Head of Procurement, APMA & NOCC-KL

Novartis Farmacéutica; Selangor; Hybrid; MYR 250,000 - 350,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading pharmaceutical company in Malaysia is seeking a Head of Procurement to drive procurement excellence within the APMA region. This strategic leadership position requires extensive experience in procurement, managing high-value contracts, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate should have over 15 years of procurement experience and be fluent in English. The role offers a hybrid work environment and is critical for advancing procurement initiatives.

Qualifications

• 15–20+ years of procurement experience across multiple categories and geographies.
• Proven leadership in category management, strategic sourcing, 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.
• Negotiate high-value contracts ($100M–$750M).
• Oversee the implementation of procurement systems.

Skills

Procurement expertise

Cross-functional collaboration

Leadership

Contract negotiation

Supplier relationship management

Job description

Head of Procurement – APMA & NOCC - KL
Location: Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Work Type: #LI-Hybrid

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.

About the Role

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 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.
• 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? https://www.novartis.com/about/strategy/people-and-culture

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