Global Procurement Director

Our story goes back more than 150 years, to the chilly southern coast of Scandinavia. From our early success in Sweden and Denmark, we’ve grown into the world’s leading specialist producer of plant-based oils, employing more than 4,000 people across the globe.

We work with our customers to make the products you love even better. The oils we produce go into making your chocolate extra-creamy or putting the crunch into your croissant. And it’s not just food — we work across industries to create products that are higher quality, healthier, and better for the planet.

Everything we do is about Making Better Happen.

AAK Location

This position could be based out of our main European sites and offices or out of East coast US.

About The Role

We are looking for an experienced and visionary Global Procurement Director to act as the highest authority for procurement within AAK. Reporting directly to the President of Global Operations, this role is responsible for defining and executing the global procurement strategy and positioning procurement as a strategic enabler of operational excellence, growth, and sustainability. You will lead a global procurement team covering all categories and geographies, accountable for an annual non-oil portfolio.

As Global Procurement Director, you will ensure that procurement strengthens supplier partnerships, drives cost competitiveness and supply security, and contributes to innovation and resilience across AAK’s worldwide operations. This is a high-impact role, operating with substantial autonomy, and a key member of the Global Operations Leadership Team.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a global procurement strategy aligned with AAK’s operational, sustainability, and growth objectives.
• Lead the transformation of procurement into an integrated, end-to-end function supporting sourcing, operations, and customer delivery.
• Champion digitalization and data-driven decision-making in procurement processes.
• Build and develop a high-performing global procurement organization, including both direct and matrix reports.
• Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, continuous improvement, and inclusion across the function.
• Drive cost optimization, risk mitigation, and supplier performance across all categories.
• Establish and monitor KPIs to ensure procurement delivers measurable value.
• Lead global sourcing initiatives and category management strategies.
• Deliver transformation through established and innovative approaches, guided by the principles of AAK’s OPEX program.
• Collaborate with leaders across Operations, Sustainability, CD&I, ST&S, Go-to-Market, and Finance to ensure procurement supports cross-functional priorities.
• Build strategic partnerships with key suppliers to drive innovation, resilience, and long-term competitiveness.
• Represent procurement in the Global Operations Leadership Team, in governance structures, and in external stakeholder forums.
  
  
  

About You

You are a senior procurement leader with deep global experience and a proven track record of driving transformation. You are confident in managing complexity and thrive in influencing at the highest levels of the organization.

We expect you to bring:

• 10+ years of transformational procurement leadership experience in global roles. Preferably, but not limited to, the food ingredients or FMCG sectors.
• Proven success in leading transformation programs and delivering end-to-end value. From strategic to local implementation.
• Strong understanding of supply chain dynamics, category management, and sourcing strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to embed sustainability and ESG principles into procurement practices.
• Solid experience with digital procurement tools and data-driven decision-making.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience building and developing high-performing international teams.
• Outstanding stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior executive level.
• Relevant academic background (Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or Engineering).
• Fluency in English; additional languages are an advantage.
• You combine strategic authority with hands-on execution, are resilient in a fast-paced global environment, and bring an innovative, solutions-oriented mindset.
  
  
  

Contact and information

For more information about the position, please contact Recruitment Manager Europe, Luuck van Kooten via, [email protected].

About AAK

Everything AAK does is about Making Better Happen. We specialize in plant-based oils that are the value-adding ingredients in many of the products people love to consume. We make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable.

At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development — combining our desire to understand what better means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of our production assets and our deep knowledge of many products and industries, including Chocolate and confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice and Personal Care.

Our 4,000 employees support our close collaboration with customers through 25 regional sales offices, 15 dedicated Customer Innovation Centers, and the support of more than 20 production facilities. Listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and with our headquarters in Malmö, Sweden, AAK has been Making Better Happen for more than 150 years.

AAK prohibits discrimination based on race, color, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, religion, veteran status, and any other class protected under applicable law in any aspect of employment.