Procurement Manager - Soft Services

Al Ghurair; Dubai; On-site; AED 420,000 - 640,000; Full time

Job summary

Al Ghurair is seeking an experienced Procurement Manager - Soft Services to lead strategic sourcing, purchasing operations and supplier management in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The role focuses on timely procurement, cost control and compliance with company policies.

You will oversee a purchasing team, drive negotiations, manage supplier performance and coordinate procurement for new project mobilization.

Qualifications

• 8 years of experience in soft services procurement.
• Bachelor of Engineering degree.
• Strong negotiation and supplier management skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee strategic sourcing and procurement operations for soft services.
• Lead supplier selection, negotiations and contract management.
• Develop sourcing strategies aligned with project mobilization and budgets.
• Monitor supplier performance and implement continuous improvements.

Skills

Procurement

Strategic Sourcing

Supplier Management

Negotiation

Team Leadership

Education

Bachelor of Engineering degree

Tools

ERP Systems

Job description

Job Snapshot

Procurement Manager - Soft Services Job Snapshot - Role: Procurement Manager - Soft Services - Location: Dubai, United Arab Emirates - Industry: Purchasing Procurement - Function: Purchasing - Experience: 8 years of experience in soft services procurement - Job Type: Full Time - Work Arrangement: On-site

Position Overview

Al Ghurair is seeking an experienced Procurement Manager - Soft Services to oversee strategic sourcing, purchasing operations, supplier management and procurement activities in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The role is responsible for ensuring the timely procurement of materials and services while maintaining quality standards, controlling costs and complying with company policies and procedures. The successful candidate will lead the purchasing team, manage supplier selection and negotiations, coordinate procurement requirements for new project mobilization and monitor supplier performance. This position requires strong commercial judgement, practical experience in soft services procurement and the ability to develop effective sourcing strategies that support operational requirements and business objectives.

Job Details

• Country: United Arab Emirates
• City: Dubai
• Industry: Purchasing Procurement
• Function: Purchasing
• Salary: Not disclosed
• Gender: No Preference
• Candidate Nationality: Not specified
• Job Type: Full Time
• Work Arrangement: On-site

Strategic Responsibilities

• Procurement Planning and Strategic Sourcing - Develop procurement approaches that support operational requirements, purchasing priorities and company objectives.
• Conduct procurement spend analysis to identify priority categories for Long-Term Purchase Agreements (LTPAs) and tendering activities.
• Plan sourcing activities according to business requirements, purchasing volumes and opportunities for cost optimization.
• Identify, assess and prequalify potential suppliers based on procurement requirements and relevant evaluation criteria.
• Prepare tender documentation with clearly defined scopes of work and technical and commercial requirements.
• Coordinate technical and commercial evaluations of supplier proposals.
• Arrange product or material samples for review and approval where required.
• Organize electronic auctions to support competitive supplier selection.
• Prepare supplier contract agreements following the completion of sourcing and negotiation activities.

Operational Responsibilities

• Oversee daily purchasing activities and supervise the procurement team to ensure materials and services are purchased within required timelines.
• Ensure purchasing activities comply with established company policies, approval procedures and procurement controls.
• Review, verify and approve Purchase Orders (POs), ARFs and transport indents through the designated procurement portal.
• Obtain and assess quotations from potential suppliers to support purchasing decisions.
• Negotiate supplier contracts, pricing, payment conditions and delivery terms to achieve commercially effective procurement arrangements.
• Review purchasing opportunities to identify potential savings without compromising required quality or service standards.
• Coordinate purchasing requirements and supplier deliveries to support ongoing business operations.

New Project Mobilization

• Assess the material and service requirements of new projects in coordination with the relevant operational teams.
• Develop procurement and delivery plans aligned with project requirements, mobilization schedules and established deadlines.
• Coordinate sourcing and supplier arrangements to support the timely availability of required materials and services.
• Provide regular progress updates to operations heads regarding procurement readiness and project mobilization activities.
• Identify and resolve purchasing or delivery issues that could affect project mobilization.
• Monitor project-related procurement expenditure to ensure spending remains within allocated budgets.

