Purchasing Executive – Indirect Category

Upscale; Malaysia; On-site; MYR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits

Training opportunities

Job summary

Upscale Malaysia is seeking a skilled indirect procurement professional to own end-to-end category management, from strategy to purchase-to-pay execution, in a fast-moving manufacturing environment at Batu Kawan.

You will develop category strategies, lead supplier negotiations, optimize the supplier base, and ensure timely supply while maintaining policy compliance. Ideal candidates have 3–5 years in indirect procurement across multiple categories and strong ERP/SRM experience.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in business, engineering, or related field.
• 3–5 years in indirect procurement or category sourcing within manufacturing.
• Experience across multiple indirect categories (MRO, facilities, IT, utilities).

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies aligning with internal stakeholders.
• Translate requirements into sourcing strategies and lead procurement initiatives.
• Manage end-to-end sourcing processes: supplier ID, RFQs, evaluation, selection, negotiation, contract award.
• Lead negotiations with suppliers for pricing, terms, and delivery performance.
• Build and optimize supplier base to meet current and future needs.
• Oversee operational procurement activities within assigned categories.
• Review requisitions for clear specs, budget alignment, and policy compliance.
• Ensure timely orders, delivery tracking, and coordination with suppliers and internal teams.
• Monitor supplier performance and initiate corrective actions as needed.
• Interface between suppliers and internal functions to resolve issues.
• Identify supply risks and mitigate bottlenecks.

Skills

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

MS Excel

PowerPoint

ERP systems (SAP)

SRM tools (Coupa)

English fluent

Contract law

Incoterms

Time management

Multi-tasking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Supply Chain, or related disciplines

Tools

SAP

Coupa

Job description

Who we are looking for

We are looking for purpose-driven builders: hands-on professionals with entrepreneurial spirit who enjoy setting up structures, improving processes and taking ownership in a fast-moving environment.

As pioneers of our Malaysia site, you will help to shape not only your function, but also how we work together locally — while being connected to a global team of around 1,000 employees from ~60 nationalities across Asia, Europe and the US.

We offer competitive benefits, outstanding technical expertise, development opportunities and training.

Responsibilities

This role is responsible for the end-to-end management of assigned indirect procurement categories, combining strategic category ownership with hands-on involvement in operational procurement activities.

It ensures cost-effective sourcing, reliable supply and efficient execution of the purchase-to-pay process.

• Develop and implement category strategies in close alignment with internal stakeholders, focusing on cost optimization, supplier performance and long-term value creation.
• Translate business requirements into sourcing strategies and lead procurement initiatives to ensure effective and competitive supply solutions.
• Manage end-to-end sourcing processes, including supplier identification, RFQs, evaluation, selection, negotiation and contract award.
• Lead commercial and contractual negotiations with suppliers, ensuring competitive pricing, favorable terms and reliable delivery performance.
• Build, maintain and continuously optimize the supplier base to support current and future business needs.
• Take ownership of operational procurement activities within assigned categories, ensuring efficient execution of the purchase-to-pay process.
• Review and validate purchase requisitions, ensuring clarity of specifications, budget alignment and compliance with procurement policies.
• Ensure timely order placement, delivery tracking and coordination with suppliers and internal stakeholders to secure on-time supply.
• Monitor supplier performance (quality, delivery, responsiveness) and initiate corrective actions if required to ensure continuous improvement.
• Act as the key interface between suppliers and internal functions (e.g. Facility, IT, Production), ensuring alignment and issue resolution.
• Identify supply risks and operational bottlenecks, escalating critical issues and ensuring mitigation actions are implemented.
• Ensure all sourcing and procurement activities comply with company policies, ethical standards and legal requirements.

Qualifications and Skills Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Mechanical, Electrical, Supply Chain, or related disciplines.
• Minimum 3–5 years of experience in indirect procurement or category sourcing within a manufacturing environment, with exposure to both strategic sourcing and operational execution.
• Experience managing or supporting multiple indirect categories (e.g. MRO, facility services, IT, utilities), with a good understanding of category dynamics and supply markets.
• Familiar with contract law, incoterms, invoicing, service level agreements.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to interact confidently with internal departments and external suppliers. Practical skills to handle multiple tasks/projects with time/priority planning.
• Good proficiency in MS Office tools (especially Excel and PowerPoint) and experience with ERP systems (SAP preferred) and SRM tools (e.g. Coupa).
• Fluent in English; Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin proficiency is a plus.

Working Conditions & Environment

• Majority of the work is at Batu Kawan site.
• Visits to supplier locations will be requested as needed.