Head of Procurement, APMA & NOCC-KL

Novartis; Selangor; On-site; USD 150,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

A global healthcare company in Selangor is seeking a Head of Procurement to lead procurement strategy and drive excellence across the APMA region. The ideal candidate will have 15–20 years of experience in procurement, strong leadership abilities, and a passion for innovation. This strategic role involves negotiating high-value contracts and fostering collaboration across departments to support organizational goals. Join us to make a real impact in healthcare.

Qualifications

• 15–20+ years of procurement experience across multiple categories and geographies.
• Proven leadership in category management and supplier relationship management.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the annual purchasing strategy.
• Lead the creation of annual procurement business plans.
• Negotiate high-value contracts and ensure cost efficiency.

Skills

Procurement expertise

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation skills

Leadership

Strategic sourcing

Job description

Summary

Head of Procurement – APMA & NOCC - KL

Location: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia

Work Type

About the Role:

Welcome to where we thrive together! At Novartis, we are committed to fostering a dynamic, inclusive, and high-performing environment to address some of the toughest healthcare challenges. As the Head of Procurement for APMA and NOCC - KL, you will play a pivotal role in driving procurement excellence across the APMA region and the NOCC - KL site. This is a strategic leadership position that requires deep procurement expertise, cross-functional collaboration, and a passion for innovation and sustainability.

Major accountabilities:

• Develop and implement the annual purchasing strategy for the APMA region and NOCC - KL, ensuring alignment with global procurement objectives and long-term organizational goals.
• Lead the creation of annual procurement business plans and help build best-in-class benchmarks to drive performance excellence.
• Identify and execute innovative sourcing strategies, manage key supplier relationships, and collaborate with internal stakeholders to advance procurement initiatives.
• Negotiate high-value contracts ($100M–$750M), ensuring cost efficiency, supply security, and adherence to quality and service standards.
• Oversee the implementation and utilization of procurement systems and tools to streamline processes, track KPIs, and provide accurate performance reporting.
• Serve as a representative of the global procurement function at the local Corporate Centre, contributing to the Site Leadership Team (SLT) and driving cross-functional alignment.
• Sponsor and lead corporate, global, and local initiatives, fostering collaboration across organizational domains and promoting a OneNovartis culture.
• Represent the organization externally at conferences and events while ensuring strategic alignment with SLT members.
• Drive associate engagement, functional capability development, and talent exchange initiatives, supporting change management and people development efforts.

Minimum Requirements

Work Experience:

• 15–20+ years of procurement experience across multiple categories and geographies.
• Proven leadership in category management, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management.
• Experience leading regional or divisional procurement teams with accountability for spend, compliance, and performance.
• Demonstrated success in transformational initiatives (e.g., digital procurement, automation, operating model redesign).
• Strong cross-functional collaboration experience (e.g., finance, legal, IT, operations).
• Experience managing global or regional vendor relationships and negotiating high-value contracts.

Languages:

• Fluent in English (written and spoken).

Why Novartis:

Helping people with disease and their families takes more than innovative science. It takes a community of smart, passionate people like you. Collaborating, supporting and inspiring each other. Combining to achieve breakthroughs that change patients’ lives. Ready to create a brighter future together? Learn more

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Benefits and Rewards:

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