Schou seeks Category Buyer for Furniture

-Be part of creating competitive furniture through strong purchasing and global supplier collaborations.

We are seeking a commercially strong and business‑oriented Category Buyer for our Furniture team. You are motivated by building strong supplier relationships, negotiating attractive agreements, and ensuring competitive solutions for our customers.

Furniture is an established business unit at Schou with responsibility for a wide range of small furniture for some of Europe’s leading retail customers. We work closely with international customers and suppliers and now seek a Category Buyer who can contribute with strong commercial sense, competitive sourcing, and the further development of our supplier collaborations.

The department today consists of 10 employees, and the position reports to Lead Category Buyer, Maria Krag.

Purpose of the position

As Category Buyer you will be responsible for your own product groups and become a central part of our purchasing organization. You will work closely with Product Development, Sales, Compliance and Supply Chain to ensure competitive products with a focus on price, quality and delivery reliability.

You will play an important role in the development process, where you contribute with market insight, supplier knowledge and commercial sparring to secure competitive solutions for our customers.

Your main tasks

In the role you will be responsible for a number of key purchasing activities and become an important sparring partner for both colleagues and suppliers. Your tasks will include, among others:

• Develop and maintain strong collaborations with international suppliers and continuously identify new opportunities in the supplier market.
• Negotiate prices, terms and collaboration agreements with a focus on strong commercial results.
• Contribute to the development of new products in collaboration with Product Development and Sales through market insight, commercial sparring and knowledge of the supplier market.
• Identify and drive improvement measures in terms of costs, quality and delivery reliability for your own product groups.
• Follow up on supplier performance, quality and delivery reliability and implement corrective actions when needed.
• Ensure compliance with applicable quality and compliance requirements.
• Participate in international trade fairs and conduct supplier and factory visits in the Far East as a natural part of the job.
• 25-30 days of travel to the Far East.

We imagine you

• Have experience from an international purchasing function with production in the Far East.
• Have strong skills in negotiation and supplier development as well as sourcing experience.
• Possess strong commercial acumen and solid business understanding.
• Work in a structured manner and manage to create progress in many parallel tasks.
• Are analytically strong and motivated by translating market insight into commercial results.
• Thrive in an international environment with many touchpoints.
• Are able to build strong relationships and long-term collaborations.
• Communicate fluently in English in both writing and speech.

Come aboard

At Schou you will become part of a healthy family-owned company. Our employees are our most important asset and therefore we strive for you to thrive in your role. Schou’s values are not just words on a page – they are part of our daily life and the way we work together. “We succeed together,” because the best solutions are created when we share knowledge, support each other, and invite others in. “We take ownership” and responsibility from idea to result with clarity and decisiveness.

And “We create good deals,” because commercial acumen is part of our DNA – always with a focus on creating real value for customers, partners and each other. With us you become part of a community where there is room for ambition, respect for diversity and a focus on making the complex simple. We keep the tempo, celebrate successes and believe that well-being, trust and good collaboration are the foundation for strong and durable results.

In addition we offer a wide range of employee benefits, including

• Flexibility – with the possibility to work from home.
• Social events, both summer and winter.
• A delicious lunch and fruit scheme.
• An attractive health scheme.

Would you also like to be part of Schou?

Can you see yourself in the above and would you like to take part in Schou’s exciting development? Then please send your application via the link below. We call for interviews on an ongoing basis and reserve the right to close the posting when the right candidate is found. If you have questions, please feel free to reach out to Lead Category Buyer, Maria Krag at tel. +45 4414 9260.

Schou is the Nordic region’s largest supplier of non-food products for home and garden. Our headquarters are in Kolding together with a 6,000 m² showroom, and we have 80,000 m² of warehouse space in Vision Park, Kolding, where our head office is also located. We have a purchasing office in China and sales offices in Norway, Sweden, South Africa and Germany, as well as significant exports to the rest of Europe. We aim to make a difference for our customers and be their shortcut to success.

By integrating social, environmental and ethical considerations into our business strategy and operations, our goal is to ensure a sustainable and profitable company.

At Schou we strive for a balanced work-life with focus on employee well-being and meaningful work. We want to treat our employees well and be the best place for the best employees. In Vision Park we have facilities such as padel- and pickleball courts as well as a fitness centre available to our employees. At Schou you become part of a dynamic everyday life in an inspiring environment with ample opportunity for professional and personal development.

We encourage all interested to apply for the position regardless of age, gender, disability, religion or ethnic origin.

Read more at www.schou.com

Application deadline

Ongoing