DM Purchasing Director, China at KONE in Kunshan
- Company: KONE
- Location: Kunshan
- Posted: Sep 20, 2026
- Type: Full-time
- Experience: 15+ years
Overview
•Develops and executes a comprehensive direct materials purchasing strategy that aligns with the company’s strategy and objectives •Drives cost optimization through strategic sourcing initiatives •Supervises Unit Sourcing Managers and ensures the implementation of sourcing strategy as well as operat…
Responsibilities
- •Develops and executes a comprehensive direct materials purchasing strategy that aligns with the company’s strategy and objectives
- •Drives cost optimization through strategic sourcing initiatives
- •Supervises Unit Sourcing Managers and ensures the implementation of sourcing strategy as well as operational excellence efforts
- •Identifies cross-unit/area sourcing opportunities and risks
- •Ensures that business requirements are understood and included in global/area-based or local sourcing plans
- •Leads cross-functional area direct materials spend steering meetings
- •Fosters collaboration between global/area and local sourcing teams
- •Manages area-based stakeholders and their expectations
- •Represents sourcing with the area and towards Area Management Team
- •Leads, coaches, involves and develops Unit Sourcing Managers, Area-based sourcing category managers, unit sourcing team members and purchasing/fleet management operators
- •Ensures proper level of training, act to mitigate identified gaps on competency
- •Grants sourcing to be the “partner to go” for other functions and business lines with emphasis on providing fast and efficient support, especially for customer facing teams
- •Ensures and drives alignment of Sourcing/Purchasing/Fleet management operating model in area in line with KONE WAY
Requirements
- •Bachelor and above degree in supply chain management, engineering, business or a related field, MBA is preferred
- •15+ years of purchasing working experience with at least 6 years on leadership role within a manufacturing environment
- •Deep understanding of direct materials purchasing management as well as the supply market in China
- •Proven track records of driving change management and cost optimization
- •Strong experience in managing multi-million Euro purchasing spending
- •Excellent collaboration and influencing skills
- •Familiarity with lean manufacturing, 6-sigma, or any other operational excellence methodology is a plus
- •Fluent in Mandarin and English both in written and spoken
Skills
Required
- Purchasing
- Strategic sourcing
- Cost optimization
- Change management
- Leadership
- Collaboration
- Influencing
- Mandarin
- English
Preferred
- Lean manufacturing
- 6-sigma
- Operational excellence methodology
About KONE
Welcome to KONE! We are a diverse team of over 60,000 employees, enabling safe, sustainable, and effortless people flow for billions of city dwellers every day. Innovating together across everything we do, we show the way for the good of our planet and its people. Here, you are welcomed as you are, your courage is celebrated, and your impact rewarded. Grounded by our strong roots stretching back over a century, our exciting journey continues – join us and let’s shape the future of cities together! At KONE, we are focused on creating an innovative and collaborative working culture where we value the contribution of each individual. Employee engagement is a key focus area for us and we encourage participation and the sharing of information and ideas. Sustainability is an integral part of our culture and the daily practice. We follow ethical business practices and we seek to develop a culture of working together where co-workers trust and respect each other and good performance is recognized. In being a great place to work, we are proud to offer a range of experiences and opportunities that will help you to achieve your career and personal goals and enable you to live a healthy and balanced life. At KONE, our purpose is to shape the future of cities. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, we move two billion people every day, making their journeys safe, convenient, and reliable with smart and sustainable People Flow®. In 2025, KONE had annual sales of EUR 11.2 billion, and at the end of the year over 60,000 employees in close to 70 countries. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland.