Title:  Senior Specialist - Procurement

Core Job Information

Job Title

 Senior Procurement Specialist

Function

Commercial

Location

Head Office

Sub-function

Purchasing

Band / Level

Reports To

(Job title/Band)

Commercial Director

Direct Reports

 (if any)

Job Summary

Own the end-to-end sourcing and commercial performance of an assigned portfolio of commodity categories, spanning both rice and non-rice lines, lead the department's cost-optimization and efficiency agenda. This is a senior, delivery-focused role for a commercially and financially who can be trusted to run their categories independently: securing supply sources, strong negotiation skills, engineering structural cost savings, developing new and emerging suppliers, and, where skilled, optimizing the freight and logistics for their own categories as a source of added value.

Job Responsibilities

Key Area

Key Responsibilities

Category Ownership & Strategic Sourcing

• Own end-to-end sourcing across rice and non-rice lines.
• Build and execute category buying plans aligned to the annual buying strategy and the volume allocation framework.
• Assist in securing 100% of assigned seasonal volume at optimal cost, quality and supply reliability across the season.
• Maintain a live view of, coverage, open positions and market direction.

Cost Optimization & Efficiency Delivery

• Support structured cost-optimization projects across assigned categories, using should-cost and open-book analysis to target and deliver structural savings.
• Identify and implement efficiency upgrades across buying, specification, packaging and logistics.
• Quantify savings against benchmark, report them, and maintain a forward pipeline of opportunities.
• Challenge incumbent costs, terms and processes rather than accept them as fixed.

Supplier Negotiation & Contract Governance

• Assist in negotiations, specification, delivery schedules and payment terms for assigned categories.
• Embed back-out penalty clauses and DOTIF targets in all Purchase Orders and move suppliers toward split LC terms (part at sight, balance on goods receipt).
• Maintain supplier contracts and ensure their terms are enforceable and honored.
• Resolve quality claims, delivery discrepancies and supplier disputes within agreed timelines.

Supplier Development & Supply Security

• Develop new and emerging suppliers to broaden the base and reduce single-source dependency.
• Run supplier evaluations and maintain performance scorecards to inform volume allocation.
• Build and maintain contingency and alternate-supplier plans to protect supply security.

Freight & Logistics (Assigned Categories)

• Where skilled, book and optimize freight, shipping and logistics for own categories, negotiating rates and coordinating shipments as a source of added value.
• Align carrier choices and Incoterm decisions with the freight benchmark and, once established, coordinate with the FOB and trade execution function.
• Track freight cost per unit against benchmark for assigned categories.

Systems, PO & LC Governance

• Ensure Purchase Order, LC and documentation accuracy for all assigned categories.
• Maintain 100% accuracy of SAP ERP data for POs, in-transit inventory, goods receipts and supplier records.
• Log all supply events for assigned categories in C-Track within 24 to 48 hours of occurrence.

Reporting, Committee Support & Compliance

• Prepare category performance, savings and market reports for the management.
• Provide data-backed buying proposals for the weekly Purchasing Committee for assigned categories.
• Ensure all activity complies with company policy and relevant regulatory requirements and support internal and external audits.
• Coordinate with Supply Planning, Demand Planning, Finance, and Warehouse and Logistics to align buying with need.

Key Result Areas (KRAs)

• Cost savings: deliver 5 to 10% structural cost savings on assigned categories versus prior season, plus a delivered pipeline of targeted optimization projects.
• Supply security: secure 100% of assigned seasonal volume at agreed cost, quality and timing.
• Efficiency projects: deliver an agreed annual pipeline of cost and efficiency projects with quantified, verified savings.
• Supplier development: qualify a defined number of new or emerging suppliers each year and improve average supplier scores by at least 10% year on year.
• DOTIF: achieve 95 to 98% on-time, in-full delivery across assigned categories.
• Accuracy and systems: 100% PO, LC and documentation accuracy, with all supply events logged in C-Track within 24 to 48 hours.

Key Interfaces of the role

Internal Interface

• Commercial Director
• Purchasing team
• Supply Planning and Demand Planning teams
• Finance / CFO (LC, payment terms, savings validation)
• Warehouse and Logistics team
• Purchasing Committee members
• IT team (C-Track / SAP)

External Interface

• Suppliers across assigned categories (rice and non-rice)
• Sauce and ingredient suppliers
• Sun white supply partners
• Freight forwarders and shipping lines
• Banks (LC issuance and document presentation)
• Customs brokers and port authorities
• Insurance companies and regulatory agencies

Key Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Category management and strategic sourcing across multiple commodity lines
• Cost modelling and should-cost / open-book analysis
• Strong commercial negotiation and contract management
• Working knowledge of Incoterms, LC structures and trade finance
• Proficiency in SAP ERP and procurement data management
• Financial acumen: margin, landed cost and savings quantification
• Freight and logistics market knowledge (a strong value-add)

Professional Competencies

• High ownership and dependability delivers without being chased
• Maturity and sound commercial judgement
• Strong analytical thinking and structured problem solving
• Project leadership and follow-through
• Clear communicator across functions and with suppliers
• Resilience and composure under seasonal pressure
• Attention to detail on terms, documents and numbers

Job Specification

Essential Requirements

Desirable Attributes

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Business Administration, or a related field.

• Master's degree or MBA preferred.

Professional Qualifications

• Proficiency in SAP ERP or an equivalent procurement system.

• CIPS or CPSM certification. Knowledge of cost-modelling and price-intelligence tools.

Experience

• 4 to 6 years in procurement, with a demonstrated track record of category ownership and delivered cost-optimization savings.

• FMCG or commodity procurement background. Freight and logistics negotiation exposure. Experience developing new suppliers and running structured savings projects.

Any Others

• Proficient in written and verbal English.

• Arabic language skills are a strong advantage.