Purchase Manager – Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

Department: Procurement / Materials

Reporting To: Senior Manager – Materials

Employment Type: Full-Time

Experience: 10+ Years

Qualification: MBA / Relevant Procurement or Supply Chain Qualification

About the Role

We are looking for an experienced Purchase Manager to lead and strengthen the organization’s procurement and sourcing activities. The role will be responsible for ensuring timely, cost-effective, and quality-driven procurement of materials, equipment, services, and other business requirements.

The position requires strong expertise in strategic sourcing, supplier development, commercial negotiations, procurement planning, vendor management, inventory coordination, and ERP-based purchasing processes.

The ideal candidate will be commercially astute, analytical, and capable of building strong supplier partnership while ensuring procurement activities remain aligned with business requirements, company policies, cost targets, quality standards, and delivery schedules. Candidates from Thrissur, Kerala or willing to relocate to Thrissur for long term preferred.

Key Responsibilities

1. Procurement Planning & Operations

1. Plan, organize, and manage end-to-end procurement activities across the organization.
2. Ensure timely availability of raw materials, packing materials, fuel items, equipment, services, and other required supplies.
3. Align procurement plans with inventory requirements, production schedules, and business priorities.
4. Ensure all purchasing activities comply with company procurement policies and approval processes.
5. Monitor purchase requirements and proactively address potential supply constraints.

2. Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management

1. Identify, evaluate, and onboard reliable suppliers based on cost, quality, capacity, delivery capability, and commercial terms.
2. Develop sourcing strategies for key materials and categories.
3. Conduct supplier market research and identify alternative and emerging sources.
4. Maintain and periodically review the Approved Supplier List.
5. Develop long-term relationships and strategic partnerships with key suppliers.
6. Evaluate supplier performance and initiate corrective actions where required.

3. Commercial Negotiation & Cost Optimization

1. Analyse supplier quotations and prepare commercial comparisons and recommendations.
2. Lead negotiations covering price, payment terms, delivery schedules, quality, warranties, and other commercial conditions.
3. Monitor material pricing and market trends to identify cost-saving opportunities.
4. Conduct supplier risk and cost analysis considering market volatility, capacity constraints, and availability.
5. Drive procurement initiatives focused on cost reduction, value optimization, and supply continuity.

4. Purchase Orders & Procurement Documentation

1. Manage the complete purchasing cycle from requisition to purchase order and delivery.
2. Prepare and process:
3. Purchase requisitions
4. Supplier inquiries / RFQs
5. Bid comparisons
6. Negotiation records
7. Approval documentation
8. Purchase orders
9. Ensure purchase orders accurately reflect approved commercial and technical requirements.
10. Coordinate with Finance for invoice verification and payment-related matters.

5. Vendor & Contract Management

1. Build and maintain professional relationships with suppliers and contractors.
2. Resolve vendor grievances, supply deficiencies, quality issues, claims, and commercial disputes.
3. Coordinate purchase rejection, return, replacement, and corrective-action processes.
4. Monitor supplier commitments and ensure adherence to agreed terms and SLAs.
5. Support contract and service procurement activities where required.

6. Supply & Inventory Coordination

1. Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure smooth movement and availability of procured materials.
2. Monitor supply schedules and delivery commitments.
3. Work closely with Stores, Production, Finance, Quality, and other relevant functions.
4. Identify potential supply risks and develop alternative sourcing plans.
5. Ensure required statutory and logistics documentation is completed accurately.

7. Market Intelligence & Procurement Strategy

1. Track market trends, supplier capacity, commodity pricing, availability, and delivery conditions.
2. Identify changes in the supply market that may impact procurement costs or continuity.
3. Recommend appropriate sourcing and procurement strategies to management.
4. Explore new procurement technologies, processes, and supplier networks to improve efficiency.

