Assistant Manager - Procurement (Spices)

Dehaat Honest Farms; Hyderabad, Bengaluru; On-site; INR 600,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Dehaat Honest Farms is seeking a results-oriented professional to manage end-to-end spices procurement. You will identify reliable suppliers, develop sourcing networks, negotiate prices, and ensure quality and timely availability of spices per business needs.

The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in spices procurement, strong knowledge of agricultural commodities, supplier management, market intelligence, and quality parameters.

Qualifications

• Experience in sourcing spices or agricultural commodities.
• Knowledge of quality parameters and grading for spices.
• Willingness to travel to mandis and supplier facilities.
• MS Excel proficiency for procurement reporting.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end procurement of spices (turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander, pepper).
• Identify and develop supplier networks including farmers and traders.
• Source commodities from key markets and mandis with quality control.
• Coordinate with Quality, Finance, Warehouse and Supply Chain teams.
• Monitor procurement costs, negotiate terms and ensure timely delivery.

Skills

Spices procurement

Supplier management

Market intelligence

Negotiation

Quality control

Excel skills

Travel to mandis

Communication skills

Education

B.Sc Agriculture

MBA Agri-Business

Food Technology

Job description

ABOUT COMPANYDeHaat, a leading Agri-Tech organization, offers end-to-end solutions to India's farmers using AI technologies. With a presence in 12 states, 11,000+DeHaatCenters, and 503 FPOs, we impact 1.8 million+ farmers. Our AI crop advisory covers 30+ crops in regional languages. Founded by top institute alumni,DeHaatis fully funded, achieving consecutive Great Place to Work certifications. Recognized by NASSCOM, Forbes, ET, Niti Aayog, and Bill Gates Foundation, our 14-year journey reflects impactful innovation in the agricultural sector.

About DeHaat Honest Farms:

DeHaat Honest Farms is the FMCG arm of DeHaat one of India's fastest-growing agritech startups. We bring pesticide-free, and residue-free food products from Indian farms to urban consumers through leading e-commerce and quick commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, and Blinkit.

Job Overview

We are looking for a result-oriented professional to manage end-to-end procurement and sourcing of spices. The role involves identifying reliable suppliers, developing sourcing networks, negotiating prices, ensuring quality compliance, and managing procurement operations to ensure timely availability of spices as per business requirements.

The ideal candidate should have hands-on experience in spices procurement, strong knowledge of agricultural commodities, supplier management, market intelligence and quality parameters.

Key Responsibilities

1. Spices Procurement & Sourcing

• Manage end-to-end procurement of spices such as turmeric, chilli, cumin, coriander, black pepper and other dry commodities.
• Identify, evaluate and develop reliable supplier networks, including farmers, FPOs, aggregators, traders and processors.
• Source commodities from key production markets and mandis.
• Ensure timely procurement in line with business demand, quality specifications and budget.
• Develop direct sourcing channels to improve procurement efficiency and cost competitiveness.

2. Supplier & Vendor Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers, traders, FPOs and other sourcing partners.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms and procurement conditions.
• Evaluate supplier performance based on quality, pricing, reliability and delivery timelines.
• Conduct supplier visits and market assessments to identify new sourcing opportunities.

3. Quality Management & Compliance

• Ensure procured spices meet defined quality specifications and customer requirements.
• Monitor critical quality parameters such as moisture, foreign matter, infestation, colour, volatile oil and purity.
• Coordinate with the Quality team for sampling, testing and approval of materials.
• Ensure compliance with food safety and regulatory requirements, including FSSAI and applicable export standards.
• Monitor pesticide residue, aflatoxin, heavy metals and other relevant contamination parameters.

4. Market Intelligence & Cost Management

• Track mandi prices, seasonal trends, crop availability and market fluctuations.
• Conduct market surveys and maintain updated procurement price benchmarks.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities without compromising quality.
• Analyse procurement costs and support budgeting and forecasting activities.

5. Procurement Operations & Coordination

• Coordinate with Quality, Finance, Warehouse, Supply Chain and Operations teams.
• Monitor purchase orders, material dispatches, deliveries and GRN processes.
• Ensure proper documentation and maintain procurement records.
• Track inventory availability and plan procurement based on demand and seasonality.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of spice commodities, agricultural markets and procurement practices.
• Knowledge of quality parameters and grading standards for different spices.
• Good negotiation, vendor management and relationship-building skills.
• Strong analytical and market research capabilities.
• Proficiency in MS Excel and procurement reporting.
• Ability to travel to mandis, sourcing locations and supplier facilities.
• Strong communication, coordination and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Experience

• 3+ years of experience in sourcing and procurement of spices or other agricultural commodities.
• B.Sc. Agriculture / MBA Agri-Business / Food Technology or relevant qualification
• Exposure to domestic spice markets, mandis and agricultural supply chains.
• Understanding of food safety standards, quality testing and export requirements.
• Experience working with FPOs, farmers, aggregators and traders will be an added advantage.