience in senior level Program Management

  • Track record of success in a similar role in relevant businesses or markets delivering successful complex projects and working in a complex, multidisciplinary organization


Thales offers:

  • An interesting job within the Matrix of the Procurement team and the F126 team in an international high-tech environment;

  • Room for and attention to personal development and personal initiative;

  • The opportunity to grow within the organization, for instance on a technical, managerial, commercial or international level;

  • An open and flexible work environment where a good work-life balance is considered important;

  • A pleasant workplace in "the best building in the Netherlands" (Public’s Choice Award, 2015) with our own Starbucks corner;

  • Excellent work conditions, with 40 holidays a year, among other benefits.

LR 10 VKG 80

Interested?

Reach out for more information to our Talent Acquisition Partner Gerlof Jan Heck, via gerlofjan.heck@thalesgroup.com.

Or Apply directly by clicking on the button below to upload your profile and show your interest.

To ensure that we are a good match, we can ask you to participate in an assessment.

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Job Details

Category
Supply Chain
Employment Type
Contract
Location
Hengelo
Posted
Mar 21, 2026, 08:00 PM
Listed
Mar 22, 2026, 09:42 AM

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