Specialist - Procurement Inflight & Catering

Dubai Aviation Corporation; Dubai; On-site; AED 350,000 - 520,000; Full time

Job summary

Dubai Aviation Corporation seeks a senior procurement professional to lead end-to-end procurement for inflight catering, onboard products, and related services across the airline network, covering sourcing, tendering, supplier relationships, contract administration, and regulatory compliance.

The role requires 4+ years in procurement, preferably in airline catering or hospitality procurement, with a CIPS or equivalent certification, strong negotiation, cost optimization, and SRM skills to

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with 3+ years in procurement roles.
• Fluent in English; additional languages are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end procurement for inflight catering, onboard products, and related services.
• Lead sourcing, tendering, evaluation, negotiation, and contract management to ensure value and continuity.
• Ensure compliance with aviation regulations, food safety standards, and company policies.

Skills

English fluency

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business Administration, or Hospitality Management

Procurement/Supply Chain Certification (CIPS or similar)

Job description

MAIN OBJECTIVE OF ROLE

To manage the end-to-end procurement activities related to inflight catering operations, onboard products, catering services, and associated operational support contracts across the airline network, encompassing strategic sourcing, tender management, supplier relationship management, contract administration, operational continuity, cost optimization, quality assurance, and compliance with airline, aviation, food safety, and regulatory standards.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manages the full procurement lifecycle for inflight catering and related operational services including sourcing, tendering, evaluation, negotiation, award, implementation, and contract management to achieve cost efficiency, service quality, and operational continuity.
• Supports new route launches, network expansion, and operational changes by sourcing suitable catering solutions within required timelines.
• Monitors all incoming documentation related to contract performance and ensure all procurement and contractual actions comply with flydubai policies, aviation regulations, and applicable government requirements.
• Ensures all contracts, purchase orders, and award documentation are prepared accurately and issued on time to avoid operational disruption or delayed implementation.
• Negotiates commercial terms, pricing structures, service level agreements (SLAs), rebates, penalties, escalation clauses, and operational KPIs with suppliers to achieve best value for the company.
• Drives continuous improvement initiatives with suppliers to enhance service quality, food presentation, innovation, sustainability, and passenger experience.
• Maintain strong Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) practices with strategic and operational vendors across the network, ensuring effective management of supplier performance and contract compliance to support consistent service delivery, regulatory adherence, and uninterrupted availability of catering products and services.
• Develops contingency and backup supplier strategies to minimize operational risk and ensure business continuity during disruptions.
• Coordinate regular business reviews with caterers and suppliers to address performance gaps, monitor supplier performance and contract compliance, and implement corrective action plans.
• Monitors supplier capacity, operational readiness, and service continuity during peak operations, disruptions, and irregular operations.
• Guides and supports the procurement team in preparing comprehensive commercial and financial evaluations of supplier proposals for management approval and conducts spend analysis, budgeting support, cost modeling, savings tracking, and financial reporting across the inflight catering portfolio.
• Identifies and implements cost optimization opportunities while maintaining required product and service standards and supports invoice dispute resolution, pricing validation, and commercial reconciliation with suppliers and Finance teams.
• Acts as a key procurement focal point for inflight-related operational issues and supplier escalations.
• Coordinates closely with Inflight Services, Catering Operations, Finance, Quality Assurance, Legal, Flight Operations, Supply Chain, and external suppliers to ensure uninterrupted delivery of catering products and services while achieving commercial savings, service excellence, and operational efficiency in line with industry benchmarks.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree (3+ years)
• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Business Administration, Hospitality Management.
• Fluent in English (other languages an advantage)
• Minimum 4 years of procurement experience, preferably within Airline inflight catering, Aviation services, Hospitality procurement, Food & Beverage sourcing.
• Years with qualifications: 7 - 9 years
• Procurement/Supply Chain Certification (CIPS or similar)

COMPETENCIES

• Customer Focus
• Teamwork
• Effective Communication
• Personal Accountability & Commitment to achieve
• Resilience & Flexibility (Can do attitude)
• Decision Making
• Inspiring & Developing Others
• Strategic Thinking
• Business Acumen

ISR REQUIREMENTS

Reads and complies with the ISR policies of the Company and diligently reports any weakness or incidents to the respective Line Manager or the Information Security team. Completes all required ISR awareness sessions and follows associated guidelines in the day-to-day business operations.