Head of Procurement

Quaker Houghton; Kolkata Metropolitan Area; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Quaker Houghton in Kolkata, India seeks an experienced Senior Procurement Manager to lead procurement activities nationwide and drive strategic value through direct and indirect sourcing.

Reporting to the APAC Procurement Director, you will shape category strategies, manage supplier portfolios, optimize costs, and build procurement capability across India while ensuring compliance and safe operations.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive procurement and sourcing experience.
• Experience leading procurement teams and influencing senior stakeholders.
• Proven track record managing large supplier portfolios and complex sourcing programmes.
• Expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier relationship management, and contract negotiations.
• Experience with large-scale manufacturing, CAPEX projects, and supplier development.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement strategy and sourcing across direct and indirect spend.
• Manage a diverse supplier portfolio spanning manufacturing and operations in India.
• Drive strategic sourcing for major operational and CAPEX projects.
• Coach and develop procurement talent and build capability across India.
• Develop category strategies focused on cost optimization, risk mitigation and supplier innovation.
• Lead complex supplier negotiations, contract development, and performance management.
• Drive localisation and tolling strategies in India and collaborate with global stakeholders.
• Enhance procurement excellence through digital tools, analytics and process improvements.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Cost optimization

Procurement leadership

Supplier relationship management

Contract negotiations

Digital procurement tools

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering

MBA or postgraduate qualification

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain

Business Administration

Tools

ERP procurement systems

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)

Spend analytics tools

e-sourcing platforms

Job description

At Quaker Houghton, we are experts in the development, production and application of industrial process fluids, lubricants and coatings for the manufacturing industry. We have been an integral part in the growth of the world’s largest industrial and manufacturing companies from aerospace and automotive to primary metal and energy. Today, we have a global presence, with our corporate headquarters located in Conshohocken, PA. Quaker Houghton is a global publicly traded company with a unique collaborative culture that supports career growth for its colleagues and offers competitive compensation and benefit programs.

About The Job

We are seeking an experienced Senior Procurement Manager, India (Head of Procurement, India) to lead procurement activities across the country and drive strategic value creation through both direct and indirect sourcing.

Reporting to the Procurement Director, APAC, this role serves as the senior procurement leader for India and acts as a key strategic partner to the General Manager India, Plant Operations, Finance, Commercial teams, and Global Sourcing teams.

This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for procurement strategy execution, supplier relationship management, cost optimization, supply continuity, CAPEX project support, and capability building as Quaker Houghton continues to expand its operations in India.

What You'll Do

• Lead procurement strategy and sourcing activities across both direct and indirect spend categories.
• Manage a diverse supplier portfolio supporting manufacturing and business operations across India.
• Lead strategic sourcing and procurement activities across a significant spend portfolio, including support for major operational and capital investment projects.
• Lead, coach, and develop procurement talent while building long‑term procurement capability across India.
• Develop and execute category strategies focused on cost optimization, supply assurance, risk mitigation, supplier innovation, and sustainability.
• Support plant expansion and capacity improvement projects through procurement leadership and execution.
• Lead complex supplier negotiations, contract development, and supplier performance management.
• Drive supplier development, localisation initiatives, and contract manufacturing (tolling) strategies in India.
• Partner closely with Operations, Commercial, Finance, Legal, R&D, Supply Chain, and Global Procurement stakeholders to achieve business objectives.
• Drive procurement excellence through digital procurement tools, analytics, and process improvements.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable Indian statutory and regulatory requirements.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a procurement leader who combines strategic thinking with strong execution capabilities and thrives in a dynamic multinational environment.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• 12+ years of progressive procurement and sourcing experience.
• Strong experience working within multinational organisations.
• Proven leadership experience managing procurement teams and influencing senior business stakeholders.
• Demonstrated success managing large supplier portfolios and complex sourcing programmes.
• Expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier relationship management, and contract negotiations.
• Experience supporting large-scale manufacturing, operational improvement, and CAPEX investment projects.
• Strong knowledge of ERP procurement systems and digital sourcing platforms.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience within the chemical, manufacturing, process industry, or large FMCG organisations.
• Experience with CAPEX procurement and contract manufacturing procurement.
• Professional certification such as CIPS, CPSM, ISM, or equivalent.
• MBA or other postgraduate qualification.

Desired Expertise

• Strong knowledge of Indian statutory and regulatory requirements affecting procurement and supply chains, including GST, import/export regulations, contract law, and SOX compliance.
• Hands‑on experience using advanced procurement technologies, including e‑sourcing platforms, e‑auctions, Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems, spend analytics tools, and market intelligence platforms.
• Experience applying should‑cost analysis and clean‑sheet financial modelling to support sourcing decisions and negotiations.
• Strong commercial acumen, analytical capability, and a continuous improvement mindset.

Soft skills: Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, business and financial acumen, excellent communication and stakeholder influencing capabilities, proactive mindset, and ability to drive change. High safety consciousness is a must—safety is at the core of our culture.

Location:

Role based in Kolkata, India (Ruby Hospital area)

Who are we?

We are the global leader in industrial process fluids present in 40+ countries continually improving and innovating so the world’s steel, aluminium, automotive, aircraft, machinery and industrial parts manufacturers can stay ahead in a changing world. Throughout our 100+ locations, our chemists, engineers and industry experts partner with our customers to continually improve their operations so they can run even more efficiently, even more effectively, whatever comes next.

Our values:

• Live Safe
• Act with integrity
• Drive Results
• Do Great Things Together

Our core values embody who we are as a company, guide our decisions and inspire us. Our commitment to these values, in words and actions, builds a safer, stronger Quaker Houghton. They are the fundamental beliefs that guide our internal conduct and our relationship with the outside world.

Join the team and let's do great things together!