AESC is the world’s leading battery technology company and lithium-ion battery manufacturer with battery plants in Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and China. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of France's highest profile manufacturing plants as Envision AESC is building a new battery manufacturing plant in Douai, Hauts-de-France to support its business growth in Europe. This is a unique opportunity to join one of the most exciting, large-scale industrial developments in many years, where new and emerging technologies will be adopted in support of the rapidly growing electric vehicle marketplace.

AESC is looking for a passionate purchasing talent to join us in our mission to contribute to a more sustainable world. By joining us, you will be a key player in establishing and contributing to the European battery Ecosystem.

The work environment is fast-paced and very international. We are looking for individuals who can see the big picture but also dive into details and get things done. In this role, you will be working with different direct commodities for Module and Pack, which includes metal pressings, extrusions, plastic injection mouldings, etc.

The candidate can be based at any of our legal entities in Europe: France (Paris or Douai), the UK (Sunderland), or Germany (Munich).

The Direct Purchasing Specialist will be responsible for managing Module and Pack commodities across all European sites, including the France, UK, Spain, and others.

• Gain market intelligence and become an expert in metal pressings, extrusions, plastic injection moulding, and other relevant areas, collaborating with global purchasing and design teams to develop an optimal Direct Strategy Plan for the EU/UK
• Develop a technical understanding of the supply roadmap, identifying key commodities and suppliers within the EU/UK regions (e.g., cell assembly lines, vendor tooling), while considering critical supply risk factors (e.g., REACH, capacity, RVC)
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Global Purchasing to identify strategies and develop suppliers both globally and locally in the EU/UK
• Lead strategic tenders (RFI-RFQ), develop robust negotiation plans, identify suppliers, and finalize contracting (e.g., Nomination – MPA)
• Influence internal functions and external suppliers to drive year-on-year (YoY) cost reductions and act strategically to secure future cost optimization
• Support the EU Direct Purchasing Manager on commercial contracting, focusing specifically on localization with EU/UK suppliers for new and existing sourcing projects
• Research and evaluate opportunities to reduce costs within the end-to-end supply chain for both current and new BOM activities
• Develop ideas and strategies to improve operational efficiency, add value, enhance business performance, and work towards continuous improvement
• Assess and evaluate suppliers through performance reviews, driving improvement initiatives.
• Support project purchasing and supply chain teams across the EU/UK to ensure supply logistics are optimized, avoiding production delays

Background and Experience Required:

• Proven purchasing experience within a lithium-ion battery manufacturing or a similar environment is desirable
• Strong interpersonal skills with a vision for success, responsibility, and the ability to develop effective negotiation plans
• Excellent communication skills in English are essential for building relationships with global teams (purchasing, design, SQD) and suppliers in Asia
• Effective analytical skills for evaluating commodity market trends and reporting to EU leadership
• Ability to work under tight deadlines with strong prioritization skills
• Solid industrial awareness, with the ability to investigate new supply markets and assess both existing and new supplier capabilities to strengthen cost reductions and supply rationalization
• An inquisitive and open attitude towards exploring new ideas, with a commitment to continuous improvement