Head Purchases

Altraize; Chennai District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Altraize in India seeks an experienced procurement leader to drive strategic supplier development and category management for rubber and plastic verticals. You will lead cost benchmarks, supplier audits, and alternate sourcing strategies to stabilize supply and costs.

The role requires 15+ years in strategic procurement within the automotive component sector, with a strong focus on governance, CAPEX procurement, and cross-functional collaboration with finance and production teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering/technology or equivalent.
• MBA/PGDM in SCM/Operations/Materials Management preferred.
• Certifications CPSM, CSCP, DMM, Six Sigma/Lean preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify, evaluate, and develop suppliers for BOP across Rubber and Plastic verticals.
• Lead cost benchmarking, market trend analysis, and alternate source development to mitigate cost fluctuations.
• Define and implement category-wise sourcing strategies for rubber raw materials, polymers, and tooling assets.
• Create procurement policies and SOPs aligned with ISO/TS and environmental standards (REACH, ROHS).
• Lead governance through vendor onboarding, conflict-of-interest declarations, and annual price revision audits.
• Oversee Capex procurement lifecycle from RFQ to commissioning and AMC contracts; manage procurement budgets.
• Approve vendor selections, conduct commercial evaluations, and ensure risk and viability checks before awarding contracts.
• Maintain real-time SAP/ERP dashboards; prepare weekly/monthly MIS for board-level reviews.
• Conduct capability assessments, talent reviews, and training focused on automotive industry sourcing norms.
• Manage a team of category buyers and procurement staff; establish KPIs such as lead time, savings, and RFQ turnaround.

Skills

Supplier relationship management

Strategic negotiations

Cost optimization

Sourcing strategy

Team leadership

Procurement analytics

Capex procurement

Risk management

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering/Technology

MBA/PGDM in SCM/Operations/Materials Management

Tools

SAP/ERP

MS Excel

Job description

• Identify, evaluate, and develop suppliers for BOP across Rubber and Plastic verticals.
• Ensure cost-effective and timely sourcing of all bought-out items.
• Benchmark pricing and negotiate contracts to ensure commercial advantage.
• Define and implement category-wise sourcing strategies for rubber raw materials (e.g., NR, SBR, EPDM), polymers, and tooling assets.
• Create procurement policies and SOPs that align with ISO/TS and environmental standards (REACH, ROHS, etc.).
• Lead cost benchmarking, market trend analysis, and alternate source development to reduce dependency and cost fluctuations.

Supplier Management & Strategic Negotiations:

• Build strong relationships with key vendors for both verticals.
• Conduct periodic audits and performance reviews (OTD, quality, cost competitiveness).
• Develop alternate sources to mitigate risks.

Governance, Compliance & Audit:

• Implement procurement governance frameworks including vendor onboarding, conflict-of-interest declarations, and annual price revision audits.
• Ensure adherence to IATF 16949 audit requirements, PPAP documentation, and traceability of vendor records.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams for internal and external audits (e.g., OEM or Tier 1 audits).

Capex Planning & Cost Optimization:

• Manage entire Capex procurement lifecycle from technical RFQ to commissioning support and AMC contracts.
• Develop annual and project-based procurement budgets in collaboration with finance and production planning teams.
• Execute cost-saving initiatives such as should-cost modelling, supplier consolidation, and make-vs-buy analysis.

Final Approvals & Decision-Making:

• Approve vendor selections, commercial evaluations, and release of high-value PO’s in line with delegation of authority.
• Ensure risk assessments and commercial viability checks are completed prior to awarding contracts.
• Support top management with procurement insights for business expansion and capex investment projects.
• Manage a team of category buyers, purchase executives, and technical sourcing specialists.
• Establish team KPIs such as procurement lead time, cost savings %, RFQ turnaround time, and vendor engagement score.
• Conduct capability assessments, talent reviews, and technical training focused on automotive industry sourcing norms.

MIS, Reporting & Management Presentation:

• Maintain real-time dashboards on SAP/ERP covering spend visibility, contract lifecycle, price trends, and vendor performance.
• Prepare weekly/monthly procurement MIS for board-level review and strategy presentations for OEM customer visits.
• Present cost-benefit analyses, procurement pipelines, and investment justifications to the management and board.

Educational Qualification:

• Bachelor’s in Engineering or Technology.
• MBA / PGDM in Supply Chain Management, Operations, or Materials Management.

Additional Certifications (Preferred, Not Mandatory):

• Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
• Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
• Diploma in Materials Management (DMM)
• Six Sigma / Lean Manufacturing Certification

Experience:

• 15+ years in Strategic Procurement in Automotive Component Industry.