Strategic Purchase Head - Industrial Equipment/Engineering Manufacturing Industry

Hiring: Strategic Purchase Head
Location: Vadodara
Experience: 12-15 Years
Industry: Industrial Equipment / Engineering Manufacturing
About the Role:
We are looking for an experienced Strategic Purchase Head to lead the procurement and sourcing function for a leading engineering and manufacturing organization. The role will be responsible for defining procurement strategies, driving supplier development, optimizing costs, ensuring uninterrupted supply of critical engineering components, and building a world-class procurement organization aligned with business objectives.
The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in strategic sourcing, vendor management, localization initiatives, cost optimization, and procurement leadership within industrial equipment, heavy engineering, manufacturing, or capital goods industries.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Procurement Strategy & Leadership:
- Define and implement the organization's procurement strategy aligned with business goals, operational requirements, and growth plans.
- Develop long-term sourcing strategies to ensure cost competitiveness, supply continuity, and operational efficiency.
- Drive procurement excellence through process improvements, governance frameworks, and best practices.
- Lead and mentor procurement teams while building a high-performance sourcing organization.
2. Strategic Sourcing & Category Management:
- Oversee sourcing and procurement of critical engineering commodities including castings, forgings, machined components, fabricated assemblies, electricals, bought-out components, and industrial equipment.
- Develop category strategies to optimize supplier performance, quality, delivery, and cost.
- Lead supplier negotiations and commercial discussions to secure favorable terms and conditions.
- Ensure timely procurement of materials while maintaining quality and delivery standards.
3. Supplier Development & Localization:
- Identify, evaluate, onboard, and develop strategic suppliers to strengthen the supply base.
- Drive localization initiatives to reduce dependency on imports and improve supply chain efficiency.
- Build long-term supplier partnerships focused on innovation, quality, and cost competitiveness.
- Conduct supplier audits, capability assessments, and performance reviews.

4. Cost Optimization & Value Engineering:
- Lead cost reduction and value engineering initiatives across procurement categories.
- Drive should-cost analysis, competitive sourcing, and productivity improvement programs.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings without compromising quality, reliability, or delivery commitments.
- Monitor procurement KPIs and continuously improve procurement performance.
5. Procurement Governance & Compliance:
- Ensure alignment with organizational and global procurement policies, procedures, and compliance requirements.
- Establish procurement controls, governance mechanisms, and risk mitigation strategies.
- Manage contract negotiations, vendor agreements, and procurement documentation.
- Ensure ethical sourcing and compliance with regulatory and corporate standards.
6. ERP & Digital Procurement:
- Leverage ERP systems for procurement planning, sourcing, vendor management, and reporting.
- Drive digitalization and automation initiatives within procurement operations.
- Develop procurement dashboards and reporting mechanisms to support data-driven decision-making.
7. Cross-Functional Collaboration:
- Collaborate with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Project teams to support business requirements.
- Work closely with leadership teams to align procurement priorities with organizational objectives.
- Support new product development and project procurement requirements through strategic sourcing initiatives.
Required Candidate Profile:
- 20-29 years of experience in Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Supply Chain, or Purchase Management.
- Extensive experience within Industrial Equipment, Heavy Engineering, Capital Goods, Manufacturing, EPC, Process Equipment, or Engineering Industries.
- Strong expertise in sourcing castings, forgings, machined parts, fabricated assemblies, and engineering commodities.
- Proven track record in supplier development, localization, vendor management, and cost optimization.
- Strong commercial negotiation and contract management capabilities.
- Experience working with ERP platforms such as SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, or equivalent systems.
- Excellent leadership, communication, stakeholder management, and team-building skills.
Mandatory Skills:
- Strategic Procurement
- Supplier Development
- Vendor Management
- Localization
- Cost Management
- Engineering Commodity Sourcing
- Contract Negotiation
- ERP Systems
- Supply Chain Management
- Procurement Leadership
Preferred Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Production Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or related discipline.
- MBA in Supply Chain, Operations, Procurement, or Business Management will be an added advantage.
Key Competencies:
- Strategic Sourcing
- Procurement Transformation
- Supplier Relationship Management
- Cost Optimization
- Team Leadership
- Commercial Acumen
- Negotiation Skills
- Supply Chain Excellence
- Stakeholder Management
- Business Planning
Industry Preference:
Industrial Equipment - Heavy Engineering - Capital Goods - Manufacturing - Process Equipment - Industrial Machinery - Engineering Products - EPC
Why Join Us:
- Opportunity to lead procurement transformation and strategic sourcing initiatives.
- High-impact leadership role with direct influence on business performance and profitability.
- Drive supplier innovation, localization, and cost optimization programs.
- Collaborate with senior leadership in a growth-focused engineering organization.