India Market Lead/Procurement Head

Role Overview:
As the India Market Lead and Procurement Head for a prestigious US-based MNC in Pune, you will spearhead the end-to-end procurement strategy for the Indian operations. This role serves as the primary bridge between global procurement mandates and local market execution, ensuring operational excellence and cost efficiency. You will lead a high-performing team, manage complex vendor ecosystems, and collaborate extensively with regional and global stakeholders to drive sustainable sourcing initiatives that directly impact the company's bottom line and competitive positioning in the Indian market.
Key Responsibilities:
- Formulate and execute comprehensive procurement strategies that align with global standards while addressing the specific nuances of the Indian market to optimize spend and operational efficiency.
- Lead and mentor a cross-functional procurement team, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement in sourcing processes.

- Manage end-to-end direct and indirect sourcing activities, ensuring the seamless procurement of goods and services that meet quality, cost, and timeline benchmarks.
- Drive strategic vendor management programs by cultivating long-term partnerships, conducting performance evaluations, and mitigating supply chain risks.
- Conduct deep-dive spend analysis to identify cost-saving opportunities, process bottlenecks, and areas for strategic consolidation across the organization.
- Partner with senior leadership and global stakeholders to influence procurement policies and ensure compliance with international corporate governance and sustainability mandates.
Required Skillset:
- Demonstrated expertise in managing large-scale procurement operations, including both direct and indirect sourcing categories within a multinational environment.
- Proven ability to lead and develop diverse teams, with a focus on talent retention and building internal capabilities.
- Strong analytical acumen to interpret complex spend data and translate insights into actionable global procurement strategies.
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to navigate complex organizational structures and influence decision-making at the executive level.
- Proficiency in supply chain risk management and vendor negotiation, ensuring value creation and operational continuity.
- A Masters degree in Business Administration or Supply Chain Management from a top-tier institute is preferred, complemented by 10 - 18 years of relevant experience.
- Ability to thrive in a hybrid work environment, maintaining high levels of engagement and productivity across distributed teams.