Direct Procurement Officer

Job description

**Role & responsibilities** 1. Strategic Sourcing & Cost Optimization Formulate and execute category management strategies for direct raw materials, building blocks, and specialty chemicals. Implement structured cost-reduction initiatives using Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), shoulder-to-shoulder costing, and shoulder-price models. Monitor global/domestic market indices (crude oil derivatives, metals, feedstocks) to negotiate competitive contracts and volume discounts. 2. R&D, Scale-Up & Commissioning Support Work closely with R&D and Technology Transfer teams to source lab-scale and trial quantities of novel chemical raw materials. Facilitate raw material sourcing for Pilot Scale-Up and establish flexible commercial supply routes prior to commercial production. Coordinate material procurement for Pre-Commissioning (flushing media, solvents, initial catalyst fill, commissioning aids) and Post-Commissioning ramping of multipurpose plants. 3. Supplier Management & Vendor Development Identify, audit, and onboard new domestic and international suppliers to de-risk single-source dependencies. Build strong supplier relationships (SRM) and lead regular Supplier Performance Evaluations covering Quality, Delivery (OTIF), and Safety/Compliance (EHS). Conduct audits with QA/EHS to ensure vendor compliance with REACH, ISO, and chemical safety standards. 4. Supply Chain Risk Mitigation & Inbound Logistics Map supply chain vulnerabilities (geopolitical risks, supply bottlenecks, long lead times) and create dual-sourcing strategies. Oversee inbound logistics (ISO tanks, drums, bulk tankers, import/export custom clearances) to minimize detention, demurrage, and lead times. Partner with logistics teams to ensure hazardous/non-hazardous chemical transport meets safety and regulatory guidelines. 5. Inventory Management & Process Excellence Maintain optimum safety stocks for key direct raw materials, balancing working capital targets with production continuity (Min-Max/VMI systems). Partner with Plant Operations to reduce slow-moving/obsolete inventory (SLOB) and minimize material wastage during plant cleanouts/turnarounds. Drive process excellence initiatives (Kaizen, Six Sigma, Lean) to streamline P2P (Procure-to-Pay) workflows. 6. Analytics, MIS & Data-Driven Decision Making Develop and maintain automated Procurement Dashboards (Power BI/Tableau/Excel) to track KPI metrics: Purchase Price Variance (PPV), Cost Savings, OTIF delivery, and Vendor Ratings. Utilize SAP for PO management, material master data maintenance, and spend analysis. Deliver regular market intelligence reports and commodity price updates to leadership to guide procurement timing. **Preferred candidate profile** Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management R&D & Process Engineering: Align early on raw material specifications, substitute identification, and lab sample availability. Plant Operations & Projects: Ensure seamless supply during multipurpose plant changeovers, pre-commissioning phases, and batch campaign runs. Quality Assurance / Quality Control (QA/QC): Resolve vendor quality notifications (non-conformance reports) and speed up raw material clearance/COA verification. Finance: Track PPV, align on payment terms, manage working capital objectives, and audit invoice reconciliations. Mandatory Background: Demonstrated experience sourcing materials for R&D, Pilot Projects, and Multipurpose Plant environments (pre- and post-commissioning). High emotional intelligence with proactive, transparent communication habits. Strong negotiation, interpersonal, and stakeholder alignment skills. Problem-solving mindset with a strong orientation toward data analytics.