Head of Procurement at Ikano Retail

About Ikano Retail and Role Overview

Ikano Retail, the sole IKEA franchisee owned by the founding Kamprad family, operates across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Mexico. Committed to creating better daily lives through affordable and well-designed home furnishings, the company also develops mixed-use shopping centres anchored by IKEA stores, fostering community through residential and office developments. Sustainability is integral to the company's operations, supporting social initiatives benefiting children, women, and environmental causes.

We are seeking a commercially astute and visionary Head of Procurement to steer and transform the procurement function within Ikano Retail. Reporting directly to the Deputy CEO, this role involves crafting and executing comprehensive procurement and contract management strategies across multiple countries. The position aims to enhance governance, optimise costs sustainably, and create lasting business value through strategic supplier partnerships and operational excellence.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the full procurement strategy aligned with growth objectives, cost management, and governance standards.
• Lead complex, high-value supplier negotiations to secure long-term, value-based partnerships across critical spend areas.
• Build and nurture a high-performing procurement team, enhancing capabilities in sourcing, contracting, and supplier performance oversight.
• Establish and maintain stringent procurement and contract governance processes to ensure compliance, transparency, and audit readiness across markets.
• Oversee sourcing and contract lifecycle management, from strategic planning to execution and ongoing performance evaluation.
• Collaborate closely with senior leaders across various departments such as Expansion, Property, Facilities Management, Fulfilment, Digital, Marketing, and Food to align sourcing strategies.
• Provide data-driven analyses on expenditures, contract status, and risk to facilitate informed strategic choices.
• Promote digital transformation and process standardisation within procurement, including Source-to-Pay systems, contract repositories, and analytics.
• Ensure comprehensive financial visibility on contract portfolios, managing commitments, forecasts, and performance metrics.
• Identify and preemptively address commercial and contractual risks through timely mitigation measures.
• Champion responsible sourcing initiatives, promoting sustainability within the supplier network.

Candidate Profile

• Proven extensive experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, and contract management across complex, multi-market environments.
• Demonstrated success leading significant supplier negotiations yielding measurable business benefits.
• Deep knowledge of procurement governance, contract oversight, and risk management frameworks.
• Skilled in building and leading effective teams, fostering organisational growth and capability development.
• Strong commercial and financial insight with the ability to link procurement activities directly to business outcomes.
• Experienced in driving procurement digitalisation, particularly in Source-to-Pay solutions.
• Adept at influencing and collaborating with senior stakeholders across various markets and functions.

Professional Attributes

• Strong alignment with IKEA's culture and values.
• Ability to balance cost considerations, risk appraisal, and long-term supplier relationships to generate business value.
• Exemplifies courage, curiosity, and ethical standards in decision-making.
• Committed to continuous improvement, challenging existing processes constructively.
• Comfortable managing complexity and ambiguity with assurance.
• Applies governance with discipline while maintaining a pragmatic, business-focused approach.