Head of Procurement

Overview

Lead the global procurement function, partnering with Business, Finance, Legal, IT and other control functions to deliver sustainable commercial value.

What you'll do

• Develop and execute a global procurement strategy aligned with business priorities, financial objectives and risk appetite.
• Lead, coach and develop the procurement team, establishing clear objectives, ownership, service levels and performance measures.
• Advise senior stakeholders on procurement strategy, market dynamics, commercial models and sourcing decisions.
• Drive adoption of procurement policies, preferred-supplier arrangements and consistent ways of working across business units and legal entities.
• Lead complex and high-value sourcing exercises, including RFI, RFQ and RFP processes, supplier shortlisting, evaluation and negotiation.
• Develop category and sourcing plans using spend, demand, market and supplier insights.
• Negotiate pricing, service levels, payment terms, contractual protections and delivery commitments, working closely with Legal and relevant subject-matter experts.
• Deliver measurable value through cost savings, cost avoidance, demand management, consolidation, standardisation and total-cost-of-ownership optimisation.
• Set and deliver supplier-consolidation objectives, reducing supplier fragmentation while maintaining service quality, resilience, competition and appropriate risk controls.
• Own the procurement elements of supplier onboarding, due diligence and ongoing supplier governance.
• Maintain the preferred supplier list and ensure new suppliers are appropriately assessed, approved and established in relevant systems.
• Own and maintain the complete supplier database, whether in Pramata or another approved platform, ensuring an accurate inventory of supplier contracts, renewal dates and contractual notice periods.
• Coordinate periodic supplier reviews covering performance, financial, operational, information security, data protection, sustainability, concentration and business-continuity risks.
• Lead commercial escalations, remediation plans, contract renewals and supplier exits where required.
• Act as coordinator for the Supplier Review Committee and ensure decisions, actions and supporting evidence are appropriately recorded.
• Oversee the procurement lifecycle from business requirement and sourcing through contracting, purchase request, purchase order, receipt and invoice resolution.
• Promote compliance with approval authorities, budget controls, "No PO, No Pay" requirements and documented exceptions.
• Partner with Finance and Accounts Payable to improve purchase-order coverage, invoice accuracy, committed-spend visibility and payment issue resolution.
• Maintain effective contract and renewal governance, including ownership, key obligations, notice periods, pricing changes and termination provisions.
• Establish dashboards and management reporting for spend, savings, sourcing pipeline, contract coverage, supplier performance, risk, compliance and operational service levels.
• Maintain a transparent benefits methodology and provide periodic reporting on realised savings, cost avoidance and total-cost-of-ownership improvements.
• Use procurement technology, automation and data analytics to simplify workflows, strengthen controls and improve user experience.
• Champion the responsible use of AI across procurement workflows and reporting, identifying and implementing improvements supported by clear business cases, measurable benefits and demonstrable return on investment.
• Benchmark procurement practices and lead continuous improvement across policies, processes, systems and supplier engagement.

What you'll need

• 15–20 years of progressive experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, commercial management or supplier management, including leadership responsibility in a global organisation.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex negotiations and sourcing initiatives across technology, software, cloud, professional services and other corporate spend categories.
• Proven record of delivering sustainable savings and broader business value while maintaining service quality and appropriate risk controls.
• Strong understanding of procurement governance, third-party due diligence, contract lifecycle management and procure-to-pay processes.
• Experience with procurement platforms, contract repositories, spend analytics and management reporting.
• Graduate degree in a relevant discipline.
• Strategic and commercial mindset, with the ability to translate business objectives into procurement priorities.
• Executive presence and credibility with senior stakeholders, combined with a collaborative and service-oriented approach.
• Excellent negotiation, influencing, communication and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong financial acumen and ability to interpret pricing models, business cases, budgets and total cost of ownership.
• Risk-aware judgement with the ability to balance commercial opportunity, control requirements and delivery urgency.
• Analytical, structured and decisive, with a strong focus on execution, transparency and measurable outcomes.
• Ability to work effectively across cultures, functions and time zones.

Nice to have

• CIPS, CPSM or an equivalent recognised procurement qualification.

Details

• Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India.