BE GREAT TOGETHER WITH US.

Innovation, Efficiency and Ambition: this is what VAT has stood for over 50 years. 

With this passion, VAT has grown to become the leading international developer, manufacturer and supplier of high-performance high-end vacuum valves and vacuum sealing technology, employing over 2000 people worldwide.  The headquarters are located in Haag (Switzerland), the production centers in Switzerland, Malaysia, Romania and Taiwan.

The Category Manager – Machining Capacity Development is a strategic role responsible for driving external machining capacity expansion, supplier development, and long-term supply ecosystem readiness to support the company’s accelerated growth plans.

This role will lead the sourcing, qualification, industrialization, and ramp-up of new machining suppliers while coordinating closely with Category Managers, Supply Chain, Product Engineering, Supplier Quality, and Business Units to ensure sustainable and scalable machining capacity growth.

The incumbent is expected to develop and execute strategic capacity investment programs with suppliers, strengthen supply chain resilience, and optimize the machining supplier landscape to support future business demand, operational continuity, and competitive advantage.

Your responsibilities will include, but not limited to:

Strategic Supplier Sourcing & Development

• Lead end-to-end sourcing, qualification, and development of a minimum of four (4) new machining suppliers to support long-term business growth and capacity expansion plans. 
• Identify, assess, and develop high-performing machining suppliers with strong technical capability, scalability, operational maturity, and financial sustainability. 
• Drive supplier industrialization activities including process readiness, manufacturing capability assessment, equipment investment alignment, and operational ramp-up. 
• Establish a sustainable and competitive machining supply base aligned with quality, delivery, cost, technology, and geographic sourcing objectives. 

Machining Capacity Expansion & Ramp Readiness

• Develop and execute machining capacity growth strategies to support aggressive business ramp requirements and future demand projections. 
• Lead supplier capacity planning and expansion programs with focus on CNC machining capability, utilization optimization, lead-time reduction, cost competitiveness and operational scalability. 
• Drive sourcing and deployment readiness for more than 150 CNC machines and over 900,000 machining hours across the supply ecosystem in next 2 years.
• Coordinate supplier investment plans, machine loading strategy, and ramp execution to ensure seamless business continuity and supply assurance. 
• Monitor capacity risks, bottlenecks, and recovery plans proactively to support uninterrupted operations. 

Supply Base Optimization & Supplier Rationalization

• Drive strategic supplier footprint optimization including supplier consolidation, dual sourcing, localization, and Best Cost Country sourcing initiatives. 
• Partner with Global and Regional Category Managers to rationalize machining suppliers while balancing risk diversification, cost competitiveness, and operational flexibility. 
• Evaluate incumbent supplier performance and identify opportunities for capability enhancement, expansion, or restructuring. 
• Lead supplier benchmarking and market intelligence activities to identify industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive sourcing opportunities. 

Cross-Functional Leadership & Program Coordination

• Coordinate among Machining Category Managers to provide holistic oversight of machining capacity growth and investment alignment. 
• Collaborate closely with Operations, Product Engineering, Supplier Quality, Industrial Engineering, and Business Units to align sourcing and ramp strategies. 
• Lead cross-functional capacity review discussions and executive reporting on supplier readiness, investment status, ramp progress, and supply risks. 
• Provide executive-level visibility on supplier readiness, qualification progress, regional capacity outlook, and risk mitigation plans. 
• Drive effective governance and execution discipline across multiple supplier development and ramp-up projects simultaneously. 

Supplier Performance & Continuous Improvement

• Drive supplier performance improvements in Quality, Delivery, Cost, Capacity, and Responsiveness. 
• Establish sustainable supplier development roadmaps and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen operational excellence. 
• Support implementation of strategic supply chain initiatives such as inventory optimization, stocking strategy, lead-time reduction, and manufacturing process improvements. 
• Ensure compliance with company sourcing policies, quality standards, RBA-ESG requirements, and regulatory expectations. 

Strategic Contribution

• Provide forward-looking guidance on machining market trends, supplier landscape, technology evolution, and supply chain risks. 
• Contribute actively to the overall Category Management strategy and long-term manufacturing supply ecosystem development. 
• Support strategic business growth initiatives through proactive supplier readiness and scalable manufacturing capability planning. 
• Foster a high-performance culture built on collaboration, accountability, agility, and continuous improvement. 

Minimum Qualification     

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline. 
• Minimum 15 years of experience in strategic sourcing, supplier development, category management, or manufacturing operations within a global organization. 
• Proven experience in machining supplier management, CNC manufacturing, capacity planning, and supplier industrialization. 
• Strong understanding of machining processes, manufacturing operations, and supply chain ecosystem management. 
• Demonstrated experience managing supplier ramp-up, investment programs, and large-scale manufacturing capacity expansion. 
• Strong project management and stakeholder management capabilities with ability to drive alignment across cross-functional teams. 
• Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and presentation skills. 
• Results-driven with strong ownership mindset and ability to manage multiple complex projects under demanding timelines. 
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken.

Preferred Qualification    

• Experience in high precision machining and semiconductor manufacturing supply chain environment. 
• Exposure to Asia sourcing, Best Cost Country sourcing, and supplier localization strategies. 
• Experience managing large-scale CNC capacity expansion and machining ecosystem development. 
• Familiarity with supplier investment models, capital planning, and manufacturing scalability assessment. 
• Experience in supplier consolidation, dual sourcing, and supply base optimization programs. 
• Knowledge of lean manufacturing, operational excellence, and continuous improvement methodologies. 
• Experience working within matrix global organizations and multicultural environments. 
• Additional language capability in Chinese or German would be an added advantage.

VAT is an equal opportunity employer. We see ourselves as a responsible and far-sighted employer that offers not only jobs, but also career and personal development opportunities through various training programs. We recognize the value of employee diversity and provide equal employment opportunity for all qualified application that contributes to innovation, improves customer orientation and employee satisfaction. One-step in this direction is to ensure that people are recognized and fairly compensated for their contributions to the company. In 2021, VAT received the Fair-ON-Pay+ certificate as an acknowledgement for our commitment in ensuring equal pay for equal work between men and women.