Key Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership & Planning • Purchase Strategy: Define, develop, and implement a holistic, multi-year purchase strategy for all direct and indirect categories that aligns with the overall business objectives for growth, profitability, and operational efficiency. • Spend Management: Oversee and manage the organization’s total third-party spend, driving a high percentage of spend "Under Management" to maximize value realization. • Budget & Forecasting: Lead the annual purchase budgeting process, providing accurate and timely cost forecasts and savings projections across all categories. • Category Management: Establish a robust category management framework, ensuring expert knowledge of market trends, supplier landscapes, and cost drivers for all key spend areas. Direct Purchase (Focus: Supply Continuity, Quality, & Cost of Goods Sold) • Input Material Sourcing: Lead the strategic sourcing of all production-critical input materials and components, ensuring security of supply, quality compliance, and optimal landed cost. • Inventory & JIT: Collaborate closely with Operations and Supply Chain to optimize inventory levels and support Just-In-Time (JIT) or other inventory strategies for direct materials. • Risk Mitigation: Develop and implement supply chain resilience plans, including dual-sourcing strategies for critical materials, to mitigate risks related to geopolitical, logistical, and quality issues. • Value Engineering: Partner with Engineering and R&D to drive cost-out initiatives through material substitution, design-to-cost principles, and identifying innovative supplier solutions. Indirect Purchase (Focus: Operational Efficiency & Total Cost of Ownership) • TCO Focus: Implement Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) models for major indirect spend areas (e.g., IT systems, facility services, logistics) to drive long-term value over simply focusing on price. • Stakeholder Partnership: Act as a strategic partner to internal stakeholders (HR, IT, Marketing, Finance) to understand their business needs and ensure Purchase delivers fit-for-purpose solutions. • Process Efficiency: Streamline and automate the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) process for indirect spend to enhance user experience, improve compliance, and reduce 'maverick' spending. • Service Level Assurance: Establish and monitor stringent Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for critical service providers (e.g., outsourced services, consulting). Supplier Relationship & Contract Management • SRM & Negotiation: Establish a formal Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) program for strategic and critical suppliers (both Direct and Indirect). Lead complex, high-stakes contract negotiations for high-value and long-term agreements. • Performance Monitoring: Oversee the regular assessment and management of supplier performance, quality, and delivery, ensuring corrective action plans are in place where necessary. • Contract Lifecycle Management: Ensure robust contract drafting, execution, and management processes, safeguarding the organization's legal and commercial interests. Compliance, Ethics, and Sustainability • Governance & Compliance: Establish and enforce best-in-class Purchase policies, processes, and governance structures, ensuring strict adherence to legal, regulatory, and internal control requirements. • Ethical Sourcing: Champion the organization’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and sustainability goals by implementing supplier diversity programs and ethical sourcing audits. • Risk Reporting: Provide timely and accurate reporting on Purchase performance, savings realization, and critical supply chain risks to the Executive Leadership Team. Team Leadership & Development • Talent Management: Recruit, mentor, and develop a high-performing and collaborative Purchase team, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, strategic thinking, and ethical behaviour. • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Serve as the primary Purchase representative on cross-functional executive steering committees and major business projects.
