Urgent Search: Head of Procurement

Job Title: Head – Procurement (Air Pollution Control Business)

Location: Pune

Role Purpose:

To lead the procurement function for the Air Pollution Control (APC) business by developing and executing effective sourcing strategies, ensuring cost-effective and timely procurement of materials, equipment, and services required for project execution, with strong governance and compliance to procurement policies.

Experience & Qualifications:

- Education: B.E./B.Tech in Mechanical/Electrical/Production with MBA (preferred).
- Experience: 15–20 years in project procurement with at least 5–7 years in a leadership role, preferably in EPC, environmental solutions, or industrial equipment sector.
- Exposure to Air Pollution Control, waste heat recovery, or thermal projects is highly desirable.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Procurement & Planning:

- Develop and implement procurement strategies aligned with business objectives and project timelines.
- Drive bulk buying and project-based procurement for long lead items and engineered bought-outs.
- Establish rate contracts, manage e-auctioning platforms, and oversee price benchmarking for strategic categories.
- Analyze spend data and identify cost optimization opportunities using Power BI, ERP, and MS Excel.

Operational Procurement:

- Oversee day-to-day procurement of project materials including Fabrication & Critical bought-out items
- Ensure timely delivery of materials to meet project schedules across multiple sites and units.
- Manage bank guarantees, letters of credit (LCs), and ensure compliance with financial risk mitigation tools.

Vendor & Contract Management:

- Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers and key stakeholders (CXO Level).
- Develop a reliable vendor base; evaluate and onboard new vendors with technical and commercial screening.
- Negotiate contracts with suppliers and contractors; ensure contract closure, vendor evaluation, and continuous performance monitoring.
- Resolve vendor claims, legal disputes, and initiate legal actions when necessary in coordination with legal and finance teams.
- Govern all procurement contracts with adherence to credit/debit policies, procurement policies, and contractual SLAs.

Systems & Tools:

- Lead adoption and improvement of procurement processes on ERP, PLM, DPT and data analytics through Power BI dashboards.
- Ensure procurement records, approvals, and documentation are accurate and audit-ready.

Skills & Competencies:

Functional & Technical Skills:

- Strong knowledge of project procurement, rate contracting, and e-auctions.
- Familiarity with technical specifications of EPC/APC projects and bought-out items.
- Proficiency in ERP systems (e.g., SAP/Oracle), MS Excel (advanced), Power BI, and PLM platforms.
- Knowledge of commercial terms, INCO terms, BG/LCs, and import/export documentation.

Leadership & Managerial Competencies:

- Ability to lead a cross-functional team and manage diverse procurement categories.
- Strong negotiation and persuasion skills for high-value/volume sourcing.
- Drive team performance management, KPI tracking, and people development through structured training and mentoring.
- Risk identification, mitigation planning, and strategic decision-making.

Risk Management & Compliance

- Ensure all procurement activities comply with company policies, ethical standards, and legal requirements.
- Identify risks in the supply chain and develop mitigation strategies.
- Manage contracts, licenses, and documentation related to procurement.

Behavioral Skills:

- High integrity, ethical conduct, and accountability.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management across engineering, project management, finance, and legal functions.
- Agility, problem-solving mindset, and focus on continuous improvement.
- Conflict resolution and team collaboration under pressure situations.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

- On-time material availability for projects
- Procurement cost savings vs. budget
- Rate contract/E-auctioning coverage
- Vendor performance index (OTIF, quality, responsiveness)
- Contract closure and claim resolution time
- Internal and external audit compliance
- Team engagement and capability development