Purchasing Category Manager- Mechanical

About Stark

Stark builds the world's most powerful electric motorcycles. From the VARG MX to the road‐legal VARG EX & SM, our bikes have won world championships and are engineered to outperform any combustion engine motorcycle.

We're based in Sant Boi, Barcelona, growing fast (77% year‐on‐year), and building a team that will take us even further. If you want to work on a product people are genuinely obsessed with, this is it.

Stark will become the global market leader in premium motorcycles. Building premium motorcycles requires innovation and we need your help to make us succeed in building the backend for our AI systems.

Our mission is to lead the way towards a sustainable motorcycle industry, by reducing plastic and CO2 pollution.

This will be achieved by building sustainable products that are superior to traditional technology in terms of performance, emotion and design.

The Role

We are seeking a motivated Purchasing Category Manager to lead our mechanical purchasing team. This role is dedicated to sourcing high‐performance mechanical parts, specialized vehicle components, and technical assemblies essential to our product excellence. The Category Manager will build robust relationships with global mechanical suppliers to ensure we hit aggressive cost, quality, and delivery targets. We operate in a fast‐moving, dynamic environment where flexibility and a "self‐starter" mentality are vital for success.

This role reports directly to the Purchasing Director. You will work cross‐functionally with Engineering, Quality, and Supply Chain teams to provide optimal supply assurance and technical performance.

What You'll Do

• Strategic Sourcing: Identify and select world‐class manufacturers for mechanical components and subassemblies.
• Build relationships with manufacturers and strategic partners, to convince and motivate them to prioritise Stark.
• Ensure NDA and Master Purchase Agreement are in place before business is initiated.
• Owner of RFI's, RFP's and RFQ's – ensuring all commercial terms are agreed and documented.
• Identify potential suppliers, analyse supplier capabilities, select suppliers, and determine prices, terms, and conditions of agreements.
• Find suppliers that can integrate new technologies into our industry in order to increase performance, reduce costs or improve sustainability.
• Drive price negotiations to ensure Stark pricing is best in class.
• Drive continual cost reduction activities.
• Reduce delivery time for critical parts, components, and subassemblies.
• Minimise stock value, but never be out of stock.
• Identify supplier consolidation opportunities that will generate savings.
• Manage supplier relationships and performance, including dispute resolution.
• Monitor current category market conditions, technology roadmaps and identify supply/demand challenges and opportunities.
• Create competitive environments with suppliers to support a negotiation strategy.
• Lead the vendor selection process with engineering teams.
• Work closely and collaboratively with Stark Future and other departments such as Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Production Engineering and Production.
• Work with our Lean Manufacturing Philosophy.
• Collaborate in the management of the supply chain at all times (presenting the Just‐in‐time philosophy).
• Be a leader figure within the company; we believe in leading by example.
• Challenge areas within the company you believe could be improved, including all areas of the company.
• Suggest and execute new strategies to improve Stark products.
• Travel when needed, attend and lead important racing events.
• Consider ROI with all projects – we do not always require written documentation, but ROI consideration must be part of the process.

What You Will Bring To Stark

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in senior sourcing, specifically within the automotive or high‐performance machinery sectors.
• Extensive knowledge of the global mechanical supplier landscape (Tier 1 & Tier 2) for precision components and assemblies.
• Passionate about sustainability and a will to change the world for the better.
• Results‐oriented, highly analytical and organized. Used to using data to drive decision‐making.
• Excellent communication and influenci