Purchase Lead

Role Purpose

The role will be responsible for end-to-end procurement of raw materials, steel, fasteners, and locally traded items for the Vasai plant, ensuring uninterrupted material availability at the right cost, quality, and delivery timelines. The role requires strong category knowledge, vendor management capability, and the ability to lead a small purchase team while working closely with production planning, stores, quality, and finance.

Role & responsibilities

Category & Sourcing Management

• Manage sourcing and procurement of raw materials steel (CR/HR coils, sheets, bars, wire rods), fasteners (screws, nuts, bolts, rivets), and other locally traded / bought-out items.
• Develop and maintain an approved vendor base for each category; identify and onboard alternate / backup vendors to de-risk supply.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, and contracts in line with budgeted cost targets; drive year-on-year cost reduction initiatives.
• Track domestic steel price trends (SAIL / Tata / JSW indices) and advise leadership on buying strategy (spot vs. contract).

Plant-Level Purchase Operations

• Ensure daily / weekly material availability against production schedules and MRP / PR requirements in SAP S/4HANA.
• Monitor PO-to-GRN cycle, resolve shortages, expedite critical items, and prevent line-stoppage situations.
• Coordinate with stores and quality teams for incoming inspection, rejections, and vendor corrective actions (SCAR/CAPA).
• Maintain optimum inventory levels for fasteners and fast-moving traded items in coordination with planning.

Team Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and allocate work to a team of buyers / purchase executives at the plant.
• Set individual KPIs, review performance, and build category-level backups within the team.
• Ensure team compliance with procurement SOPs, 3-way matching, and PO discipline (no GRN without valid PO).

Vendor & Contract Management

• Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews (QCDD Quality, Cost, Delivery, Development).
• Lead commercial negotiations, rate contracts, and annual price settlement discussions.
• Support supplier audits and site visits as required.

Reporting & Compliance

• Prepare and present plant purchase MIS cost savings, pending orders, supply gap / shortage reports, and inventory ageing.
• Ensure adherence to statutory and company compliance requirements (GST, vendor documentation, contracts).
• Support internal / external audits related to procurement processes.

Preferred candidate profile

• Strong hands-on category knowledge of steel (raw material / coil / sheet), fasteners, and local traded / bought-out items.
• Working knowledge of SAP (MM module) or equivalent ERP for PR / PO / GRN processing.
• Strong vendor negotiation and commercial acumen.
• Ability to read technical drawings / specs for fasteners and sheet metal components (preferred).
• Good understanding of inventory planning, MRP, and production-linked purchase scheduling.
• Strong Excel skills (MIS, cost tracking, supply gap analysis); PowerPoint reporting is a plus.
• Team handling and cross-functional coordination (production, quality, stores, finance).
• Education: B.E./B.Tech (Mechanical/Production/Industrial) or Diploma with relevant experience; MBA/PG in Supply Chain preferred.
• Experience: 8–12 years in plant/manufacturing procurement, with at least 2–3 years in a team lead/supervisory capacity.
• Industry Background: Preferably from automotive, hardware, sheet metal, engineering, or industrial manufacturing sectors.
• Certifications (preferred): CPSM, CIPS, or equivalent procurement certification.