8. Procurement Reporting & Analytics

1. Prepare and submit monthly procurement reports and management dashboards within agreed timelines.
2. Monitor key procurement metrics including:
3. Purchase value
4. Cost savings
5. Supplier performance
6. Delivery performance
7. Purchase cycle time
8. Price trends
9. Procurement efficiency
10. Provide management with actionable insights on procurement performance and market developments.

9. Service Procurement & Invoice Coordination

1. Manage purchase orders for service-related requirements.
2. Coordinate Service Receipt Note (SRN) preparation.
3. Verify purchase invoices against purchase orders and service receipts.
4. Coordinate with Finance for accurate and timely invoice submission and processing.

10. Process Improvement & Leadership

1. Identify opportunities to improve procurement processes, controls, and turnaround time.
2. Promote best practices in sourcing, supplier management, negotiation, and procurement governance.
3. Lead and mentor procurement team members where applicable.
4. Manage procurement priorities effectively while handling multiple requirements simultaneously.
5. Undertake strategic assignments and projects as directed by the Head of Purchase / Senior Manager – Materials.

Required Qualifications & Experience

1. 10+ years of relevant experience in Purchase, Procurement, Sourcing, Materials Management, or Supply Chain functions.
2. MBA in Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, or a relevant discipline is preferred.
3. Strong experience in procurement and supplier management.
4. Proven experience in commercial negotiations and cost optimization.
5. Experience managing procurement of raw materials, packing materials, fuel, equipment, services, or similar categories.
6. Strong understanding of purchase processes, RFQs, bid evaluation, purchase orders, supplier evaluation, and invoice verification.
7. Hands-on experience with ERP-based procurement systems.
8. Strong proficiency in MS Excel and MS Word, with working knowledge of MS PowerPoint.

Must-Have Skills

1. Strategic Procurement & Purchasing
2. Supplier Identification & Development
3. Commercial Negotiation
4. Vendor Management
5. Purchase Order Management
6. Cost Analysis & Cost Optimization
7. Procurement Planning
8. ERP / Procurement Software
9. Advanced MS Excel / Procurement Reporting
10. Strong Written & Verbal Communication
11. Leadership & Team Management

Good-to-Have Skills

1. Experience in manufacturing / industrial procurement.
2. Experience handling high-value or critical procurement categories.
3. Supplier risk assessment and alternate sourcing experience.
4. Knowledge of procurement analytics and dashboards.
5. Experience with e-procurement platforms.
6. Contract and service procurement experience.
7. Knowledge of inventory planning and production-linked procurement.
8. Experience in developing long-term strategic supplier partnerships.
9. Exposure to procurement process automation and digital transformation.
10. Candidates from Thrissur, Kerala or willing to relocate to Thrissur for long term preferred

Language Requirements

Excellent communication skills in:

1. Malayalam - Mandatory
2. English – Mandatory
3. Hindi – Preferred
4. Tamil – Preferred / Advantage

Candidates should be capable of handling supplier negotiations, internal stakeholder communication, commercial discussions, and procurement documentation professionally.

Core Competencies

Leadership

1. Strong leadership and team-management capability.
2. Ability to take ownership of procurement outcomes.
3. Ability to influence internal and external stakeholders.

Commercial Acumen

1. Strong negotiation and cost-management mindset.
2. Ability to evaluate commercial proposals and supplier economics.
3. Strong understanding of market pricing and procurement risks.

Analytical Thinking

1. Ability to analyse quotations, pricing trends, supplier performance, and procurement data.
2. Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.

Behavioural Competencies

1. Customer / stakeholder orientation
2. Assertiveness
3. Integrity and professionalism
4. Striving for excellence
5. Accountability and ownership
6. Time management
7. Ability to work under pressure

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a senior procurement professional with 10+ years of experience who can independently manage sourcing, supplier relationships, negotiations, procurement operations, and cost optimization.

Candidates who combine strong commercial skills with analytical thinking, supplier-management expertise, ERP proficiency, and leadership capability will be preferred.

The successful candidate will play an important role in ensuring cost-effective procurement, supply continuity, supplier quality, and operational efficiency across the organization.

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