Procurement Associate Trainee

We are looking for trainees for our European Supply Chain Center of Excellence in Barcelona, we would like to invite you to participate in our selection process for the Procurement Team.

As a Procurement Associate Trainee, you will step into a dynamic, hands-on learning experience that blends strategic sourcing, operational excellence, and cross-functional collaboration. You will support sourcing projects from analysis to implementation, engage directly with vendors, and learn how procurement drives value across the business.

Why Join Us – What’s in It for You

• Active participation in real sourcing projects from Day 1.

• Build leadership visibility through regular project presentation sessions.

• Close mentorship and continuous feedback from experienced managers.

• Training certifications on SAP, procurement tools, and supplier relationship techniques.

• A supportive environment where your ideas matter and your growth is our priority.

What you will do:

1. Support Strategic Sourcing Projects

• Work on real sourcing initiatives from start to finish.

• Analyze spend and market data to identify opportunities and support decision-making.

• Align with internal stakeholders to validate needs and ensure project success.

• Participate in project implementation and follow-through to capture results.

• Manage one or more projects depending on scope, timelines, and complexity.

2. Operational & Administrative Activities

• Execute daily procurement activities such as price checks, blocked invoice resolution, and validating supplier quotations.

• Request and compare new supplier prices to current spend.

• Build portfolio knowledge to progressively take on more strategic tasks.

• Interact directly with suppliers to request quotes, clarify details, and support negotiation preparation.

• Strengthen your communication and stakeholder management capabilities.

What You’ll Learn

You will receive structured guidance, feedback, and hands-on experience in:

• Strategic sourcing methodologies

• Supplier engagement and negotiation techniques

• SAP and other procurement digital tools

• Spend data analysis (Excel, reporting tools)

• Procurement best practices, processes, and governance

• Navigating multicultural and cross-functional environments

You are the ideal candidate for this role, if you:

• Are currently studying / just finished studies on industrial engineering, master’s degree in Procurement or Supply Chain related studies.

• Have a strong command of English language (spoken & written)

• Use Microsoft Office, especially Excel confidently (complex formulas, pivoting, etc.), Access knowledge is a strong plus

• Have a strong sense of responsibility, customer-oriented mindset, and you have no problems to meet strict deadlines

• Have the ambition to “walk that extra mile”, and open for intellectual challenges

• Being familiar with ERP systems (SAP), macros (VBA), data visualization tools (PowerBI)

• Team spirit and great collaboration skills.

• Strong analytical and influencing skills.

• Ability to work in complex and international environments.

• Are willing to work with us from 6 to 12 months.

• This position is to start in May/June 2026 based in Barcelona

What Ecolab offers to you in this role:

• Competitive trainee salary.

• Flexible, pre-agreed work-time, respecting your other duties at the university.

• You will have opportunity to be in contact with various roles within the Supply Chain, have end to end visibility on main value streams.

• You will develop your analytical and problem-solving skills and get to know different ERP systems.

• Opportunities for development and career growth within the team

#li-eu