Viking (NYSE: VIK) was founded in 1997 and offers destination-focused cruises on oceans, rivers and lakes worldwide. Designed for experienced travellers with an interest in science, history, culture and cuisine, chairman Torstein Hagen often says that Viking offers experiences for the thinking person®.
Viking has received more than 450 awards to date, including being named No. 1 for rivers, No. 1 for oceans and No. 1 for expeditions by Condé Nast Traveller in the 2023 and 2024 Readers' Choice Awards. Viking was also voted number one in its categories by Travel + Leisure. No other cruise line has ever received the same accolades from both publications at the same time.
Viking offers a fast-growing and dynamic working environment and flexible working hours. Please note that we can only accept applicants who are eligible to work in Germany or are in possession of a valid work permit.
ROLE DESCRIPTION
As a Manager Purchasing within the Technical Operations River (TOR), you will lead procurement activities supporting Maintenance & Repair Operations for Viking’s fleet of 80+ river ships. Reporting to the Senior Manager Purchasing, you own supplier performance, contract negotiations and budget outcomes while ensuring policy and regulatory compliance. This position is based in Cologne or Vienna and includes occasional business travel to suppliers and operational hubs in Europe
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Own procurement activities for technical spare parts and consumables
2. Translate fleet requirements into purchasing strategy
3. Partner with technical leadership and suppliers for demand planning and risk mitigation
4. Manage purchasing budget, savings pipeline, and cost performance vs. targets
5. Build and maintain strong supplier and stakeholder relationships
6. Develop a long-term planning strategy with logistics and technical teams to guarantee
smooth end-to-end supply chain
7. Lead continuous improvement and digitalization in purchasing processes and systems
8. Translate the technical leadership planning into purchasing strategy
9. Ensure compliance with procurement policies, standards, and documentation
10. Mentor and coach junior purchasing staff; allocate workload and priorities
KEY QUALIFICATIONS
Education and professional experience
11. Degree in business administration, engineering, or equivalent experience
12. 3–5 years in purchasing or supply chain, ideally in technical environments
13. Strong negotiation and vendor management skills
14. Understanding of technical spare parts and components used in marine operations
15. Knowledge of customs clearance and dangerous goods documentation (preferred)
16. Excellent communication skills English and German
17. Experience with data analytics tools or AI-enabled purchasing solutions (advantageous)
Soft skills and others
18. Clear communicator; able to align cross functional stakeholders
19. Fosters a culture of compliance and continuous improvement
20. Customer oriented, pro-active, enthusiastic and flexible with interpersonal skills
21. Self-starter with a can-do mindset
22. Strong analytical skills, comfortable in a dynamic environment
23. Knowledge of customs/dangerous goods documentation; audit readiness experience
24. Experience implementing process improvements and KPI framework
25. Proactive and diplomatic approach with strong will to do what is needed to complete a task
26. Ability to effectively challenge and tactfully influence stakeholders
HOW TO APPLY
27. We look forward to receiving your complete application documents, stating your salary expectations and your earliest possible starting date. Start with us and take on challenging tasks in a skilled and highly motivated team. Convince us with your commitment and personality and send your application – preferably by e-mail to:
Viking Technical GmbH, Personalabteilung, Industriepark 17, 56291 Wiebelsheim
E-Mail: hr.wbl@viking.com