Senior Procurement Leader (Direct Sourcing & Strategic Procurement)

Job Description – Senior Procurement Leader (Direct Sourcing & Strategic Procurement)

Location: Dholera, Gujarat
Industry: Semiconductor Manufacturing (Greenfield FAB)
Experience: 15–25+ Years

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Senior Procurement Leader to establish and drive procurement excellence for one of India's largest semiconductor manufacturing facilities at Dholera. This leadership role will be responsible for developing sourcing strategies, leading high-value procurement initiatives, building strategic supplier partnerships, and ensuring cost, quality, and delivery objectives are achieved for a large-scale manufacturing environment.

While experience in the semiconductor industry is highly preferred, we are also open to candidates from Capital Equipment, EPC, Industrial Manufacturing, Automotive, Medical Devices, Electronics Manufacturing, Heavy Engineering, and Process Industries who have demonstrated expertise in direct sourcing and strategic procurement .

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute procurement strategies for direct materials, manufacturing equipment, production consumables, and critical services.
• Lead end-to-end strategic sourcing including supplier identification, RFx management, commercial negotiations, supplier selection, contracting, and supplier performance management.
• Build a robust supplier ecosystem capable of supporting a high-volume manufacturing operation.
• Drive cost optimization, value engineering, localization, and supply risk mitigation initiatives.
• Negotiate complex commercial agreements with global and domestic suppliers.
• Partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, Quality, Planning, and Program teams to ensure procurement alignment with business objectives.
• Lead supplier development, qualification, and continuous performance improvement programs.
• Develop procurement governance, policies, compliance frameworks, and best practices.
• Build and mentor high-performing procurement teams while driving a culture of accountability and operational excellence.
• Manage procurement budgets, KPIs, savings initiatives, and executive stakeholder reporting.
• Support new product introduction (NPI), capacity expansion, and greenfield project procurement activities.

Required Experience

• 15–25+ years of progressive procurement and strategic sourcing experience.
• Strong leadership experience managing procurement organizations and cross-functional teams.
• Proven expertise in Direct Procurement / Direct Sourcing .
• Extensive experience handling high-value capital purchases, manufacturing equipment, production materials, mechanical/electrical commodities, or technical procurement.
• Strong commercial acumen with exceptional supplier negotiation capabilities.
• Experience managing global supplier networks and strategic sourcing programs.
• Demonstrated success in cost reduction, supplier development, and procurement transformation initiatives.
• Excellent stakeholder management and executive communication skills.

Preferred Industry Background

Priority will be given to candidates from:

• Semiconductor Manufacturing
• Semiconductor Equipment / Wafer Fab
• Capital Equipment Manufacturing
• Electronics Manufacturing
• Automotive OEMs & Tier-1 Suppliers
• Medical Device Manufacturing
• EPC / Industrial Projects
• Heavy Engineering
• Industrial Automation
• Process Manufacturing

Preferred Functional Expertise

• Direct Materials Procurement
• Strategic Sourcing
• Category Management
• Supplier Development
• Supplier Relationship Management (SRM)
• Global Procurement
• Contract Negotiation
• Cost Reduction & Value Engineering
• Capital Equipment Procurement
• Manufacturing Procurement
• Commodity Management
• Supply Risk Management

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics, Industrial, Production, or equivalent).
• MBA/Supply Chain/Operations Management preferred.
• Professional certifications such as CPSM, CPM, CIPS, or equivalent will be an advantage.

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is a hardcore procurement professional with a strong track record in direct sourcing and strategic buying , capable of leading large procurement organizations, negotiating complex global supplier agreements, and establishing world-class procurement processes for a greenfield semiconductor manufacturing facility. Strong commercial orientation, supplier management expertise, and leadership capabilities are essential.