Vice President - Procurement/Purchase/Production Planning

Position : Vice President - Procurement, Purchase, Production Planning

Department : Materials

Reports To : Chairman & Managing Director

Location : Corporate Office - Chennai

Job Purpose :

The Vice President - Procurement, Purchase, Production Planning & Fabrication is responsible for providing strategic leadership and operational excellence across the organization's sourcing, procurement, production planning, fabrication, and material management functions. The role is accountable for ensuring uninterrupted material availability, optimizing manufacturing capacity, improving fabrication productivity, reducing costs, strengthening supplier partnerships, and delivering operational excellence while supporting the organization's growth strategy. The incumbent will possess deep expertise in heavy fabrication processes, welding technologies, structural steel manufacturing, and fabrication shop management, enabling effective alignment of procurement strategies with manufacturing and business objectives.

Key Responsibilities :

Strategic Leadership :

- Develop and execute long-term strategies for procurement, production planning, and fabrication aligned with corporate objectives.

- Lead end-to-end supply chain transformation to enhance operational efficiency, cost competitiveness, and customer responsiveness and to improve productivity, profitability, operational efficiency, and supply chain resilience.

- Build a high-performance culture focused on safety, quality, cost, delivery, and continuous improvement.

- Drive digital transformation through ERP systems, planning tools, automation, and Industry 4.0 initiatives.

Procurement & Strategic Sourcing :

- Develop sourcing strategies for steel, fabricated components, bought-out parts, capital equipment, consumables, and indirect materials.

- Lead commercial negotiations for high-value procurement contracts and long-term supplier agreements.

- Optimize procurement costs through strategic sourcing, localization, value engineering, and supplier consolidation.

- Develop strategic partnerships with key suppliers to ensure quality, reliability, innovation, and capacity.

- Monitor commodity markets, particularly steel and fabrication-related inputs, and implement appropriate sourcing strategies.

- Establish supplier performance management systems covering quality, delivery, cost, responsiveness, and sustainability.

Purchase Operations :

- Ensure timely procurement of materials to support uninterrupted production.

- Improve procurement cycle time and purchase order efficiency.

- Strengthen procurement governance, compliance, and contract management.

- Drive digital procurement initiatives and process standardization across all manufacturing locations.

Production Planning & Control (PPC) :

- Lead Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP), demand planning, and master production scheduling.

- Develop optimized production plans considering customer demand, capacity, and material availability.

- Improve production schedule adherence and on-time customer deliveries.

- Optimize inventory levels while ensuring uninterrupted production.

- Coordinate closely with manufacturing, fabrication, logistics, sales, and project teams.

Supply Chain & Inventory Management :

- Optimize inventory through scientific forecasting and material planning.

- Improve inventory turnover while minimizing stock-outs.

- Reduce obsolete and slow-moving inventory.

- Improve working capital through efficient material management.

- Develop contingency plans to mitigate supply chain risks.

Operational Excellence :

- Drive continuous improvement initiatives across procurement, planning, and fabrication.

- Improve Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and manufacturing productivity.

- Lead cost reduction and value engineering initiatives.

- Benchmark global best practices and implement operational excellence programs.

Governance, Compliance & Quality :

- Ensure compliance with company policies, statutory regulations, and ethical sourcing practices.

- Maintain strong internal controls and audit readiness.

- Ensure compliance with ISO quality systems and applicable manufacturing standards.

- Promote a strong culture of workplace safety, quality, and environmental stewardship.

Financial Accountability :

- Prepare and manage annual budgets for procurement, planning, and fabrication.

- Deliver annual procurement savings and cost optimization targets.

- Improve profitability through productivity enhancement and waste elimination.

- Optimize working capital and inventory investment.

People Leadership :

- Lead and develop high-performing procurement, planning, and fabrication teams.

- Build leadership capability through coaching, mentoring, and succession planning.

- Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) :

- Procurement Cost Savings

- Localization Achievement (%)

- Supplier On-Time Delivery (OTD)

- Supplier Quality Performance (PPM)

- Supplier Development Index

- Material Availability

- Production Plan Adherence

- Forecast Accuracy

- Inventory Turnover

- Working Capital Days

- Purchase Order Cycle Time

- Capacity Utilization

- Customer On-Time-In-Full (OTIF)

- Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ)

- New Product Launch Readiness

- Continuous Improvement Savings

Qualifications :

- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or Manufacturing Engineering.

- MBA or Postgraduate Degree in Operations, Supply Chain Management, or General Management preferred.

Experience :

- 25-30 years of progressive leadership experience in heavy engineering, construction equipment, infrastructure equipment, steel fabrication, or industrial manufacturing.

- At least 10 years in a senior executive leadership role overseeing procurement, production planning, and fabrication operations.

- Proven expertise in fabrication-intensive manufacturing, strategic sourcing, and supply chain transformation.

- Demonstrated success in leading multi-plant manufacturing operations and large cross-functional teams.

Core Competencies :

Technical Leadership:

i. Structural steel fabrication

ii. Heavy engineering fabrication

iii. Welding processes (MIG, MAG, TIG, SAW, FCAW, SMAW)

Leadership Competencies:

i. Strategic Leadership

ii. Commercial Negotiation

iii. Change Management

Functional Competencies:

i. Category Management

ii. Supplier Development

iii. Production Planning & Control (PPC)

Success Profile :

The ideal candidate is an accomplished manufacturing executive with extensive expertise in procurement, production planning, and fabrication. They combine strong commercial acumen with deep technical knowledge of heavy fabrication and welding processes, enabling informed decisions that improve cost competitiveness, manufacturing efficiency, quality, and delivery performance. The individual should be capable of leading large-scale operations, building strategic supplier partnerships, driving operational excellence, and supporting sustainable business growth through innovation and continuous improvement.