Find the best Heads of Purchasing in Munich in minutes from 15,000 vetted CVs with the power of AI.
Bring in senior support for procurement strategy, supplier negotiation, category management, and SAP MM or S/4HANA work. Ideal for transformation projects, interim leadership, and urgent sourcing tasks. Fast, precise matching with vetted, available freelancers.
About the role
What they do
A Head of Purchasing sets the purchasing strategy and keeps supply secure. In freelance projects, this often means taking over an interim lead role, fixing weak supplier structures, or supporting a change in how procurement works.
- Define sourcing priorities and category plans
- Lead supplier negotiations and contract reviews
- Improve spend control, processes, and reporting
- Support team leadership during vacancies or restructuring
- Align purchasing with production, finance, and operations
Core skills
Strong professionals in this role combine commercial judgement with clear leadership. They understand how to balance price, risk, quality, delivery, and long-term supplier performance.
- Strategic sourcing and category management
- Supplier evaluation, negotiation, and escalation handling
- Contract management and stakeholder coordination
- Purchasing systems such as SAP MM or S/4HANA
- Clear communication with operations, finance, and legal
Typical projects
Companies bring in a freelance Head of Purchasing when they need speed and focus. Common cases include a vacancy in the purchasing lead, a plant ramp-up, a supplier crisis, or a cost reduction program that needs hands-on execution.
In Munich, this is especially relevant for industrial companies, automotive suppliers, machinery firms, medtech businesses, and fast-growing tech companies with complex indirect or direct spend. A freelancer can work on-site when leadership presence is needed, or remotely when the task is mainly process, analysis, or supplier work.
What good looks like
A strong Head of Purchasing does not only negotiate harder. They build structure, set priorities, and make decisions that hold up under pressure.
- Creates a stable supplier base without slowing delivery
- Spots weak points in cost, terms, or supply risk early
- Works well with management and line functions
- Delivers clear results, not vague recommendations
- Adapts quickly to the company, category, and system landscape
Adjacent titles
Searches for this role often also use Head of Procurement, Procurement Manager, Purchasing Director, or Purchasing Lead. In practice, the exact title depends on the company size and how much responsibility sits with sourcing, team leadership, and strategy.
For freelance assignments, the key question is not the title. It is whether the person can take ownership quickly and improve purchasing outcomes without long ramp-up time.
When to hire freelance
A freelance Head of Purchasing is a strong choice when the role is urgent, politically sensitive, or linked to a defined project. That includes reorganizations, ERP changes, supplier consolidation, and situations where internal teams need experienced backup fast.
For companies in Munich, language and presence can matter in supplier meetings and internal workshops. Many projects work well in a hybrid setup, with on-site time for key decisions and remote work for analysis, negotiation prep, and documentation.
Meet FRATCH Heads of Purchasing
Stefan Leirich
Director Procurement Europe
Last position:
Director Procurement Europe at Zarges Holding GmbH
- Headed the establishment of a procurement organisation in Europe, including Lead-Buyer and NPD Buyer roles for the region as well as e-procurement and procurement tools.
- Started global sourcing.
- Drove increase in savings by three times from 2019 to 2020, reduced suppliers by 10%, quality complaints by 15% and improved on-time delivery by 10%.
- Inspired a high-performance team of more than 60 purchasing managers, regional lead buyers, supervisors supplier quality, supplier quality engineers, commodity buyers, NPD buyers and planner buyers through regular training, coaching and mentoring.
- Administered a spending budget of $200M for more than 10 production plants and regional distribution centres in Europe.
- Reduced costs by 3% EBITDA increase through effective negotiation, standardisation, VEVA/design to cost, BCCS, SCM, benchmarking, MoB, buy and resale, market analysis, relocation, outsourcing, insourcing and consolidation activities.
- Supervised formulation and implementation of category strategies with a rolling forecast by category.
- Set up SSC in Hungary including NPD, commodity and supplier quality function.
Martina Wendt
Interim Manager Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement
Last position:
Independent Interim Manager – Procurement, Supply Chain, Production Planning, Logistics, Materials Management & Restructuring at Independent Consultant and Member of a Business Consulting Firm
- Project manager in national and international industrial companies in the mechanical engineering, automotive supplier, plant engineering, medical technology and energy sectors, with teams of up to 23 people
- Took responsibility for line and project management in procurement, materials management, production planning/control and supply chain
- Developed and implemented restructuring projects
- Analyzed, optimized and implemented efficient processes, organizational and reporting structures
- Provided professional and disciplinary leadership and development for staff in these areas
- Planned and managed cost, quality and delivery performance across the entire supply chain
- Redesigned and digitized modern procurement processes including SAP adjustments
Norbert Füle
Strategic Procurement Manager
Last position:
Senior Category Manager, Marketing & Sales Procurement at Carlsberg Group
- Managing global spend categories for Glassware, Umbrellas, and Print, ensuring strategic sourcing and cost optimization
- Developing and executing sourcing strategies, leading supplier selection, negotiation, contracting, and implementation of new suppliers and processes to enhance efficiency
- Streamlining procurement operations by consolidating local suppliers and leveraging spend toward preferred partners
- Led global procurement of marketing materials and services, overseeing strategy development, tendering, supplier selection, and contract negotiations across Europe and Asia
Tilman Röder
Purchasing Manager
Last position:
Purchasing Manager at Blickfeld GmbH
- Responsible for all sourcing activities for direct materials, indirect materials and production equipment at an in-house site and two international EMS
- Responsible for office management with 3 staff
- Very successful negotiations, especially for electronic components despite low purchasing volume and a volatile market
- Built a cleanroom independently (modular procurement)
Manfred Haas
Interim Manager Strategic Procurement
Last position:
Interim Manager Strategic Procurement at ASMPT GmbH & Co. KG
- Re-Sourcing of spheroidal graphite castings including processing in the Far East
- Re-sourcing of micro injection molded parts
- Implementation of RFQ standard processes
- Expansion of the existing supplier portfolio
Michael Albrecht
Head of Procurement for Formed Parts & Raw Materials
Last position:
Head of Procurement for Formed Parts & Raw Materials at MAN Truck & Bus
- Laser and bending, as well as press, stamping, drawn parts, and steel
- Purchasing volume of €420 million
Discover over 15,000 top freelancers
Heads of Purchasing statistics
Aggregated from the professional profiles of matched freelancers.
