Head of Purchase

Experience :15 to 20 years

Location : Pune

Major Responsibilities / Tasks:

Strategic Leadership:

- Monitor market trends, supply chain risks, and commodity forecasts to guide procurement strategy and inform senior leadership.

- Collaborate with sales and engineering departments during bid/proposal phases to ensure procurement feasibility and competitive advantage.

- Develop strategic supplier partnerships that align with Valmont's business goals and long-term vision.

- Support budgeting and strategic planning processes with reliable data and procurement forecasts.

Departmental Management:

- Establish clear departmental KPIs and objectives that drive performance, efficiency, and service excellence.

- Lead and mentor the materials and procurement teams to improve systems, workflows, and supplier outcomes.

- Ensure strict adherence to company policies, ethics standards, and compliance procedures within all procurement activities.

Procurement & Sub-Contracting Oversight:

- Lead procurement for critical raw materials including coils, plates, structural sections, and fabricated components.

- Manage sub-contracted operations like slitting, cut-to-length, bending, powder coating, and other value-added services.

- Oversee procurement for indirect items such as maintenance spares, consumables, packaging materials, and utility services.

- Budget and execute Capex purchases within approved financial limits.

- Drive cost-effective negotiations with suppliers across A/B class and critical C items, while maintaining inventory at optimal levels.

Vendor & Process Development:

- Develop and refine supplier lists, identify alternate sourcing opportunities, and implement vendor performance tracking systems.

- Continuously review and optimize procurement processes to align with strategic objectives and cost-efficiency goals.

- Implement procurement action plans to boost delivery reliability, supply quality, and vendor accountability.

Material Planning:

- Initiate material planning early in the project lifecycle to minimize delivery lead times.

- Ensure materials are available as per production schedules and business plans.

Cost Optimization:

- Define measurable procurement metrics to track cost savings across the organization.

- Promote a culture of sustainable cost efficiency and operational value creation.

People Management:

- Conduct regular communication meetings with employees.

- Delegate tasks/ responsibilities & appropriate authority to staff to achieve effective & efficient utilization of all resources.

- Conduct fair/effective appraisal using PMS. Per HR policies, assess recommend & lead employee orientation, training & development as needed.

- Ensure conformance with current workplace policies, processes, procedures, and regulations.

Education : Degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business Administration, or Finance. Master's degree (MBA or equivalent) is highly preferred for strategic leadership roles.

- Professional certifications such as: CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) , ISM (Institute for Supply Management), Six Sigma, PMP, or Lean Management credentials

- Experience : 15-20 years of progressive experience in procurement

- Proven track record in: Strategic sourcing and vendor development, CapEx procurement and budgeting, Managing sub-contracting and fabrication processes, Experience in leading cross-functional teams and working with senior leadership.

- Knowledge : Strong knowledge of industrial components and structural fabrication practices.

- Familiarity with engineering drawings, BOMs, and ERP systems.

- Strong knowledge of industrial components and structural fabrication practices, vendor Development & evaluation Functional Skills : ERP tools ( QAD, SAP, Oracle,), procurement analytics, compliance systems, Communication, stakeholder management, decision-making, ethical leadership, Contract negotiation, supplier evaluation, cost optimization

- IT Skills : MS Office

- Abilities : Ability to track industry trends, commodity pricing, and supply chain risks, Skilled in aligning procurement plans with financial goals and long-term business strategy.

- To identify and develop long-term supplier partnerships that support business growth.

- To develop contingency plans to ensure continuity during disruptions