Lead - Procurement (BESS)

Suzlon Group; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Suzlon Group is seeking a Lead Procurement to drive sourcing across cells, PCS, EMS and BoS for wind and energy storage projects. You will design RFQs, engage suppliers, negotiate prices, and close LTAs with global and Chinese manufacturers, while ensuring robust cost intelligence and risk controls.

This role anchors the storage sourcing strategy, collaborates with Product Engineering, and leads cross-functional teams to optimize landed costs and project economics.

Qualifications

• Experience in BESS, battery, energy storage or large-capex sourcing.
• Proven track record closing LTAs / framework agreements at GWh scale.
• Exposure to Tier-1 global and Chinese suppliers; audit experience.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end procurement lifecycle — RFQ design, supplier nomination, techno-commercial evaluation, LTA negotiation and PO/contract closure.
• Lead price negotiations with Tier-1 global and Chinese suppliers; close framework agreements and LTAs.
• Develop and manage the China and India vendor ecosystem — identification, onboarding, qualification and ESG/compliance alignment.
• Coordinate with Finance, Legal, Tax and Logistics on China-to-India delivery models and landed-cost optimization.
• Drive cost intelligence and should-cost benchmarks; maintain live cost-tracker and dashboards.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Lifecycle management

Negotiation

Vendor development

Cross-functional coordination

Cost modelling

Supply chain

Education

B.Tech in Electrical / Electronics / Mechanical / Energy

MBA / PGDM

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

ROLE MANDATE

The Lead Procurement is a sourcing-led, deal-closing leader who runs the full commercial cycle — RFQ design, supplier engagement, price negotiation, LTA closure and PO execution — across cells, PCS, EMS, balance-of-system and container-level packages.

The role anchors Suzlon's storage sourcing strategy, enabling Wind, Hybrid and FDRE growth through competitively sourced LFP-based solutions and bankable long-term supply arrangements. It owns supplier relationships, framework agreements, cost intelligence and contract execution end-to-end, drawing technical inputs (specs, warranty structures, qualification packs) from Product Engineering.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Sourcing & Lifecycle

• Own the full procurement lifecycle — RFQ design, supplier nomination, techno-commercial evaluation, LTA negotiation and PO / contract closure — for cells, PCS, EMS, transformers and electrical BoS
• Establish BESS OEM (cell, balance-of-container) partnerships; run framework, project and rate-contract structures at multi-GWh scale – China Experience dealing with Hithium, EVEE, CALB, CATL etc is compulsory
• Drive a disciplined, risk-managed Low-Cost-Country sourcing strategy

Cost Intelligence & Should-Cost

• Track raw-material markets (lithium, cobalt, nickel, electrolyte, separators, copper, aluminium) and translate movement into negotiation positions
• Build bottom-up should-cost models from raw material through cell, module, pack and container level
• Develop should-cost benchmarks for PCS, EMS, transformers and balance-of-system to anchor negotiations
• Maintain a live cost-tracker and index dashboard feeding negotiations, bid pricing and management reviews

Negotiation & Deal Closure

• Lead price negotiations with Tier-1 global and Chinese suppliers, owning final commercial outcomes
• Close framework agreements and LTAs covering supply, warranty and performance guarantees — with payment milestones, performance LDs and technology-risk mitigation clauses
• Use Product Engineering's technical inputs (warranty structures, degradation limits, throughput guarantees) to drive defensible deals
• Run structured multi-round negotiations and reverse auctions, where suitable, to secure best-and-final pricing

Vendor Development & Quality Governance

• Develop and manage the China and India vendor ecosystem — identification, onboarding, qualification and ESG / compliance alignment
• Conduct supplier audits, QAP reviews and factory capability assessments; manage performance via scorecards and corrective-action tracking
• Execute FATs at supplier facilities and negotiate equipment-supply contracts for the plant(s)
• Drive supplier localization and second-source development to de-risk supply and support DCR / Make-in-India goals

Contracting & Commercial Safeguards

• Own contract closure end-to-end — LOI / LOA, PO, master supply agreements and amendments through ERP
• Structure payment terms, ABG / PBG, LC processing and milestone-linked releases per treasury and risk policy
• Maintain dispatch trackers, contract registers and post-PO governance with cross-functional teams

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Take specs and qualification from Head – Technical / Product Engineering; final commercial decisions sit with this role
• Work with Finance, Legal, Tax and Logistics on China-to-India delivery models, INCO terms and landed-cost optimisation
• Support BD and tendering with RFQ flow-down, indicative pricing and commercial-risk inputs

SUCCESS MEASURES

• LTA coverage: Framework agreements / LTAs in place for the majority of cell and critical sub-system volumes
• Cost competitiveness: Negotiated prices benchmarked against should-cost; demonstrated cost-down versus market
• Supplier quality: Supplier audits and QAP reviews completed; FATs cleared; scorecard performance on track
• Execution: On-time PO / contract closure with commercial safeguards (payment terms, LDs, guarantees) in place
• Working capital: Payment terms and trade instruments structured to protect cash and optimise landed cost

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Experience & Background

• 7–10 years in BESS, battery, energy storage, power-equipment or large-capex sourcing roles
• Proven track record of closing LTAs / framework agreements at GWh scale on cells, PCS, EMS or container-level packages
• Strong exposure to Tier-1 global and Chinese cell / PCS / EMS suppliers, with hands-on factory-visit and audit experience
• Hands-on experience structuring LC / BG instruments and milestone-linked payment terms with global suppliers

Domain Expertise

• Demonstrated bottom-up cost-modelling capability across cell, module, pack and balance-of-system
• Sharp commercial negotiation skills — warranty, LDs, payment terms and risk-sharing clauses
• Ability to combine commercial depth with technical fluency to engage global manufacturers credibly
• Working knowledge of cross-border trade — INCO terms, customs / BCD, GST and landed-cost optimisation for China-to-India delivery

Education

• B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Energy or related discipline
• MBA / PGDM in Operations, Supply Chain or Strategy preferred