Procurement Associate

Job Description

The procurement associate will play a vital role in the IIHS supply chain and procurement ecosystem, with specific focus on procurement for academic needs. This position is responsible for the end-to-end processing of procurement requests while also serving as a key expeditor, ensuring the timely delivery of goods and services in line with academic and institutional timelines. The role will require active liaison with the IIHS University and its Academic Office to ensure high-quality services. The Associate will need to demonstrate a high degree of attention to detail, process orientation, and proactive follow-up with both vendors and internal stakeholders.

This will be a contractual position for a term of 11 months.

Activities and Tasks

Responsibilities would include, but not be limited to, the following:

• Academic Procurement Operations:

• Reviewing purchase requisitions in the ERP system (Microsoft D365), validating specifications, and initiating procurement;

• Obtaining competitive quotations, preparing bid comparisons, and issuing accurate purchase orders in line with IIHS procurement policies;

• Maintaining a proactive procurement cycle by ensuring that goods and services are acquired in a timely, cost-effective, and efficient manner;

• Expediting Delivery Coordination:

• Being the primary expeditor for all academic procurement requests;

• Tracking and managing purchase orders post-issuance, to ensure timely and efficient delivery of goods and services;
• Liaising regularly with vendors, internal departments, and other stakeholders to pre-empt and resolve delivery delays or other issues in procurement schedules;

• Maintaining detailed expediting logs, tracking all issues related to the timeliness of deliveries, and providing periodic status updates to stakeholders;

• Vendor Management:

• Maintaining and updating the IIHS-approved vendor database;

• Assisting the vendor evaluation processes and building long-term, mutually beneficial vendor relationships;

• Monitoring and ensuring vendor compliance with contractual terms, quality, and delivery standards;

• Documentation and Compliance:

• Ensuring that all procurement related documentation, including quotations, approvals, agreements, and vendor communications, are maintained accurately and are easily accessible;

• Ensuring strict adherence to IIHS procurement policies, audit standards, and statutory requirements, and maintaining a high level of compliance in all procurement activities;

• Reporting and Analysis:

• Preparing regular procurement reports, including:

• Weekly and fortnightly requisition and delivery status reports;

• Open Purchase Orders report;

• Procurement spends analysis and budget variance report;

• Providing insights and recommendations for improvements to procurement practices and cost-control measures;

• Cost Control and Optimisation:

• Assisting in the preparation of procurement planning and expenditure forecasting;

• Recommending cost-saving and efficiency measures while maintaining product/ service quality;
• Analysing procurement data to identify cost-saving opportunities and optimise procurement processes.

Structure and Reporting

The procurement associate will report to the Senior Manager Administration at IIHS and will be required to collaborate effectively with a diverse group of internal teams and external individuals/ organisations.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate should have:

• A Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline;
• 2-3 years of relevant experience in procurement and supply chain roles, preferably in academic institutions;
• A professional certification or training in supply chain, procurement, or logistics would be desirable;
• Working knowledge of contract management and logistics;
• Hands-on experience with ERP system (Microsoft D365 preferred);
• Advanced proficiency in MS Excel and other Microsoft Office tools;
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills;

Personal Attributes:

• A high sense of ownership, follow-through, and accountability in all aspects of procurement and expediting functions;
• The ability to multitask effectively and work under pressure to meet deadlines;
• An ethical, process-oriented, and detail-driven mind with an emphasis on continuous improvement;
• Strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate and work effectively within a team environment;
• Proactive problem solving skills to resolve issues related to delivery, quality, or procurement procedures in an effective and timely manner.

This is a contractual 11-month engagement. This offer is on an exclusive basis, which implies that other professional assignments (whether compensated or not) that bear a potential conflict of interest with IIHS cannot be undertaken.

The search will remain open until the position is filled.

Location

This position is based in Bengaluru and may entail travel to other locations in India.

Review and Assessment

The role and performance of the incumbent shall be subject to normal review and assessment systems at IIHS.

Diversity Policy

IIHS is an equal opportunity employer that encourages women, people with disabilities and those from economically and socially excluded communities with the requisite skills and qualifications to apply for positions.

Contact

Please write to us at if you need any clarifications while filling the online application form.