SS&C Specialist: Engineering

Aeciminingchemicals; South Africa; On-site; ZAR 900,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

AECI Mining is seeking an experienced Senior Procurement Professional to lead strategic sourcing for engineering, maintenance, and project spend across mining operations. You will drive category strategies, supplier evaluations, and end-to-end negotiations to ensure reliability and value delivery.

The role requires strong leadership, advanced procurement knowledge, and the ability to partner with multiple stakeholders in a complex, multi-site environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor level degree and professional procurement credentials are required or advantageous.
• Experience in strategic sourcing and category management across mining/industry sectors is expected.
• Contract management and governance knowledge is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Develop strategic sourcing approaches for critical mechanical equipment, engineering spares and maintenance services to improve plant reliability and operational continuity
• Lead sourcing activities for engineering spares, maintenance services and operational requirements
• Drive end-to-end sourcing activities, including RFx processes, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, and supplier selection
• Support the development and continuous refinement of category strategies through market intelligence and demand insights
• Conduct spend analysis, market and supplier research to identify opportunities, risks, and alternative supply sources
• Continuously monitor supplier markets, risks and availability to support operational continuity
• Identify alternative suppliers and sourcing opportunities to improve reliability and responsiveness
• Provide input into Procurement dashboards and tracking tools
• Support procurement planning through spend analysis, demand forecasting and supplier insights
• Contribute to budgeting and forecasting processes through spend and cost analysis
• Proactively identify and mitigate supply and commercial risks within assigned categories
• Ensure procurement activities align with operational, maintenance and shutdown requirements
• Conduct detailed spend analysis across managed categories to identify cost-saving opportunities
• Identify, develop, and implement cost-saving and value-creation initiatives
• Support the implementation of category-led initiatives to ensure value delivery
• Apply total cost of ownership (TCO) principles to enable optimal sourcing decisions
• Perform cost modelling, scenario analysis, and should-cost modelling using market and supplier data
• Support standardisation and optimisation initiatives across engineering and maintenance procurement
• Track and report on savings delivery and benefits realisation
• Support optimisation of engineering inventory and critical spare holdings to balance operational reliability and working capital requirements
• Identify opportunities to reduce emergency procurement through improved planning, supplier alignment and sourcing strategies
• Drive standardisation initiatives across engineering and maintenance categories to reduce complexity and improve procurement efficiency
• Build and maintain a qualified supplier base for assigned categories
• Manage supplier performance across quality, cost, service delivery and responsiveness
• Support supplier segmentation and contribute to supplier category and/ or diversification strategies
• Monitor supplier performance through defined KPIs (cost, quality, delivery, service, sustainability) and drive continuous improvement initiatives
• Lead supplier performance reviews and implement corrective actions where required
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with OEMs and specialised engineering suppliers to improve technical support, responsiveness and lifecycle value
• Drive supplier innovation and continuous improvement

Skills

Strategic sourcing

Category management

Engineering procurement

Maintenance procurement

Capital projects

Negotiation

Supplier mgmt

Contract governance

Leadership

Data analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement or related discipline

Postgraduate qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business Management advantageous

Professional procurement certification (CIPS) advantageous

Project Management certification (PMP, Prince2) advantageous

Contract Management Qualification

Lean, Six Sigma or CI certification

Tools

SAP ERP

eProcurement platforms

Sourcing platforms

Job description

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Responsible for developing and executing category sourcing strategies that deliver sustainable value across engineering, maintenance, projects and operational spend portfolios. Drives cost competitiveness, supply continuity, supplier performance, risk mitigation and innovation while supporting asset reliability, operational excellence and business growth objectives across AECI Mining operations.

Working closely with Engineering, Maintenance, Operations, Projects, Supply Chain, SHEQ, Commercial, Legal and Finance stakeholders. Acts as a trusted business partner to ensure the optimal sourcing of engineering goods, services and technical solutions through effective category management, strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management and commercial governance. Alao accountable for delivering measurable value through cost optimization, supplier innovation, contract coverage, supply risk mitigation, inventory optimization, localization initiatives and total cost of ownership improvements.

REQUIRED OUTPUTS: FUNCTIONAL

Development of Sourcing Strategies

• Develop strategic sourcing approaches for critical mechanical equipment, engineering spares and maintenance services to improve plant reliability and operational continuity
• Lead sourcing activities for engineering spares, maintenance services and operational requirements
• Drive end-to-end sourcing activities, including RFx processes, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, and supplier selection.
• Support the development and continuous refinement of category strategies through market intelligence and demand insights.
• Conduct ongoing spend analysis, market and supplier research to identify opportunities, risks, and alternative supply sources.
• Continuously monitor supplier markets, risks and availability to support operational continuity
• Identify alternative suppliers and sourcing opportunities to improve reliability and responsiveness
• Provide input into Procurement dashboards and tracking tools.
• Support procurement planning through spend analysis, demand forecasting and supplier insights
• Contribute to budgeting and forecasting processes through spend and cost analysis.
• Proactively identify and mitigate supply and commercial risks within assigned categories.
• Ensure procurement activities align with operational, maintenance and shutdown requirements

