Procurement Lead

PSA Chennai (Chennai International Terminals Pvt Ltd); Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,200,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading maritime company in Chennai is seeking a Procurement Manager to lead their procurement team. This role involves establishing procurement KPIs, managing supplier relationships, and ensuring compliance with the company's policies. Candidates should have substantial procurement experience, strong vendor negotiation skills, and proficiency in Oracle Fusion. The position offers an exciting opportunity to drive strategic sourcing initiatives within a dynamic maritime environment.

Qualifications

• 10 years of procurement experience, with 3–5 years in a leadership role.
• Strong track record of vendor negotiations and supplier performance.
• Fluent in written and spoken English.
• Proven ability to manage both operational and strategic procurement in a complex environment.
• Strong vendor negotiations, contract management, and supplier performance.
• Mandatory experience using Oracle Fusion (or equivalent ERP/S2P systems).
• Experience in port operations, logistics, or heavy engineering preferred.
• Fluent English in written and spoken communication.
• Leadership and team development skills to mentor a high-performing team.
• Ability to balance strategic sourcing with day-to-day operations.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the procurement team.
• Establish procurement KPIs and ensure adherence.
• Manage vendor performance through KPIs.
• Build team capability through training, coaching, and system adoption.
• Ensure timely start and close of procurement processes to meet project timelines.
• Develop end-user scoring matrix and quarterly scorecards.
• Manage day-to-day sourcing, spot buys, and vendor follow-ups.
• Consolidate demand and optimize BU-level procurement processes.
• Coordinate with Finance to ensure budget adherence and DOA compliance.
• Ensure vendor onboarding and Oracle Fusion training ahead of tender launches.
• Execute BU-level strategic sourcing projects with central procurement.
• Support country-wide ARC/BPA initiatives and vendor negotiations.
• Lead vendor identification, negotiations, and contracting within BU thresholds.
• Monitor vendor performance with KPIs and reviews.

Skills

Vendor negotiations

Contract management

Leadership

Analytical skills

Compliance adherence

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field

Tools

Oracle Fusion

Job description

Overview

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Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and manage the Chennai procurement team (buyers and sourcing manager).
• Establish BU-level procurement KPIs, SLAs, and ensure adherence to PSA India procurement standards.
• Act as the escalation point for supplier disputes and complex procurement issues.
• Build team capability through training, coaching, and system adoption.
• Ensure timely start and close of procurement process flows in order to meet the agreed project timelines with user department.
• Develop and maintain an end user scoring matrix to evaluate effectiveness of scope of work delivered by user departments. Score cards to be shared on a quarterly basis.
• Ensure smooth PR-to-PO cycle, with focus on accuracy, timeliness, and compliance.
• Manage day-to-day sourcing, spot buys, and vendor follow-ups to support BU operations.
• Consolidate demand, engage stakeholders, and optimize BU-level procurement processes.
• Work with Finance to ensure budget adherence and compliance with DOA (Delegation of Authority).
• Ensure user department compliance to procurement and finance policies.
• Ensure vendor onboarding, license provision and Oracle Fusion training is done well ahead of tender launch.
• Execute BU-level strategic sourcing projects in collaboration with central procurement.
• Support country-wide ARC/BPA initiatives and strategic vendor negotiations.
• Lead vendor identification, negotiations, and contracting within BU thresholds.
• Monitor vendor performance through KPIs, scorecards, and regular reviews.
• Maintain and expand supplier base, ensuring resilience, quality, and cost competitiveness.

Compliance & Governance

• Ensure all procurement activities comply with PSA India and PSA Group policies, SOPs, and regulatory requirements.
• Review existing processes and update according to best practices stipulated by PSA India and PSA Group Procurement policies.
• Drive adoption of Oracle Fusion for end-to-end procurement transactions.
• Provide accurate BU-level reports for savings, compliance, vendor performance, and cycle times.
• Maintain and track KPIs as encouraged by PSA Group Procurement.
• Act as the first line of defense for compliance lapses, escalating as necessary.

Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Engagement

• Partner with BU stakeholders to align procurement with operational priorities.
• Collaborate with Engineering, Operations, Finance, and IT teams for seamless procurement execution.
• Provide insights and market intelligence to BU leadership and central procurement.
• Actively challenge status quo and recommend innovative procurement solutions.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Engineering, or related field.
• 10 years of procurement experience, with at least 3–5 years in a leadership role.
• Proven ability to manage both operational and strategic procurement in a complex environment.
• Strong track record of vendor negotiations, contract management, and supplier performance.
• Mandatory experience in using Oracle Fusion (or equivalent ERP/S2P systems).
• Experience in port operations, logistics, or heavy engineering environment preferred.
• Fluent and highly competent in written and spoken English.
• Fluent Communicator – able to influence, challenge, and engage stakeholders.
• Leadership & Team Development – build and mentor a high-performing team.
• Strategic & Tactical Balance – execute sourcing projects while managing day-to-day operations.
• Compliance & Governance Orientation – strict adherence to PSA policies.
• Analytical & Process Driven – use dashboards, KPIs, and systems to drive decisions.
• Change Driver – challenges status quo and implements new solutions.

Seniority level

• Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Purchasing

Industries

• Maritime Transportation and Boilers, Tanks, and Shipping Container Manufacturing