Rakon - Purchasing Manager

Position title: Purchasing Manager

Dual Reporting to: Global Procurement Manager

Supply Chain Manager Rakon India

Location: Bangalore India

Experience : 12-15 yrs

Dimensions:

- Monday to Friday 8.30am - 5pm

- Financial Authority/delegation: As per delegated authority

Purpose:

- The Purchasing Manager is responsible for leading the day-to-day procurement for a multi-plant operation, ensuring uninterrupted material supply to support production, customer demand, and business growth.

- The role is responsible for executing the global procurement strategy at a local level while driving effective and efficient performance across all areas of supplier delivery, material availability, inventory optimisation, and team development.

- The Purchasing Manager acts as the key interface between Procurement, Planning, Operations, Stores, Quality, Engineering, and local suppliers to ensure procurement activities support operational and strategic objectives.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Procurement Operations & Material Availability

- Lead the daily purchasing activities.

- Ensure timely purchasing of materials to support production requirements.

- Monitor material shortages, supplier commitments, and open purchase orders.

- Manage supplier confirmations, overdue purchase orders, and delivery escalations.

- Review and action SAP exceptions to optimise inventory.

- Ensure accurate execution of MRP purchasing activities within SAP.

- Drive proactive management of material risks and shortages.

2. Supplier Relationship Management

- Develop and maintain strong relationships with local and regional suppliers.

- Conduct regular supplier performance reviews.

- Monitor supplier delivery, responsiveness, and service levels.

- Drive corrective actions with suppliers where performance falls below expectations.

- Support implementation of supplier scorecards and improvement plans.

- Establish regular supplier review meetings to build positive relationships with our Suppliers.

3. Planning & Forecasting

- Collaborate with Planning to ensure procurement activities align with demand forecasts.

- Support the deployment of supplier forecast visibility.

- Review supplier capacity against forecast demand.

- Participate in safety stock reviews and inventory optimisation initiatives.

- Support implementation and maintenance of reorder levels and planning parameters.

- Escalate future supply constraints and capacity risks.

4. Supplier Performance & Continuous Improvement

- Monitor supplier KPIs and supplier scorecard performance.

- Identify and implement lead-time reduction opportunities.

- Drive supplier improvement initiatives to improve delivery and service levels.

- Support supplier development activities.

- Participate in supplier quality improvement reviews with Quality teams.

- Drive continuous improvement initiatives within procurement processes.

5. Cost Management

- Support cost-saving and cost-avoidance initiatives.

- Negotiate local pricing and commercial agreements within delegated authority.

- Monitor supplier pricing and market conditions.

Identify opportunities for:

- MOQ optimisation

- Logistics improvements

- Payment term improvements

- Inventory reduction

- Provide cost analysis and recommendations to the Global Procurement Manager.

6. Team Leadership & Development

- Lead and develop the India-based Procurement team.

- Allocate workload and category responsibilities.

- Provide coaching, mentoring, and training to team members.

- Establish objectives and performance measures for Procurement staff.

- Build capability within the team to transition from transactional purchasing to proactive procurement management.

- Conduct regular one-on-one meetings and performance reviews.

7. Cross Functional Collaboration
Work closely with:

- Planning

- Operations

- Quality

- Engineering

- Finance

- Stores

Establish clear escalation processes for:

- Material shortages

- Supplier performance issues

- Quality concerns

- Inventory issues

- Support NPI, EDG, and project procurement requirements.

8. Compliance & Governance

Ensure compliance with:

- Procurement procedures

- Delegated authority limits

- Supplier agreements

- Quality requirements

- Maintain procurement records and SAP master data integrity.

- Ensure adherence to company policies and ethical procurement practices.

9. Reporting

- Responsible for reporting and analysis relating to:

- Supplier delivery performance

- Material shortages

- Open purchase orders

- Overdue confirmations

- Supplier scorecards

- Procurement KPIs

- Inventory and safety stock reviews

- Procurement project status

- Cost-saving initiatives

Person Specification:

Skills and knowledge:

Essential:

- Procurement & Supply Chain

- Strong understanding of procurement, purchasing, and supply chain processes within a manufacturing

environment

- Experience in MRP-driven purchasing and inventory planning

- Supplier relationship management and performance improvement

- Knowledge of forecasting, replenishment planning, and inventory management

- Understanding of lead times, MOQ, SPQ, safety stocks, and reorder point methodologies

- Cost analysis and commercial negotiation skills

- Understanding of contract terms and supplier agreements

Supplier Management

- Ability to build and maintain effective supplier relationships

- Experience conducting supplier reviews and managing supplier performance

- Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills

- Ability to drive supplier corrective actions and continuous improvement initiatives

- Understanding of supplier scorecards and KPI management

Systems & Reporting

- SAP purchasing and materials management experience

- Strong analytical and reporting skills

- Advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities

- Ability to interpret procurement and inventory data to identify risks and opportunities

- Experience with ERP systems and procurement reporting tools

Leadership & People Management

- Proven leadership and team development skills

- Coaching and mentoring capability

- Ability to establish accountability and ownership within a team

- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills

- Ability to influence cross-functional teams

Operational Excellence

- Problem-solving and decision-making skills

- Continuous improvement mindset

- Ability to establish processes, controls, and escalation procedures

- Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities

- Results-oriented with a focus on delivery and execution

Desirable - MS Project programs.

Qualifications required - Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Finance or related field.

Key competencies:

Leadership

- Leads by example and promotes accountability

- Develops team capability through coaching and mentoring

- Creates a collaborative and high-performance team environment

Supplier Focus

- Builds strong supplier partnerships

- Maintains a proactive approach to supplier risk management

- Drives supplier performance and continuous improvement

Business & Commercial Acumen

- Understands total cost of ownership principles

- Balances supply continuity, inventory, and cost objectives

- Identifies opportunities for operational and commercial improvements

Cross Functional Collaboration

- Works effectively with Planning, Operations, Quality, Engineering, Stores, and Finance

- Builds strong internal relationships and resolves issues constructively

- Aligns procurement activities with business objectives

Continuous Improvement

- Challenges existing processes and identifies improvements

- Uses data and reporting to drive better decision-making

- Focuses on sustainable and scalable solutions

Work experience:

- 7-10 years experience in Procurement, Purchasing, Supply Chain, or Materials Management

- Minimum 3-5 years leading a procurement or purchasing team

- Manufacturing environment experience

- Supplier management and negotiation experience

- SAP or equivalent ERP experience

- Experience managing procurement teams and supplier performance