Head of Procurement

Position: Procurement Head

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

Experience: 8–12 Years

Employment Type: Full-Time

About HummingBird

HummingBird is a talent acquisition and recruitment partner helping organizations identify, attract, and hire high-quality professionals across diverse functions and industries.

We work closely with our clients to understand their business requirements, organizational culture, and talent needs, connecting them with the right professionals and creating meaningful career opportunities.

About the Opportunity

HummingBird is hiring a Procurement Head on behalf of its client, a leading organization based in Pune.

We are looking for an experienced and strategic Procurement Head to lead the organization's procurement and sourcing function. The role will be responsible for developing procurement strategies, managing supplier relationships, optimizing costs, ensuring supply continuity, and driving operational efficiency.

The ideal candidate will have strong experience in strategic sourcing, vendor management, contract negotiation, procurement operations, and team leadership, with the ability to align procurement activities with broader business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and implement the organization's overall procurement and sourcing strategy.
• Lead procurement activities across direct and indirect categories as applicable.
• Establish procurement policies, processes, controls, and governance frameworks.
• Align procurement strategies with business objectives, cost targets, quality requirements, and operational needs.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization, process improvement, and value creation.
• Develop procurement budgets and monitor spending against approved plans.

Strategic Sourcing & Vendor Management

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard reliable suppliers and service providers.
• Lead supplier negotiations to achieve competitive pricing, quality, service levels, and favorable commercial terms.
• Develop and maintain strong strategic relationships with key suppliers.
• Conduct supplier evaluations, performance reviews, and periodic assessments.
• Establish appropriate supplier-risk mitigation and alternate sourcing strategies.
• Monitor market trends, commodity pricing, and supply-market developments.

Contract & Commercial Management

• Lead contract negotiations and ensure appropriate commercial and contractual terms.
• Review purchase agreements, supplier contracts, SLAs, and related documentation.
• Ensure compliance with procurement policies and contractual obligations.
• Work closely with legal, finance, operations, and business teams on commercial agreements.
• Identify opportunities to improve payment terms, pricing structures, and contractual efficiencies.

Cost Optimization

• Drive procurement savings and cost-reduction initiatives without compromising quality or service.
• Analyze procurement spend and identify opportunities for consolidation and strategic sourcing.
• Establish benchmarks and negotiate improved commercial terms.
• Track and report procurement savings, cost avoidance, and other key performance indicators.

Procurement Operations

• Oversee purchase requisitions, purchase orders, supplier coordination, and procurement documentation.
• Ensure timely procurement of goods and services based on business requirements.
• Establish effective procurement workflows and approval mechanisms.
• Monitor procurement cycle times and improve operational efficiency.
• Ensure accurate procurement records and reporting.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies, applicable regulations, and internal controls.
• Identify and manage supplier, commercial, operational, and supply-chain risks.
• Establish appropriate supplier contingency and business-continuity plans.
• Support internal and external audits related to procurement activities.
• Promote ethical sourcing and transparent procurement practices.

Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop the procurement team.
• Establish clear goals, KPIs, and performance expectations.
• Build procurement capabilities through training and knowledge-sharing.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and results-oriented team culture.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related field.
• MBA/PGDM in Supply Chain, Operations, Finance, or a related discipline is preferred.
• 8–12 years of progressive experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Purchasing, or Supply Chain Management.
• Strong experience managing procurement teams and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Proven experience in vendor management and commercial negotiations.
• Strong understanding of procurement processes, policies, and governance.
• Experience managing contracts, supplier performance, and procurement spend.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, and decision-making skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder-management capabilities.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Excel and PowerPoint.

Preferred Skills

• Experience with ERP/procurement platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Coupa, Ariba, or similar.
• Strong understanding of spend analysis and procurement analytics.
• Experience with category management and strategic sourcing.
• Knowledge of supplier-risk management and business-continuity planning.
• Experience implementing procurement automation and digital procurement solutions.
• Strong financial and commercial acumen.
• Experience working with cross-functional and senior leadership teams.
• Professional procurement certification such as CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent is an advantage.

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
• Leadership and team-management capabilities.
• Analytical and data-driven decision-making.
• Vendor and stakeholder relationship management.
• Strong ownership and execution skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• High level of integrity and ethical judgment.

Why This Opportunity

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced procurement professional to take a leadership role in Pune and drive strategic sourcing, supplier performance, cost optimization, and procurement transformation.

The role offers significant exposure to senior leadership, strategic vendors, commercial negotiations, and organization-wide procurement initiatives.