Procurement Executive (Direct Materials)

Chery Malaysia; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 60,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Chery Malaysia is seeking a Procurement Executive (Direct Materials) to lead strategic sourcing, localization, and supplier development. The role collaborates with Quality, Engineering, Operations and cross-functional teams to ensure local content, cost competitiveness, and timely delivery.

You will maintain master purchasing data, perform cost benchmarking and forex monitoring, and drive ILP milestones with internal stakeholders and suppliers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in SCM, procurement, business or engineering.
• Minimum 3 years in procurement or supplier management in automotive/manufacturing.
• Experience in direct materials sourcing and localization.
• Strong cost analysis, negotiation, and market trend awareness.
• Proficient with SAP and Excel; familiarity with supplier systems.

Responsibilities

• Strategic sourcing and localization planning with local suppliers.
• Assess suppliers' capabilities, quality, and delivery readiness.
• Negotiate prices and manage cost-reduction initiatives.
• Monitor supplier performance and track ILP milestones.
• Maintain supplier data and documentation compliance.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Localization

Supplier management

Cost analysis

Negotiation

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Cross-functional collaboration

Project management

Procurement processes

Education

Bachelor's degree in SCM / procurement / related field

Tools

SAP

Microsoft Excel

Job description

The Procurement Executive (Direct Materials) is responsible for supplier sourcing, localization, supplier development, cost management, and procurement activities for direct materials. The role works closely with Quality, Engineering, Operations, and other cross-functional teams to ensure supplier capability, cost competitiveness, quality, and timely delivery in line with business and localization requirements.

Responsibilities

1. Strategic Sourcing & Localization

• Interpret localization policies, regulations, and content requirements to develop and execute strategic sourcing plans that maximize local supply base integration.
• Identify, evaluate, and qualify new and potential suppliers based on business requirements, manufacturing capacity, technical capability, and commercial competitiveness.
• Support localization initiatives by identifying suitable local suppliers and opportunities to increase local content.
• Coordinate and participate in supplier qualification and capability audits, with primary responsibility for assessing commercial and procurement capabilities.
• Support cross-functional teams in evaluating suppliers' production capabilities, quality systems, and operational readiness.
• Monitor supplier performance and work closely with Quality, Engineering, and Operations teams to troubleshoot and resolve Quality, Cost, and Delivery (QCD) issues.
• Manage supplier relationships throughout the supplier lifecycle, including onboarding, profile registration, documentation compliance, and regular supplier database updates.
• Monitor supplier development timelines and track key project milestones, including sample submission and approval.
• Coordinate and monitor tooling fabrication, qualification, and readiness to ensure project requirements are met.
• Follow up closely with suppliers and internal stakeholders to ensure timely completion of deliverables and on‑time project implementation.

4. Cost & Purchasing Management

• Maintain, monitor, and update master purchasing prices and related procurement records.
• Conduct periodic cost benchmarking and price variance analysis to ensure purchasing prices remain competitive and commercially reasonable.
• Monitor market factors such as foreign exchange (forex) and commodity trends that may impact material costs.
• Identify and execute cost‑reduction initiatives through supplier negotiation, benchmarking, localization, and other sourcing strategies.
• Compile, monitor, and track Industrial/Initial Localization Program (ILP) milestones, activities, and deliverables.
• Coordinate with relevant internal stakeholders and suppliers to ensure ILP schedules, targets, and localization requirements are achieved.
• Maintain accurate records and provide regular updates on localization progress and project status.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business, Engineering, or a related field.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in procurement, purchasing, strategic sourcing, or supplier management, preferably within the automotive or manufacturing industry.
• Experience in direct materials procurement, supplier sourcing, localization, or supplier development will be an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of cost analysis, supplier negotiation, purchasing price management, and localization activities.
• Proficient in SAP and Microsoft Excel; experience with supplier management systems is an advantage.
• Familiarity with contract management, supplier relationship management, and procurement processes.
• Good understanding of pricing strategies, foreign exchange (forex), and commodity trends.
• Good understanding of Malaysia's automotive policies and localization requirements.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, problem‑solving, and cross‑functional collaboration skills.
• Able to manage multiple suppliers, projects, and deadlines in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment.