Procurement Manager

Role Overview

You will take full ownership of procurement strategy and execution across a fast-moving agribusiness, directing everything from feed ingredients and raw grains to packaging, engineering spares, and indirect services. Day to day, this means balancing market intelligence, supplier negotiations, and internal stakeholder demands to keep production lines running without interruption while actively reducing total cost of ownership. Your decisions directly affect the company’s margin resilience and its ability to scale in a volatile commodities environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement annual procurement plans and category strategies for feed raw materials, packaging, MRO spares, and indirect spend categories.
• Lead complex contract negotiations, including price frameworks, volume rebates, quality agreements, and penalty clauses, securing favourable terms for the company.
• Monitor global commodity trends and supply market conditions, translating them into actionable buying decisions, forward coverage, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Build and maintain a robust supplier base, conducting formal performance reviews, audits, and risk assessments to ensure reliability and adherence to quality standards.
• Collaborate with production, quality, and logistics teams to forecast demand, align delivery schedules, and resolve supply or specification issues before they impact operations.
• Own key procurement KPIs, including cost savings, supplier lead time, on-time-in-full delivery, and inventory turnover, and report progress to senior leadership.
• Drive continuous improvement across sourcing processes, ERP workflows, and purchasing policies, ensuring compliance and full audit trail integrity.
• Mentor and develop a procurement team, fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making and proactive supplier engagement.

Requirements & Qualifications

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in procurement, with at least 5 years in a senior managerial or leadership role.
• Deep industry knowledge from feed milling, agribusiness, FMCG, or grain trading environments, including exposure to volatile agricultural commodity cycles.
• Proven track record in strategic sourcing, category management, and supplier relationship management, with measurable cost and service improvements.
• Expert negotiation skills demonstrated across major raw material contracts, service agreements, and capital or maintenance purchases.
• Strong analytical ability to interpret market data, price forecasts, and internal spend data to support strategic decisions.
• Familiarity with ERP procurement modules and e-sourcing tools, plus advanced proficiency in Excel or equivalent data analysis platforms.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, able to influence at board level and collaborate with operational teams.
• A relevant tertiary qualification in supply chain, business, commerce, engineering, or a related discipline is strongly preferred.