Management Assistant – Director R&D & Vice President Manufacturing, R&D and Technology

About the role

As Management Assistant, you will be part of the Research & Development department based in Maastricht, reporting directly to the Director Research & Development and the Vice President Manufacturing, R&D and Technology. You will work in a fast-paced, international and multidisciplinary environment with a broad range of responsibilities.

Your role combines management support with operational coordination. You will assist both leaders in managing their busy schedules, ensuring important priorities and follow-up actions are completed on time, arranging domestic and international business travel, and coordinating the purchasing process for the R&D departments in both Maastricht and Gratkorn.

Strong communication skills are essential to stay informed about ongoing activities and to anticipate what is needed, by whom, and when. Beyond being highly organized and administratively strong, you act as a trusted partner to both managers. You will be given significant responsibility, enabling them to focus on leading their teams while relying on you to keep planning, communication and follow-up running smoothly. Whether it's ensuring an important email request doesn't get overlooked, reminding stakeholders of an upcoming budget reporting deadline, or proactively researching travel options for an upcoming business trip, you are always one step ahead.

For the R&D organization, you are the central point of contact for laboratory purchasing, testing activities and technical collaborations with external suppliers. You streamline information flows, coordinate the purchasing process, and oversee the administrative and financial handling of orders. Colleagues also rely on you for a wide variety of practical matters, and you enjoy making sure everything runs efficiently.

This is a varied role with responsibilities across several focus areas, each equally important to the continuity and success of the departments you support.

Key responsibilities

Management support to the Director R&D and Vice President Manufacturing, R&D and Technology

• Manage complex calendars and email correspondence, including prioritising requests and proofreading communications where required.
• Organise domestic and international business travel, including flights, accommodation and expense administration.
• Coordinate meetings and events, including the Manufacturing Platform meetings for all Mill Directors and the R&D Director, as well as planning key events attended by the Vice President Manufacturing, R&D and Technology (such as official Safety Days), working closely with other Management Assistants and the Corporate Communications team.
• Support the preparation of presentations, from creating professional PowerPoint slide decks to collecting input from stakeholders across the business.
• Assist the Director R&D with budget administration, including extracting information from SAP and supporting cost analysis and reporting.

Administrative and operational support for the R&D department

• Ensure relevant information is communicated accurately and in a timely manner, both within and outside the R&D organisation.
• Create purchase requisitions in SAP for the R&D departments in Maastricht and Gratkorn.
• Process goods receipts, approve and process invoices, monitor purchase order status and generate SAP reports to help ensure timely invoicing and follow-up by the responsible team members.
• Coordinate a variety of practical and administrative activities, including:
• Creating shipping labels for R&D Gratkorn.
• Handling incoming and outgoing mail.
• Creating SAP cost allocation codes.
• Arranging facilities for new employees, including office space, telephone and IT requirements.
• Ordering office and laboratory supplies, such as stationery and printer paper.
• Preparing confidentiality agreements using templates provided by the Legal team, arranging signatures and maintaining document records.
• Managing the R&D pool vehicle, including reservations, maintenance and tyre changes.
• Receiving and distributing mail and parcels.
• Reporting and following up on building maintenance issues.
• Providing general administrative support as required.
• Collaborate with a wide range of internal stakeholders, including Procurement, Legal, Human Resources, Finance, external suppliers and other departments.

What you bring

Required qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree (HBO level) or equivalent.
• Excellent command of both Dutch and English, spoken and written.
• At least three years of experience in a similar role, or in a position requiring a comparable skill set.
• Ability to handle highly confidential information with discretion.
• Strong organisational skills and excellent attention to detail.
• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset with the confidence to solve problems independently.
• Ability to work effectively in a dynamic environment requiring flexibility and resilience.
• Excellent planning and coordination skills, from managing daily priorities to organising larger meetings and events.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel.

Nice to have

• Experience working with SAP.
• Knowledge of the German language.

• Experience organising larger meetings, events or conferences.

What We Offer

• Great colleagues!
• An excellent opportunity to work, learn, and grow with us. Our strong learning culture gives you access to thousands of online training courses.
• A multicultural and international working environment where you can collaborate and share knowledge with colleagues from more than 68 nationalities across 31 locations worldwide.
• A unique opportunity to join a global leader in woodfibre solutions. We continuously innovate towards a circular economy, work to achieve our sustainability goals, and strive to reduce our environmental footprint.

Your Benefits

• An interesting and dynamic role for 40 hours per week.
• A gross annual salary, FG 10 in accordance with the Sappi Collective Labour Agreement (cao), between € 51.800 and € 67.690.
• An excellent benefits package, including a highly attractive pension scheme and year-end bonus.
• A healthy work-life balance.

We are an equal opportunity employer and consider all qualified applicants for employment regardless of race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, pregnancy, neurodiversity, disability, or any other characteristic that makes them unique.

Ready to be part of our innovative journey? Apply now and join us in shaping the future of sustainable innovation at Sappi.