Head of Procurement

Company: Terviva India Private Limited

Job Title: Head of Procurement

Reports to: Chief Operating Officer

Annual CTC: INR 50L to 70L

Base Location: Ranchi, Jharkhand

About us:  

Founded in 2010, Terviva is a food and ag innovation company partnering with communities and farmers to harvest and grow Pongamia, also known as Karanja. Pongamia is a climate-resilient tree which produces abundant, protein- and oil-rich legumes. It sequesters carbon, improves soil health and water quality while growing on land where other crops can’t grow. This helps to avoid deforestation and revitalize agricultural lands and communities around the world.

Terviva has a complex and exciting product portfolio that includes biofuel feedstocks, high-quality edible oils and proteins and bioactives. Our equitable practices ensure a positive impact across the supply chain, while our ability to integrate into existing infrastructure accelerates the transition to more sustainable crops. We are actively selling both the oil and the meal from the beans of the Pongamia tree.

For more information, please see www.Terviva.com

OVERALL JOB PURPOSE

To devise and execute on the India procurement strategy for sourcing of Pongamia/Karanja beans as per the budgeted price, volumes, quality and timelines. The person will be responsible for program creation and field scale interventions with internal and external stakeholders in the domain of estimating & increasing availability, procurement & negotiations strategy, pre-crush processing of Pongamia beans in India. 

The primary focus areas of this position is:

• To manage and execute on the budgeted forecasts for Costs, Volumes & Timelines as per the Terviva’s agreed standards on traceability, quality and  sustainability. 
• To assess and provide actionable insights of the ground fundamentals and to roll out interventions as per the insights
• To efficiently manage the Supply Chain Risks 
• To continuously strengthen the Origination Structure and capacities of the stakeholders( Community resource persons, farmers, self-help groups and  collection centers). 
• To ensure compliance on local regulations and also enhance the company's reputation, while strengthening the link between TerViva and the bean gatherers/ suppliers/ partners in all the potential procurement zones of India.

Requirements

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

 Procurement 

• Manage the procurement of Pongamia beans, pods & other value added products.
• Identification of potential bean clusters in different states with the historical volume statistics.
• Planning, coordination & leading the field teams & partners for pre-harvest position of Pongamia beans through visits and updates from potential bean gatherers & suppliers.
• Work closely with the government departments like forest, tribal welfare and agriculture to facilitate the procurement and logistics planning of the produce.
• Develop & manage the regional procurement team, during and after the procurement season.
• Collaborate with the Impact, Quality, Supply-chain & Tree team to increase the total harvest, procurement market share with right quality, sustainability, traceability & food-safety standards, 
• Manage and execute forecasts for feedstock procurement for each season based on the company's annual demand forecast, to ensure supply security and timelines.
• Monitor contracts/ purchase orders against requirements by product, quality, blend, by month, by Supplier Group, resolving any issues that arise.
• Developing rapport with the bean supply agencies and bean processing industries for achieving desired goals on a long term basis.
• Be commercially minded when negotiating quality differentials and price in order to obtain the best deal for TerViva and suppliers.
• Support TerViva’s price risk strategy by providing timely and important market information.
• To ensure all procurement volumes and trades are captured 
• Proactively manage feedstock to ensure efficient stock levels at any time depending on latest supply and demand. 

Partnership with Bean Gatherers/Suppliers/ Partners

• Lead and organise pre-season Pongamia market survey and business updates for all gatherer/ supplier/ partner groups prior to season’s harvest 
• Demonstrate an understanding of the challenges faced by the pod gatherers, gather systematic supplier feedback, and represent their interests 
• Meeting with bean gatherers/suppliers/ Partners regularly in their locations and ensure high quality information flows between their organisations and TerViva
• Constantly assess harvests, demand in origin from other markets, and local knowledge, including significant environmental, political and economic factors which may impact the planning process

Technical Support

• Deeploy quality enhancement programs for bean gatherers/suppliers/ partners in order to achieve consistent quality, reliability in supply (continuity), in the context of forest/ environmental sensitivities 
• Leverage the TKS network to ensure adequate harvesting in collaboration with the Impact team
• Undertake mobilization training session with the bean gatherers and support staff and be responsible for implementation procurement policies on traceability, sustainability, etc.
• Seek requisite technical inputs and understanding from technical specialists (Technology & Tree R&D) of TerViva Inc. to promote best practices for procurement, handling and processing of beans in India.

Creating Positive Environmental Impact 

• Drawing experience at origin and at point of feedstock procurement, encourage environment friendly and efficient methods of procurement of Pongamia pods/beans.
• Work with villagers to encourage environmentally sustainable production, support suppliers to strengthen the positive impact they have on the environment, and to use these actions to bolster their livelihoods.

Other responsibilities

• Perform any other task assigned by the line manager as per company’s requirement.

PERSON SPECIFICATION 

Skills and Knowledge 

• Min 15 years of HOD/ Senior Manager/GM experience (post full-time MBA) 
• At Least 100 cr plus procurement experience of niche products 
• MBA from a premier Business School
• Deep understanding of Procurement of Forest produce which includes farmer / collector level interventions. 
• Experience of working in a large project and as part of a diverse team is desirable.
• Experience in supporting and handholding farmers in adopting and adapting to best practices and new products.
• Familiarity with all the agro-climatic conditions of India.
• Strong facilitation/ training and communication skills
• Willingness to learn from and replicate best practices from elsewhere.
• Strong commercial orientation & understanding of edible & non-edible oil sector. 
• Price Risk Management 
• Experience working with Smallholder producers, suppliers, and wholesalers, at origin
• Project management skills  

Personal Qualities 

• Passion for Sustainability, Social Upliftment, Agriculture, Forestry.
• Understanding of tribal/rural development and gender dimensions within climate smart agriculture and MFP procurement domains.
• Ability to work in a team and build capacity and connect to community stakeholders.
• Commercially Minded – keen to grow business (purchase, market share, profits) 
• Ability to deliver innovative, creative solutions
• Communicates with impact, Strong leadership presence and influence
• Compassionate and respectful of all people
• Comfortable operating in a changing world, without clear structures, policies, and procedures 
• Challenging - of business/partners to secure what we need to deliver 
• Dynamic – relentless in pursuit of KPI delivery, acting with pace and urgency
• High level of integrity and honesty.
• Adaptable and flexible
• Results-focused – Proactive-Takes the initiative
• Quick witted to understand organizational dynamics and psychological factors influencing decision making

Working at Terviva offers you:

• The opportunity to make an impact in a fast-growing mission-driven late stage start-up that believes in sustainability, equity and care for our environment and our communities.

• Competitive salary and benefits commensurate with experience.
• Potential to earn annual bonus, stock options, commensurate with role and experience.

• Medical and life insurance benefits.

Next Steps:

To apply, please respond to the company position below by submitting an enclosed Job Application Form.

Please include your resume and a cover letter telling us about yourself, your experience and why you are well suited for this job with Terviva. 

Terviva is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based on race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status and sexual orientation or other applicable legally protected characteristics. Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy and all employment decisions are made on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need.