Position : Assistant Manager - Procurement & Operations
Location : Mumbai, Maharashtra
Position Overview
The Assistant Manager - Procurement & Operations will be responsible for identifying, onboarding, and managing premium food brands, specialty vendors, artisans, and culinary partners across India and internationally. The role is central to maintaining the company's luxury positioning by curating high-quality outsourced offerings, negotiating competitive commercials, ensuring operational excellence, and staying ahead of global culinary trends. The ideal candidate must be well-versed with international food movements, premium product sourcing, and brand collaborations aligned with UHNI and luxury event expectations.
Key Responsibilities
1. Vendor Sourcing & Onboarding
- Identify, evaluate, and onboard premium food brands, chefs, homegrown artisanal producers, boutique restaurants, bakeries, patisseries, beverage brands, specialty ingredient suppliers, and high-quality service vendors.
- Source both Indian and international vendor partners relevant to luxury weddings, corporate galas, and curated dining events.
- Conduct due diligence on vendor capability, product quality, reliability, compliance, and alignment with luxury standards.
- Develop a structured onboarding process, including quality checks, tasting sessions, sample trials, and brand compatibility evaluations.
2. Vendor Relationship Management
- Maintain strong, long-term partnerships with all outsourced vendors to ensure seamless coordination.
- Act as the single point of contact between internal teams (Culinary, SCM, Operations, Finance, Sales) and vendors.
- Create relationship-building programs for premium partners, including annual reviews, collaboration proposals, and feedback loops.
- Ensure vendors adhere to brand standards of packaging, food quality, hygiene, delivery timelines, and service consistency.
3. Commercial Negotiation & Contracting
- Negotiate competitive rates, bulk pricing, exclusivity terms, and commission structures with vendors.
- Finalize contracts, SLAs, MOUs, and commercial agreements in collaboration with the SCM and Finance teams.
- Maintain transparent costing sheets, rate cards, and vendor performance trackers.
- Ensure all contracts meet company compliance, risk management, and premium service requirements.
4. Trend Research & Culinary Intelligence
- Track global culinary trends, luxury dining concepts, Michelin-star collaborations, pop-up activations, immersive food experiences, and innovative service formats.
- Identify new categories and future-forward ideas such as luxury grazing tables, global street food concepts, wellness cuisine, sustainable fine dining, and modern Indian reinterpretations.
- Provide leadership with quarterly trend reports and recommendations for new brand partnerships.
5. Event Support & Coordination
- Work closely with Event Operations and Culinary teams to ensure vendor output meets event-specific requirements.
- Coordinate tasting sessions for clients, chefs, and senior leadership.
- Ensure timely delivery, quality consistency, and high service standards during large-scale weddings and corporate events.
6. Compliance, Documentation & Quality Assurance
- Maintain updated documentation on vendor certifications, FSSAI, hygiene audits, and insurance requirements.
- Monitor quality parameters and conduct surprise checks on vendor performance.
- Establish a quality scoring system and conduct quarterly vendor evaluation.
Key Skills & Competencies
- Strong understanding of multicuisine culinary landscapesIndian regional, international, Asian, Mediterranean, patisserie, bakery, desserts, beverages, gourmet brands, etc.
- Excellent negotiation, networking, and relationship-building skills.
- Strong communication skills in English, Hindi (written and verbal).
- Ability to evaluate brand fit, quality, and alignment with a luxury culinary experience.
- Proficiency in Excel, Google Sheets, and vendor management tools.
Preferred Experience
- 510 years in vendor management, F&B procurement, luxury hospitality, gourmet retail, or culinary partnerships.
- Experience working with high-end catering companies, luxury hotels, premium restaurants, or international brands.
- Exposure to sourcing global food brands, artisanal suppliers, and boutique concept restaurants is a strong advantage.
Educational Qualification
- Graduate in Hospitality, Culinary Arts, Business Management, or a related field.
- Additional certifications in procurement, international F&B sourcing, or culinary studies is beneficial.