Experience
33 years
Position duration
6.3 years
Positions per freelancer
10
Top business areas
Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Project Management
Top industries
Manufacturing, Automotive, Energy
Certification focus areas
Business Intelligence, Information Technology, Quality Assurance
Bachelor's degree or higher
60%
Master's degree or higher
40%
Certifications per freelancer
3
Most common languages
German, English, French
Speak two or more languages
100%
Daily Rate Distribution
The chart shows how the daily rates of freelancers in this role are distributed, based on recent contracts on our platform. Each bar covers a rate range — its height shows how many freelancers charge within that range. Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Average rates for Heads of Purchasing & Seniority distribution
Rates are based on recent contracts and do not include FRATCH margin.
The average daily rate is the mean of all daily rates from recent contracts of comparable freelancers on our platform.
The median daily rate is the middle value of all daily rates — half of comparable freelancers charge less, half charge more. Unlike the average, it is barely affected by outliers.
Actual rates may vary depending on seniority level, experience, skill specialization, project complexity, and engagement length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have questions? Here you can find further information about FRATCH
A Head of Purchasing usually takes responsibility for purchasing strategy, supplier management, and critical negotiations. In freelance work, the scope often includes interim leadership, cost improvement, contract work, and support during restructuring or vacancy periods. The role should always be tied to clear business goals, not just day-to-day ordering.
A freelance Head of Purchasing makes sense when the need is urgent, temporary, or project-based. Common triggers are a vacant lead role, a sourcing reset, a supplier issue, or a systems change that needs experienced ownership. It is a good choice when you need impact fast and do not want a long hiring process.
A strong Head of Purchasing combines commercial thinking, negotiation strength, and solid leadership. They should understand supplier evaluation, contract structure, spend control, and how purchasing connects to operations and finance. Familiarity with SAP MM or S/4HANA is often useful in larger companies.
In many companies, the two titles overlap, but the focus can differ. Head of Purchasing often points more to execution, sourcing, and supplier control, while Head of Procurement may cover a broader strategic scope. What matters most is the actual mandate: team leadership, category ownership, or transformation work.
A Head of Purchasing can do a lot of analysis, preparation, and supplier follow-up remotely. On-site work is useful for team leadership, internal alignment, audits, and difficult supplier or management discussions. For companies in Munich, a hybrid setup is often the most practical option.
Expect a clear sourcing plan, supplier actions, negotiation outcomes, and a transparent view of risks and savings opportunities. A strong freelancer also leaves behind usable structures such as process improvements, reporting routines, and decision logs. The output should be concrete and easy for the next internal lead to pick up.
Look for proof of ownership in complex purchasing settings, not just general management experience. A good Head of Purchasing can explain how they handled supplier pressure, reduced complexity, or improved terms without harming delivery. Ask for examples that show judgment, stakeholder handling, and measurable business impact.
Freelancers should be ready to step into a live environment fast and work with incomplete information. In this role, they often join during pressure situations, so they need structure, calm communication, and the ability to make decisions with management. In Munich, working fluently with German-speaking teams and suppliers is often a real advantage.
The average hourly rate for Heads of Purchasing in Munich is 150 €, which corresponds to a daily rate of about 1,200 € based on an 8-hour working day.
Of the freelancers working as Heads of Purchasing in Munich, 60% hold at least a Bachelor's degree and 40% hold at least a Master's degree.
On average, freelancers working as Heads of Purchasing in Munich have 33 years of professional experience, with a single engagement typically lasting around 6.3 years.
The most common languages among freelancers working as Heads of Purchasing in Munich are German (100%), English (100%), and French (50%).
The most common industries among freelancers working as Heads of Purchasing in Munich are Manufacturing (100%), Automotive (83%), and Energy (33%).
The most common business areas among freelancers working as Heads of Purchasing in Munich are Procurement (100%), Supply Chain Management (100%), and Project Management (67%).
FRATCH Heads of Purchasing main locations
Our freelancers and interim experts are at home across the DACH region — available on-site in the major business hubs or fully remote. Choose a location to discover matched specialists, local market insights and up-to-date availability.
Berlin Hamburg 
Munich Cologne Frankfurt Stuttgart Dusseldorf Leipzig Dortmund Essen Bremen Dresden Hanover Nuremberg Request a Free Demo
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Philipp Thomaschewski
FRATCH CEO