Supplier Performance Management

• Monitor the performance of suppliers and subcontractors in coordination with store personnel and site teams.
• Evaluate supplier performance against contractual obligations and address identified non-compliance.
• Assess vendors using relevant performance measures, including cost, quality of goods and services, competency and consistency.
• Identify performance deficiencies and coordinate appropriate corrective actions with suppliers.
• Maintain oversight of supplier reliability and contractual performance throughout the procurement process.

Procurement Reporting and Audit Coordination

• Prepare procurement reports covering purchase order expenditure, open purchase orders, pending indents and achieved savings.
• Present purchasing performance information and relevant analysis to management.
• Maintain accurate procurement documentation to support operational reporting and audit requirements.
• Coordinate with internal and external auditors during reviews of procurement contracts and purchasing procedures.
• Support assessments of contract administration processes to determine their completeness, effectiveness and accuracy.
• Review audit observations and procurement performance findings to identify areas requiring improvement.

People Management and Stakeholder Relationships

• Supplier and Stakeholder Engagement - develop and maintain productive relationships with internal departments, external suppliers and other relevant stakeholders.
• Communicate regularly with stakeholders regarding procurement requirements, purchasing progress and operational challenges.
• Arrange and participate in internal and external meetings to discuss sourcing activities, supplier performance and outstanding issues.
• Maintain a professional and consistent approach to supplier relationship management.
• Build supplier trust through transparent communication, active listening and constructive engagement.
• Address escalated supplier concerns and work toward practical resolutions that support business requirements.

Team Leadership and Employee Engagement

• Provide direction and supervision to purchasing team members in the execution of assigned procurement responsibilities.
• Encourage employee participation in relevant decision-making processes.
• Promote accountability and ownership of procurement activities within the team.
• Support effective collaboration between purchasing personnel and operational stakeholders.

Product and Process Improvement

• Continuous Procurement Improvement - conduct ongoing market research to identify new suppliers, products and sourcing opportunities relevant to soft services procurement.
• Attend industry exhibitions, trade events and seminars to remain informed about market developments and potential suppliers.
• Use online research and direct supplier engagement to evaluate alternative sourcing options.
• Monitor market conditions, supply sources and relevant industry trends to support procurement decisions.
• Identify opportunities to improve purchasing efficiency, supplier performance and procurement processes.
• Research and evaluate potential cost reduction measures while maintaining required service and product standards.
• Apply procurement performance findings and market intelligence to support continuous operational improvement.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Bachelor of Engineering degree.

Professional Experience

• 8 years of experience in soft services procurement.
• Practical knowledge of sourcing and procurement techniques.
• Experience in supplier selection, procurement negotiations and purchasing activities.
• Understanding of market intelligence, supplier sources and procurement-related industry trends.
• Experience collecting, evaluating and analyzing procurement data.
• Strong organizational abilities and attention to detail.

Required Knowledge and Skills

Soft Services Procurement and Category Management

• Strong understanding of soft services procurement activities and sourcing requirements.
• Knowledge of strategic sourcing and category management practices.
• Ability to evaluate suppliers, quotations and commercial procurement options.
• Understanding of supplier performance management and procurement cost control.

Commercial and Analytical Skills

• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to assess supplier pricing and contractual terms.
• Knowledge of cost-benefit evaluation and price analysis.
• Analytical and critical thinking skills to support informed purchasing decisions.
• Ability to interpret procurement expenditure and supplier performance information.
• Awareness of market conditions, sourcing opportunities and supplier trends.

Procurement Systems and Technology

• Working knowledge of procurement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
• Familiarity with vendor portals used for purchasing activities and approval processes.
• Ability to review procurement transactions and maintain accurate purchasing records.
• Experience using procurement information and data analysis to support operational decisions.

Professional Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Results-oriented approach to procurement planning and execution.
• Ability to coordinate purchasing activities across multiple operational requirements.
• Effective organizational skills with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to supervise purchasing activities and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Commitment to professional supplier relationships, procurement compliance and continuous improvement.