Technical Procurement Manager (m/f/d) - China

1KOMMA5°

At 1KOMMA5°, we pursue a clear vision: Living on wind and sunlight forever for free. To make this a reality, we are building the energy system of the future with Heartbeat AI. Want to be part of it? 
We bring together regional craftsmanship and scalable software: We don't think of solar, batteries, heat pumps, and e-mobility as isolated components, but control them as an intelligent, integrated overall system in our virtual power plant. Directly connected to the electricity market – in real time, fully automated. This way, energy is used when it is available from renewables and particularly cost-effective. By 2030, our goal is to transition 1.5 million households to renewable energies. Over 3,000 people are working towards this every day, at more than 80 locations worldwide, from Finland to Australia.

Want to take responsibility and build solutions that truly matter? Apply now and help us shape the energy world of tomorrow.

Your mission

As a Technical Procurement Manager, you will be our on-the-ground presence with our key suppliers across batteries, inverters, chargers and PV modules based in China. Based in China and reporting to the Head of Procurement Transformation, you combine technical depth with commercial rigor to manage suppliers, audit their sites, drive continuous improvement plans, resolve supplier issues on-site, and identify and implement cost savings programs. You are the single threaded link between our Berlin-based procurement, product and SCM teams and our Chinese supply base.

Your Responsibilities:

Supplier Relationship Management

• Act as the primary on-the-ground point of contact for our key suppliers based in China across categories

• Build close working relationships with suppliers' engineering, quality and commercial teams to strengthen collaboration and responsiveness

• Conduct regular factory visits to build relationships with supplier leadership and shop-floor teams and to assess capacity and production readiness

Supplier Audits & Continuous Improvement

• Plan and lead on-site supplier audits covering manufacturing processes, quality management systems, test and traceability capability, incoming material control, and production readiness for new products

• Run process audits and capability assessments for critical operations (e.g. cell handling and pack assembly, power electronics assembly and end-of-line testing, module lamination and EL/IV testing), and follow up on findings until closed

• Define joint continuous improvement roadmaps with key suppliers, with clear owners, milestones and measurable targets for yield, defect rates, delivery performance and cost

• Introduce lean and structured problem-solving methods (e.g. 8D, 5-Why, FMEA, Kaizen) on the supplier's shop floor and verify that improvements are sustained

• Prepare and support new product introductions and ramp-ups at supplier sites, including pilot builds, first-article inspection and release gates

• Maintain a supplier scorecard and audit calendar, and feed audit and improvement results into Berlin's sourcing and supplier-selection decisions

Cost Savings Delivery

• Identify and implement design-to-cost initiatives together with supplier engineering teams to identify cost-out potential without compromising quality or reliability

• Link continuous improvement outcomes (yield gains, scrap reduction, productivity) to cost-out opportunities and agree on how the benefits are shared with the supplier

• Support RFQs/RFPs and contract negotiations with technical and commercial input

Supplier Issue Resolution

• Serve as the escalation point for quality, delivery and capacity issues, driving root-cause analysis and corrective actions directly with supplier teams

• Coordinate closely with quality and SCM to resolve non-conformances and prevent recurrence

• Verify the effectiveness of corrective actions on site and escalate repeat issues into the supplier improvement plan

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Reporting

• Work closely with Berlin-based Category Management, Product Management and SCM to align on technical changes, specifications and roadmaps

• Track component and raw material market trends (cell prices, silicon, copper, freight, etc.) and the evolving Chinese supplier landscape

• Provide structured, KPI-driven reporting on savings, quality, audit results, improvement-plan progress and supplier performance

Your profile

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Power Electronics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field

• 5 years of experience in technical procurement, supplier quality, or NPI within the battery, inverter, or PV module industry

• Direct experience working with Chinese component or system suppliers is strongly preferred

• Solid technical understanding of BMS, power conversion systems, or PV module manufacturing processes

• Hands-on experience conducting supplier audits and process assessments in manufacturing environments (certified auditor, e.g. ISO 9001 / IATF 16949 / VDA 6.3, is a plus)

• Working knowledge of lean manufacturing and continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, Six Sigma, 8D, FMEA)

• Familiarity with relevant industry standards (e.g. IEC 62619 / UN 38.3 for batteries, IEC 62109 for inverters, IEC 61215 / 61730 for PV modules)

• Track record of delivering should-cost analyses, design-to-cost projects, and negotiated savings

• Fluent in Mandarin and English (business-level); German is a plus

• Willingness to travel frequently to supplier sites across China

• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills across cultures, comfortable working with a European headquarters

Ready to take ownership and build solutions that truly matter? Apply now and help us shape the energy world of tomorrow.

Benefits

• Use your technical equipment in your free time outside of work
• You’ll be part of a fast-growing company with plenty of room for growth, where you can build something on your own and feel the impact of your work
• Work in flat hierarchies, take on responsibility even during your onboarding, and collaborate directly with members of management
• Through your work, you’ll support the megatrend of the “energy and mobility transition” and make a tangible contribution to the sustainable transformation of our energy infrastructure
• Be active and take advantage of the offerings from over 7,600 sports partners with the EGYM Wellpass
• Whether it’s a city bike or an e-bike—with our Jobrad bike leasing program, you’ll stay flexible and travel in an eco-friendly way
• Enjoy benefits and discounts through Futurebens