Director of Procurement

About the Role

Al Watania For Industries is seeking a Director of Procurement to lead the company's procurement function. This full-time role is based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and involves overseeing procurement across manufacturing and industrial operations. The successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing procurement strategies, managing operations, optimizing costs, and strengthening supplier relationships to ensure the timely availability of essential materials and services.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement procurement and strategic sourcing strategies aligned with business and manufacturing objectives.
• Lead and oversee all procurement operations, ensuring efficient and cost-effective purchasing activities.
• Develop sourcing strategies for raw materials, production materials, machinery, equipment, spare parts, consumables, and industrial services.
• Identify, evaluate, qualify, and develop local and international suppliers.
• Establish and maintain strategic relationships with key suppliers and business partners.
• Lead major commercial negotiations, tenders, contracts, and long-term supplier agreements.
• Drive cost reduction, cost avoidance, value engineering, and procurement optimization initiatives.
• Monitor commodity prices, market trends, supplier capacity, lead times, and potential supply chain risks.
• Ensure continuity of supply to support production plans and manufacturing requirements.
• Collaborate with Operations, Manufacturing, Production, Finance, Engineering, Maintenance, Quality, and Supply Chain teams.
• Establish and monitor procurement policies, procedures, governance, and approval processes.
• Develop and monitor procurement KPIs, dashboards, spend analysis, supplier performance, and efficiency.
• Lead supplier performance management, including quality, delivery, cost, capacity, and service levels.
• Develop procurement risk-management strategies and alternative sourcing plans.
• Lead and develop the procurement team, establish clear objectives, and enhance team capabilities.
• Identify opportunities for procurement process improvement, automation, digitalization, and data-driven decision-making.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, contracts, quality standards, and applicable regulations.
• Oversee procurement budgets and ensure effective control of procurement spend.
• Provide senior management with regular reports and insights regarding procurement performance, market conditions, and cost-saving opportunities.
• Support business expansion, new manufacturing projects, and new product launches through effective sourcing and procurement planning.

Strategic Procurement Focus

• Develop long-term sourcing and supplier strategies.
• Analyze total cost of ownership (TCO) and identify opportunities for commercial value improvement.
• Establish strategic partnerships with key suppliers.
• Develop local and international sourcing channels.
• Lead strategic negotiations for high-value and critical categories.
• Identify supply market risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Support localization and supplier development initiatives where applicable.

Procurement Operations Management

• Ensure efficient execution of purchase requisitions, purchase orders, contracts, and procurement cycles.
• Monitor purchasing activities and ensure adherence to approved budgets and timelines.
• Improve procurement cycle time and operational efficiency.
• Ensure materials and services are available according to production and operational requirements.
• Establish effective coordination between Procurement, Warehouse, Production, Maintenance, Finance, and Operations.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in procurement, with a focus on strategic leadership and operational excellence within a manufacturing industry context.
• Demonstrated commercial expertise and strong supplier management skills.

Work Environment

This is a full-time position located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, within a dynamic industrial and manufacturing environment. The role requires close collaboration with various internal departments to align procurement activities with overall business requirements.