Rimowa Purchasing Team Lead
- Location
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Lead
- Department
- Supply Chain, Logistics & Inventory
- Industry
- Fashion, Apparel & Leather Goods
- Posted
- Apr 26, 2026
About Rimowa
RIMOWA is a German maison within the LVMH Group, globally recognised for precision-engineered luggage that blends craftsmanship, functional design and innovation. As part of LVMH, RIMOWA operates with an international luxury mindset and offers career development across the Group’s network.
RIMOWA in Cologne seeks a Purchasing Team Lead to drive global sourcing, supplier management and TCO-based procurement at the Head Office.
Role & Responsibilities
- Lead, coach and develop the purchasing team, creating a collaborative, high-performance culture and driving continuous improvement (~70% of time).
- Define and deploy global sourcing strategies across product life-cycles in close alignment with Industrial, Quality, Development and Supply Chain stakeholders.
- Design, implement and scale an End-to-End Supplier Management Process covering RFQ definition, sampling, homologation, KPI monitoring and commercial launch.
- Own supplier selection and panel management, integrate new suppliers based on performance KPIs and conduct supplier assessments/audits prior to awards.
- Develop bottom-up cost models to analyse suppliers’ cost structures and support TCO-driven negotiations and make-or-buy decisions.
- Drive supplier performance improvement initiatives focused on cost, quality, delivery and project execution, including sustainability actions to reduce CO2 emissions.
- Apply Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) logic to sourcing decisions and coordinate re-sourcing initiatives together with the Industrial team.
Qualifications
- University degree in Purchasing Management, Supply Chain, Engineering or equivalent.
- Minimum 10 years’ professional experience as a buyer or cost engineer in industrial environments.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing purchasing/procurement teams.
- In-depth knowledge of industrial markets (examples: aluminium, plastics, textiles) across raw materials, finished goods, machinery and processes.
- Proven track record in supplier negotiations, contract management and commercial awards.
- Strong analytical capability with hands-on experience in bottom-up cost modelling and data-driven decision making.
- Excellent project management skills and the ability to manage cross-functional programs from RFQ to launch.
- Fluency in English; German language skills are appreciated.
Skills
Experience
At least 10 years of relevant experience working as a buyer or cost engineer within industrial supply chains, including several years in leadership roles and exposure to markets such as aluminium, plastics and textiles.
Education
University degree in Purchasing Management or Engineering.
Workplace
This position is based in Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
Benefits
30 days paid vacation per year; flexible working hours; RIMOWA Essential Cabin suitcase after probation; corporate benefits and 30% employee discount; company pension scheme with high employer contribution; subsidised canteen with freshly cooked meals; Urban Sports Club membership, public transport ticket and partially subsidised job bike; international environment with development opportunities within LVMH.
Culture
RIMOWA combines German engineering and heritage with LVMH’s international luxury culture; the workplace emphasises craftsmanship, product longevity and innovation. The company promotes an inclusive, diverse environment and offers cross-border development opportunities within the LVMH ecosystem.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Rimowa, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Head of Purchasing», «Senior Sourcing Manager», «Procurement Team Lead», «Strategic Sourcing Lead», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.