Senior Procurement Specialist

Role Summary and Responsibilities

• Formulate and implement comprehensive category strategies encompassing raw materials, indirect services, and subcontracted work, advancing beyond simple quotation comparisons to include evaluation of Total Cost of Ownership and long-term value benefits.
• Identify and rectify inefficiencies within current procurement workflows by designing and deploying a more streamlined, accelerated procure-to-pay process to enhance organizational responsiveness.
• Develop and maintain interactive dashboards utilizing advanced functionalities in Google Sheets such as Power Query and Pivot tables or Power BI, and spearhead the adoption of Generative AI for gathering market intelligence, analyzing contracts, and automating reporting tasks.
• Take full ownership of the procurement process end-to-end, from thoroughly understanding stakeholder requirements through to assessing vendor performance, operating with minimal supervision.
• Effectively manage challenges in the dynamic UAE market by handling supplier rate change requests and mitigating the impact of international logistics disruptions to safeguard Contribution Margins and ensure continuous plant operations.
• Serve as a reliable consultant to Finance, Operations, and senior executives by translating complex procurement data into clear, actionable insights for strategic decisions.
• Supervise contract administration, sourcing of critical spare parts, and management of outsourced processing, ensuring uninterrupted business operations.
• Collaborate closely with Engineering and Operations teams to conduct "Function versus Cost" analyses on major expenditure items.
• Apply "Should-Cost" modeling techniques to critically assess and challenge supplier pricing during complex negotiation scenarios.

Candidate Profile and Requirements

• Over five years of experience in procurement including at least three years in senior or strategic roles with direct exposure to the UAE market.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel, including Power Query, Power Pivot, and data modeling, with robust knowledge of ERP systems.
• A strong orientation towards digital transformation with experience or keen interest in AI applications, predictive analytics, and process automation in procurement.
• A bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or a related discipline; professional certifications such as CIPS Level 4/5 or CPSM are highly desirable.
• Excellent interpersonal skills characterized by high emotional intelligence, superior negotiation capabilities, and the ability to positively influence executive leadership.
• A proactive mindset that focuses on creating and optimizing systems rather than following existing procedures.