What makes working in Procurement so special?

What makes working in Procurement so special?

Hi, my name is Insa, and I have been working for Bayer since 2015. I enjoy working in Procurement, because we’re engaged around the world and deal with a wide range of topics. People from different backgrounds are all working together for the benefit of Bayer, society, and the environment.

In Procurement, we take our stakeholders’ requirements into account while enabling smooth purchasing processes and supplying the company with raw materials, goods, and services around the world. We cultivate relationships with our suppliers and support them in developing innovative solutions and putting sustainable business practices into action.

I am part of the Sustainability & Compliance team. We optimize sustainability practices in the supply chain and contribute to the corporate sustainability strategy. A four-step process has been established throughout the company to improve sustainability practices in the supply chain, based on the following elements: raising awareness among our suppliers, nominating suppliers, evaluating sustainability performance, and supplier development (read more here ). Our sustainability requirements are anchored in the Bayer Supplier Code of Conduct. Bayer verifies that its suppliers adhere to the code requirements through online assessments or on-site audits. We also help our suppliers do business more sustainably through different development and dialogue opportunities.

I find it motivating to see how passionate all my coworkers are about sustainability and how they promote it within the Bayer group and to our suppliers alike. Working with others to raise awareness about sustainability – both in Procurement@Bayer and with our partners – and exert a positive influence on our society and the environment fulfills me.

Entry-level and development opportunities

I launched my career at Bayer through the International Procurement Trainee Program after obtaining my master’s degree in business administration at the University of Münster. As a trainee, I had the chance to learn about the various facets of procurement, and I worked on a variety of teams over a period of months. This gave me insight into operative sourcing, strategic purchasing and procurement in individual countries. I was able to build an extensive network within the company and got to know a number of experts from a variety of disciplines, including Content Management, Strategy and Governance, Business Partnering, Consumer Health, Source-to-Pay Operations and the Country Platform for Australia/New Zealand. 

I am happy to be a part of the Sustainability team. I’ve been settling into this role for two years now and slowly diving deeper into the world of sustainability at Bayer. I enjoy helping shape the sustainability activities at Bayer. I’m especially interested in projects, in which Bayer supports the sustainable cultivation of palm oil and soy, or activities that aim to meet due diligence obligations related to conflict minerals in our supply chain.

What do applicants have to possess?

Some of the qualities we look for include profound technical expertise, a passion for working with people, flexibility and an open mind towards new ideas and ways of working.