Chief Procurement Officer

NicheHR Global; Dubai; On-site; AED 900,000 - 1,500,000; Full time

Job summary

NicheHR Global in the United Arab Emirates seeks a commercially astute Chief Procurement Officer to lead global and regional procurement for a large food and FMCG business. You will steer strategic sourcing, supplier partnerships and supply chain resilience across multiple geographies.

Reporting to the CEO, you will drive cost optimisation and unlock value through modern sourcing maturity and AI-enabled transformation.

Qualifications

• At least 18 years of relevant procurement/strategic sourcing experience.
• Experience at Regional Head, Group Head or C-suite level with stakeholder influence.
• Proven track record managing significant global/regional spend (USD 500M–1B+).
• Strong multi-country sourcing experience across complex supplier ecosystems.
• Experience in protein sourcing and other critical food categories.
• Experience implementing procurement technology, digitalisation, automation or AI-enabled solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead global and regional procurement across direct and indirect categories.
• Develop sourcing strategies for a diverse multi-SKU portfolio.
• Drive strategic negotiations, supplier partnerships and category management.
• Strengthen sourcing capabilities across complex international markets.
• Lead procurement transformation through digital platforms, automation and AI.
• Identify AI opportunities in sourcing intelligence, demand forecasting and spend analytics.
• Partner with the CEO to align procurement strategy with business objectives.
• Build and scale procurement teams across geographies and functions.
• Deliver improvements in total cost of ownership, working capital and supplier performance.
• Establish governance, spend visibility and performance metrics.

Job description

We are seeking a commercially astute, entrepreneurial and transformation-driven Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) to lead global and regional procurement and strategic sourcing operations for a large, multi-market food and FMCG business.

Reporting to the CEO, the role will drive procurement excellence, cost optimisation, supplier partnerships and supply chain resilience across multiple geographies. The successful candidate will combine strategic leadership with strong execution capabilities, experience managing substantial procurement spend, and a proven track record of building and transforming large procurement organisations.

Experience in complex international sourcing, particularly protein and other critical food categories, alongside a strong understanding of digitalisation and AI-led procurement transformation, will be highly advantageous.

Key Responsibilities

Global Procurement & Strategic Sourcing

• Lead global and regional procurement across direct and indirect categories, managing significant multi-country spend.
• Develop sourcing strategies across a diverse, multi-SKU portfolio, optimising cost, quality, availability and supply continuity.
• Drive strategic negotiations, supplier partnerships, category management and supplier consolidation.
• Strengthen sourcing capabilities across complex international markets, including challenging supply environments.
• Leverage expertise in protein and other critical food categories to create sustainable commercial advantages.

Business Leadership & Commercial Excellence

• Partner with the CEO and senior leadership team to align procurement strategy with business objectives.
• Build, scale and professionalise procurement capabilities across geographies and business categories.
• Lead a large, multi-layered team, driving accountability, performance and leadership development.
• Deliver measurable improvements in total cost of ownership, working capital, procurement efficiency and supplier performance.
• Establish robust governance, spend visibility, performance metrics and category strategies.
• Lead procurement transformation through digital platforms, automation, advanced analytics and AI-enabled solutions.
• Identify opportunities to apply AI across sourcing intelligence, demand forecasting, supplier risk assessment, spend analytics and contract management.
• Drive technology adoption and change management, translating innovation into measurable commercial and operational outcomes.

Risk Management & Supply Resilience

• Develop diversified sourcing strategies to mitigate supplier concentration, commodity volatility, geopolitical uncertainty and supply disruptions.
• Strengthen supplier due diligence, compliance, quality assurance and business continuity frameworks.
• Integrate risk intelligence and scenario planning into strategic procurement decisions.

Candidate Profile

• At least 18 years of relevant experience in global or regional procurement, strategic sourcing or a closely related commercial function within FMCG, food, foodservice or complex multi-category businesses.
• Experience at Regional Head, Group Head or C-suite level, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and partner effectively with the CEO.
• Proven track record managing substantial global or regional procurement spend, ideally USD 500 million–1 billion or more across direct and indirect categories.
• Strong multi-country sourcing experience across complex supplier ecosystems and diverse, high-volume SKU portfolios.
• Experience in protein sourcing, including meat, poultry or seafood, will be a significant advantage.
• Demonstrated success in building and transforming procurement organisations, leading large teams and developing scalable operating models.
• Experience implementing procurement technology, digitalisation, automation or AI-enabled solutions.
• Strong commercial acumen, negotiation skills, analytical capability and strategic decision-making.
• An entrepreneurial, hands‑on leadership style with a focus on innovation, accountability and measurable business impact.

The Opportunity

An opportunity to shape a large-scale, multi-market procurement function, drive strategic value creation and lead the next phase of procurement transformation through technology, innovation and operational excellence.