Regional Procurement Supervisor

Cognita Schools; United Arab Emirates; On-site; AED 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognita Schools is seeking a Regional Procurement Supervisor to lead and optimise procurement across the Middle East region. You will ensure timely delivery, compliance with UAE regulations, and strong vendor relationships while collaborating with schools, vendors, and internal stakeholders.

You will oversee procurement operations, onboarding, contract administration, SLAs, and ERP-driven reporting to drive efficiency and risk management across multiple sites.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in procurement or supply chain management.
• Strong organisational and multitasking skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and procurement processes.
• Familiarity with compliance documentation and contract administration.
• Strong attention to detail and accurate record-keeping.

Responsibilities

• Oversee procurement operations for schools across the Middle East region.
• Maintain regional procurement tracker and ensure timely delivery of goods and services.
• Ensure compliance with company policies, UAE regulations, and ethical standards.
• Oversee vendor onboarding, due diligence, contract administration, and performance evaluation.
• Maintain contracts database and support audits with procurement records.
• Establish and monitor SLAs; report progress to schools and departments.
• Collaborate with finance, operations, and academic teams to align procurement goals.
• Identify new suppliers and optimize procurement processes across sites.

Skills

Procurement experience

Stakeholder management

Communication

Independent work

Vendor management

Compliance documentation

Detail oriented

Education

CIPS

CPM

Business Administration

Tools

NetSuite ERP

Job description

Working with us

Cognita is a global family of over 90 schools across 21 countries, with more than 100,000 students, 22,000 colleagues, 14 curricula and 9 languages of instruction. Our strength lies in our diversity. There is no single model of a Cognita school because education is inherently local. When families choose a school, they are making a deeply personal and community-based decision, and our schools reflect this.

What unites us is a shared ambition to deliver consistently high-quality education, alongside an exceptional experience for students and parents. We define this clearly through group-wide standards that articulate what “great” looks like, while allowing schools the freedom to express their local identity.

We have recently launched a new vision and strategic plan. It is ambitious and sets a clear direction for the years ahead.

Job Overview

The Regional Procurement Supervisor will manage and optimise procurement activities across the Middle East region, ensuring the timely delivery of goods and services, compliance with company policies, and the development of strong vendor relationships. Working closely with schools, vendors, and internal stakeholders, the role will oversee procurement operations, vendor onboarding, compliance documentation, contract administration, and service level performance. The successful candidate will support efficient and compliant procurement practices across the region while contributing to the smooth operation of our schools and business units.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Operations

• Manage and process purchase requirements for schools within the region.
• Maintain and update the regional procurement tracker to reflect purchase status.
• Monitor timely delivery of goods and services to schools.
• Ensure all procurement activities comply with company policies, UAE regulations, and ethical standards.
• Oversee vendor onboarding, due diligence, contract administration, and performance evaluation.
• Maintain the approved vendor list and explore new supply sources.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders (finance, operations, academic departments) to align procurement with organizational goals.
• Participate in purchase order close-out activities and maintain complete documentation.
• Liaise with vendors to resolve operational issues and ensure smooth delivery.

Compliance & Documentation

• Coordinate the collection, verification, and archiving of compliance documents for procurement transactions and vendor onboarding.
• Conduct annual compliance reviews and maintain accurate vendor documentation.
• Maintain contracts database for all managed vendors.
• Support internal and external audits by providing procurement records.
• Ensure adherence to Health, Safety, Environment, and Security (HSES) policies.
• Provide guidance on procurement processes and mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risks.

Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

• Establish and monitor clear SLAs for procurement processes, including requisition turnaround, vendor onboarding, compliance checks, and delivery schedules.
• Track procurement activities against SLAs using ERP systems (e.g., NetSuite) and regional trackers.
• Communicate SLA expectations and progress to schools, departments, and vendors.
• Address SLA deviations and implement corrective actions to maintain performance standards.
• Prepare regular SLA compliance reports for management review.

What We're Looking For

• Proven experience in procurement or supply chain management
• Strong organisational, tracking, and multitasking skills
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities effectively
• Experience managing vendor relationships and procurement processes
• Familiarity with compliance documentation and contract administration
• Strong attention to detail and record-keeping skills

Desirable

• Professional qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain, or Business Administration (e.g. CIPS, CPM, or equivalent)
• Experience using ERP systems, ideally NetSuite
• Experience supporting procurement activities across multiple sites or regions
• Knowledge of UAE procurement regulations and best practices
• Experience monitoring service level agreements (SLAs) and supplier performance

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced procurement professional to join a growing organisation and play a key role in supporting schools across the Middle East region.
Cognita is committed to safeguarding the welfare of children and young people and expects the same from its employees. All new staff will be subject to detailed and enhanced pre-employment clearance, including identity checks, criminal background checks for all countries lived in, qualification checks, employment checks to include an exploration of any gaps in employment, and satisfactory reference checks for all employment in the last 10 year s.