Purchase Manager - Packaging

Steel Strips Wheels; Chandigarh; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Steel Strips Wheels in India is seeking an experienced Packaging Procurement lead to manage end-to-end sourcing of packing materials across all plants. You will define packing specs, develop BOMs, and standardize standards to drive cost efficiency.

You will identify regional and national vendors, negotiate terms, and coordinate with Design, Quality, Production and Plant teams for trials, approvals, and timely supply. Experience in SAP transactions is preferred.

Qualifications

• B.Tech / Diploma in Mechanical/Packaging Technology, or Diploma in Packaging preferred.
• Minimum 5–10 years in packing material development and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement of packing materials across all plants.
• Develop and standardize packing specs, BOMs, and packaging standards.
• Drive new packaging development with Design, Quality, Production and Plant teams.
• Identify, develop, and evaluate regional and national vendors.
• Negotiate pricing, terms, contracts for packaging categories.
• Conduct market benchmarking, cost analysis and value engineering.

Skills

End-to-end procurement

Packaging development

Vendor evaluation

Cross-functional coordination

Cost optimization

Education

Diploma in Packaging

B.Tech / Diploma in Mechanical/Packaging Technology

Tools

SAP

Job description

Role & responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end procurement of packing materials such as corrugated boxes, pallets/crates, plastic packaging, films, foams, labels, and other consumables across all plants.
• Develop and standardize packing specifications, BOMs, and packaging standards across plants to ensure commonality and cost efficiency.
• Drive new packaging development for new products in coordination with Design, Quality, Production, and Plant teams, including trials and approvals.
• Identify, develop, and evaluate reliable regional and national vendors, including local sourcing to optimize freight and lead time.
• Negotiate pricing, commercial terms, rate contracts, and long-term agreements for packaging categories.
• Conduct market benchmarking, cost analysis, and value engineering to identify cost-saving opportunities and track savings against budgets.
• Coordinate with plant teams to forecast requirements, manage inventory levels, and ensure timely availability of packing materials.
• Lead returnable/reusable packaging initiatives and manage the complete cycle, including costing, tracking, reconciliation, and loss/damage control.
• Drive sustainable packaging and packaging automation initiatives to reduce costs, improve productivity, and minimize manual dependency.
• Ensure packaging meets customer-specific, transit/export, quality, and testing requirements.
• Monitor supplier performance and audits based on QCDMS parameters and ensure timely resolution of quality/supply issues.
• Ensure timely closure of PRs, POs, GRNs, payments, debit notes, and vendor-related issues while maintaining procurement compliance.
• Handle SAP transactions, vendor master data, rate contracts, AMC/service agreements, and warranty claims related to packaging.
• Support cross-functional packaging improvement and cost optimization projects across all plants.

Required Qualification and Experience:

• B.Tech / Diploma in Mechanical/Packaging Technology, or Graduate/Postgraduate with a Diploma in Packaging (e.g., from the Indian Institute of Packaging) preferred.
• Minimum 5-10 years of experience in packing material development and procurement, preferably in a multi-plant manufacturing/automotive environment.