Cost Optimization and Value Delivery

• Conduct detailed spend analysis across managed categories to identify cost-saving opportunities, demand drivers, and initiatives to reduce operational inefficiencies and procurement lead times.
• Identify, develop, and implement cost-saving and value-creation initiatives aligned to procurement targets.
• Support the implementation of category-led initiatives, to ensure value delivery and in line with procurement targets.
• Apply total cost of ownership (TCO) principles to enable optimal sourcing decisions.
• Perform cost modelling, scenario analysis, and should-cost modelling using market and supplier data.
• Support standardisation and optimisation initiatives across engineering and maintenance procurement
• Track and report on savings delivery and benefits realisation.
• Support optimisation of engineering inventory and critical spare holdings to balance operational reliability and working capital requirements
• Identify opportunities to reduce emergency procurement through improved planning, supplier alignment and sourcing strategies
• Drive standardisation initiatives across engineering and maintenance categories to reduce complexity and improve procurement efficiency
• Build and maintain a qualified supplier base for assigned categories;
• Manage supplier performance across quality, cost, service delivery and responsiveness
• Support supplier segmentation and contribute to supplier category and/ or diversification strategies.
• Monitor supplier performance through defined KPIs (cost, quality, delivery, service, sustainability) and drive continuous improvement initiatives.
• Lead supplier performance reviews and implement corrective actions where required.
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with OEMs and specialised engineering suppliers to improve technical support, responsiveness and lifecycle value
• Drive supplier innovation and continuous improvement

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Partner with internal stakeholders (Operations, Commercial, Finance, S&OP, R&D) to support plant reliability and operational continuity
• Support shutdown and turnaround planning through sourcing readiness, supplier coordination and critical spares availability
• Provide procurement support and commercial guidance on engineering and CAPEX requirements
• Contribute to S&OP processes and support demand planning inputs for key suppliers.
• Provide data-driven insights and recommendations to support business needs.
• Continuously ensure alignment between procurement activities and operational requirements.
• Support budgeting processes through accurate spend and cost analysis.
• Act as a trusted advisor to stakeholders on sourcing and supplier-related matters on managed categories.
• Champion all procurement improvement programs / initiatives E.g. Digitisation, Policy Rollout

Contracts Management

• Develop and execute negotiations strategies for new and existing suppliers to achieve optimal commercial outcomes and lowest total cost of ownership, and meet savings targets
• Lead commercial negotiations within delegated authority to achieve optimal pricing and contractual outcomes
• Support the drafting, review, and management of contracts, ensuring alignment with business requirements and risk mitigation principles
• Monitor contract compliance and utilisation, identifying risks and improvement opportunities
• Ensure all procurement activities comply with internal governance frameworks and policies

KPIs

• Percentage of spend under contract
• Cost savings and value delivery against targets
• Compliance to negotiated agreements
• Compliance to procurement policies and approved vendor lists
• Supplier scorecard performance (quality, OTIF, cost, sustainability)
• Engineering spares and service availability and supply continuity
• Timely completion of sourcing initiatives
• Successful support of project procurement milestones
• Risk mitigation effectiveness across key categories
• BBBEE and supplier development impact
• Reduction in engineering procurement lead times
• Enable plant reliability through strategic sourcing of engineering spares and services and supplier performance

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement or related discipline
• Postgraduate qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business Management advantageous
• Professional procurement certification (for example CIPS) advantageous
• Project Management certification (PMP, Prince2 or equivalent). Advantageous
• Contract Management Qualification
• Lean, Six Sigma or Continuous Improvement certification
• Minimum 8-10 years' experience in Strategic Sourcing, Procurement, Category Management or Supply Chain
• Minimum 5 years' experience within mining, explosives, manufacturing, chemicals, engineering or heavy industrial environments
• Proven experience managing engineering, maintenance and project-related categories
• Proven experience in developing and implementing category strategies
• Demonstrated experience managing significant spend portfolios and strategic supplier relationships
• Experience managing complex commercial negotiations and contract frameworks
• Experience supporting capital projects, shutdowns and turnaround activities
• Experience conducting supplier performance management and governance reviews
• Experience with ERP systems, preferably SAP
• Experience using eProcurement platforms and sourcing tools
• Experience working in multi-site and multi-regional business environments

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND CHARACTERISTICS)

• Strong communication, leadership and people management capability
• Strategic sourcing and category management
• Engineering and mechanical procurement management
• Industrial manufacturing operations
• Maintenance and reliability principles
• Capital project procurement
• High level of integrity and governance orientation
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving ability
• Results-driven with strong commercial acumen