Assistant Director, Procurement(2 year contract)

[What the role is]

The Procurement Function reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Assistant Director, Procurement plays a strategic leadership role in driving procurement excellence across the organisation. The incumbent will lead the development and execution of procurement strategies that deliver value, strengthen governance, optimise spending, mitigate risks, and ensure business continuity.

As a key member of the Procurement team, you will provide leadership and direction in:

• Strategic sourcing and category management
• Procurement policy, governance and compliance
• Contract and supplier relationship management
• Stakeholder engagement and business partnering
• Procurement transformation and digitalisation
• Procurement operations and continuous improvement

The role requires strong analytical capabilities, sound judgement, stakeholder influence, and the ability to translate business needs into effective procurement solutions that support organisational objectives.

[What you will be working on]

Strategic Sourcing and Category Management

• Lead the development and implementation of sourcing strategies for assigned spend categories to achieve value-for-money outcomes, operational efficiencies, and sustainable cost savings.
• Partner stakeholders to optimise requirements and specifications while leveraging HPB's overall purchasing power.
• Monitor market conditions, industry trends, and supply risks to ensure continuity of essential services and critical supplies.
• Drive procurement planning and demand management initiatives to strengthen procurement outcomes.

Business Partnering and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a trusted advisor to stakeholders by providing clear, practical, and consistent procurement guidance throughout the procurement lifecycle.
• Influence and engage stakeholders to make informed sourcing decisions and adopt best procurement practices.
• Champion a value-driven procurement culture by repositioning procurement from a reactive function to a strategic business partner.

Governance, Risk and Compliance

• Develop, review, and strengthen procurement policies, frameworks, and governance processes to ensure compliance with Government procurement requirements and organisational policies.
• Review and assess procurement strategies, evaluation outcomes, and award recommendations before submission for approval.
• Identify procurement and contract-related risks, establish key risk indicators, and implement appropriate mitigation measures.
• Ensure transparency, accountability, and good governance across procurement activities.

Contract and Supplier Management

• Foster strategic supplier relationships to obtain market intelligence, industry insights, emerging innovations, and leading practices.
• Drive supplier performance management and contract governance to maximise contract value and minimise operational risks.
• Analyse critical contract failure points and implement proactive measures to enhance contract performance and service delivery.

Procurement Transformation and Analytics

• Leverage data analytics and market intelligence to support decision-making, develop sourcing strategies, and maximise return on investment.
• Identify opportunities to streamline procurement processes, enhance efficiency, and improve user experience through digitalisation and automation.
• Support procurement transformation initiatives and continuous improvement programmes across the organisation.

[What we are looking for]

Qualifications and Experience

• At least 8 years of relevant procurement, purchasing, sourcing, or supply chain management experience, with demonstrated experience in leading strategic procurement initiatives in public sector and/or commercial sector.
• Professional procurement certification such as CPM, CPSM, MCIPS, or equivalent will be an advantage.
• Experience in managing eSourcing platforms and digital procurement solutions.

Technical Competencies

• Strong expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, contract management, supplier relationship management, and procurement governance.
• Advanced knowledge of procurement risk management and supplier evaluation methodologies.
• Proven ability to develop procurement policies, frameworks, and operating procedures.

Leadership and Behavioural Competencies

• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage effectively across all organisational levels.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity, manage competing priorities, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Strategic thinker with strong commercial acumen and sound judgement.
• Proactive, resilient, and results-oriented with a passion for driving procurement excellence and organisational value.

Key Success Factors

• The successful candidate will be a strategic procurement leader who can balance governance with business needs, influence stakeholders effectively, leverage data-driven insights, and drive procurement transformation while delivering measurable value to the organisation.
• Strong analytical and data interpretation skills with the ability to translate insights into actionable procurement strategies.
• Good knowledge of Government Procurement Instructions Manual (GPIM), GeBIZ, and related procurement systems will be advantageous.

Successful candidates will be offered a 2-year contract in the first instance.