Assistant Purchasing Manager

About the role

We are seeking an experienced and hands-on Assistant Purchasing Manager to strengthen our Purchasing function and drive greater operational efficiency. Beyond managing day-to-day procurement activities, this role will be responsible for reviewing and improving purchasing processes, establishing and enhancing relevant SOPs, strengthening procurement controls, and developing the existing Purchasing team into a more proactive and value-added business support function.

Key responsibilities

• Manage and oversee end-to-end purchasing activities, including sourcing, RFQ, quotation evaluation, negotiation, purchase order issuance and delivery follow-up.
• Source, evaluate and develop suppliers based on cost competitiveness, quality, reliability, lead time and project requirements.
• Lead commercial negotiations with suppliers to achieve competitive pricing, favourable terms and reliable delivery.
• Review quotation comparisons and purchasing recommendations for major or critical purchases.
• Work closely with Project, Engineering, Site and other departments to understand requirements and ensure timely procurement.
• Monitor outstanding purchase orders, delivery performance and procurement issues that may affect project schedules.
• Develop alternative sources of supply to reduce procurement risk and improve competitiveness.
• Review existing purchasing workflows, practices and controls to identify operational gaps, bottlenecks and improvement opportunities.
• Develop, establish, review and continuously improve Purchasing policies, SOPs, workflows and control mechanisms.
• Lead, guide and coach existing Purchasing team members in their daily responsibilities and professional development.

Requirements

• Diploma or Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Engineering or a related discipline.
• Solid experience in purchasing/procurement, preferably within the construction, engineering, M&E, C&S, piping or project-based environment.
• Hands-on experience in supplier sourcing, commercial negotiation, quotation evaluation and procurement management.
• Experience in reviewing, developing or implementing purchasing SOPs, workflows and process improvements is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach or guide purchasing team members.
• Strong commercial awareness, analytical ability and negotiation skills.
• Able to identify operational issues and translate them into practical process improvements.
• Good stakeholder-management and communication skills.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel.
• Candidates currently holding a Senior Purchasing Executive or equivalent position with strong leadership potential and relevant experience are encouraged to apply.