Job Title:

Director / Deputy Director Procurement (Civil Projects)

Location:

Delhi

About the Role

The Director / Deputy Director Procurement (Projects) will lead the end-to-end procurement strategy for a flagship large scale construction project managed by an external Project Management Consultancy (PMC), while simultaneously overseeing procurement operations and project-related capex for a broader portfolio of projects.

This senior leadership role acts as a key interface and trusted commercial advisor between the Company, relevant internal stakeholders such as Legal, Projects Team, Group Procurement function and external agencies such as the Project Management Consultancy (PMC) to ensure quality, cost efficiency and timely delivery.

Key Responsibilities

Programme Procurement Delivery

PMC Interface: Represent the company in all procurement-related dealings with the PMC.
Provide constructive challenge to the PMC on procurement actions managed by the PMC whilst at the same time work collaboratively to ensure that the project deliverables are met and avoid scope drift, underperformance.

Strategic Sourcing and Planning: Own the end-to-end procurement strategy for the project(s).
Work with operational owner / technical lead to develop project charters, identify key stakeholders, draft procurement strategy and gather market insights.
Develop commercially robust sourcing strategies, develop assessment criteria for evaluating supplier suitability in accordance with Group Procurement Policy and Group Supplier Code of Conduct.
Engage and align with Head of Global Procurement as appropriate.
Use market insights to inform negotiations and strategy. Manage these activities effectively by offering constructive checks and challenges to the PMC where the project has appointed one.
Identify key potential supply chain related/market risks and develop a plan to manage and mitigate these.

Tendering & Commercial Negotiations: Lead high-value tender processes including pre-qualification of vendors, RFQ/RFP issuance and bid evaluation for major work packages. Ensure effective administration of these processes in accordance with Group Procurement Policy by the PMC where the project has appointed one.
Drive commercial best in class outcomes rather than rely on the bidders responses.
Personally lead complex negotiations for high value and high-risk contracts to secure favourable terms, pricing and SLAs.
Structure negotiations to ensure the best outcome for the project(s).
Drive the commercial position (not limited to) regarding fees, productivity, scope clarity and accuracy, change controls, risk transfer and accountability, performance-based payment and milestones.

Project Monitoring and Assurance: Collaborate with Project Head and PMC to manage all procurement related risks.
Effectively manage the supply chain within the project(s) to ensure delivery against scope, on time in full.
Manage and resolve supplier related escalations as required, ensuring project team are aware of issues and any adverse impacts on the project.
Work closely with the key project team and finance to ensure contracts are/will be operationally effective.

Portfolio Management

Budget Oversight:

Develop and manage multi-project project budgets, ensuring optimal utilisation of funds and adherence to financial controls.

Cross-project synergy:

Leverage bulk purchasing power and optimise vendor selection, working with both local and Group Procurement where applicable.

Supplier, Contract & Risk Management

Supplier & Contract Management: Establish and run robust supplier governance in according with the Group Procurement Policy
Contract management – manage the project supply chain in accordance Performance scorecards against agreed KPIs and Service Levels.
Conduct delivery and cost assurance reviews
Challenge cost growth, scope creep, underperformance through using data, contract levers and market insights.

Supplier Development:

Identify and empanel strategic vendors, maintaining a robust supplier directory with regular performance evaluations for the projects.
Ensure alignment to Group Procurement.

Risk Mitigation:

Implement strategies to manage all 3rd party supply chain risks for the project including price volatility and diversification of the supply chain to prevent single-source dependencies.

Matrix & Compliance Responsibilities

Group Alignment:

Implement and champion Group Procurement Guidelines, ensuring all local project activities align with global standards for ethics, transparency and strategic sourcing

Local Adaptation:

Adapt Group policies to suit local regulatory frameworks and market conditions, without compromising the core principles of the Group, and keeping the Head of Global Procurement fully informed (or in consultation with Head of Global Procurement).

Matrix Collaboration:

Work collaboratively with Legal, Finance, Project Heads, Head of Global Procurement, and other relevant stakeholders

Standardised Reporting:

Provide regular visibility to Project Steering Committee and Group Head Office on project spend, vendor performance and procurement risks. Manage these activities through the PMC, where the project has appointed one.

Requirements for the Role

Qualifications/Education

Essential

Bachelor's degree in a Business, Engineering discipline or similar relevant field and/or a recognised Project Management diploma or certificate with extensive experience.

Desirable

MBA

MCIPS (Membership of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply – CIPS) or equivalent.

Experience

Essential

Minimum 15 years of relevant experience in commercial negotiations across major, high value construction procurement and/or major infrastructure procurement projects, with a proven track record of handling large and multi-project portfolios and challenging major construction/infrastructure related suppliers.

Desirable

Experience of working in a large international Educational Group

Knowledge & Skills

Essential

Technical proficiency:

Expert knowledge and understanding of best-in-class procurement practices within construction and infrastructure domains.

Commercial proficiency:

Proven and demonstrable track record of challenging and managing major consultancies and tier one firms.

Strong understanding of varied commercial models and when best to be deployed.

Proficient in identifying, managing and mitigating commercial risks inherent in construction projects such as uncertainty of material lead time, supplier solvency and currency fluctuations where relevant.

Expertise in Procurement processes

Extensive experience in evaluating bids focussing on total cost of ownership.

Detailed experience in value engineering - collaborating with technical teams to find cost-effective alternative materials, processes or sourcing options without compromising on quality or project delivery timelines.

Expert knowledge of CapEx procurement processes and capital budgeting.

Leadership and stakeholder management skills:

Proven ability to work collaboratively with multi-disciplinary teams and manage relationships with senior stakeholders and external consultants.

Exceptional ability to navigate a complex global matrix organisation, balancing the immediate needs of the project team / PMC with the long term strategic mandates from the Group.

Key attributes:

Self-driven,
Exceptional attention to detail
Strong planning and organising skills to ensure procurement outcomes are delivered on time and to a high standard
Highly analytical
Pragmatic.
Comfortable operating in ambiguous high-pressure environments
Action oriented, hands on when needs to be.

Desirable

Knowledge of financial procedures and processes.

Understanding of the fundamentals of contract management and working closely with legal teams.

Director of Procurement