Group Procurement Manager

Overview

The Opportunity

• **Procurement architecture:**
• Design and enforce a group-wide sourcing strategy that consolidates spend, eliminates redundancy, and positions procurement as a strategic lever — not an administrative function.
• **Commercial leadership:**
• Lead high-stakes supplier negotiations and long-term contract structures.
• Build preferred supplier frameworks that deliver sustained value beyond one-off savings.
• **Executive stakeholder influence:**
• Partner with CFO, COO, and business unit heads to align procurement strategy with group-level growth objectives.
• Shape investment decisions before they happen.
• **Governance and risk leadership:**
• Own the procurement risk register.
• Ensure regulatory compliance across UAE and GCC jurisdictions while proactively identifying and mitigating supply chain vulnerabilities.
• **Function building:**
• Lead, develop, and elevate a team of 4–5 procurement professionals.
• Cultivate a culture of strategic thinking, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• **Data-driven transformation:**
• Leverage ERP and procurement analytics to move the function from reactive to anticipatory — using spend visibility and market intelligence to drive decisions.

What Success Looks Like

• Demonstrable savings and value creation across consolidated group spend
• A procurement function that business units actively seek out as a strategic partner
• Supplier relationships that are assets — not just transactional dependencies
• A governance and compliance framework that holds up to internal audit and board-level scrutiny
• A team that is growing in capability and commercial sophistication

Your Profile

• **7–10 years of procurement experience, with meaningful tenure in a group-level, multi-entity, or holding company context**
• **Proven track record of building or transforming a centralized procurement function**
• — not just running one
• Deep commercial acumen: you understand P&L, can construct a business case, and are credible in the boardroom
• Strong expertise in supplier strategy, contract structuring, and negotiation at a senior level across UAE and GCC markets
• Experience navigating UAE regulatory frameworks, customs, and free zone requirements
• **Professional certification (CIPS, CPSM or equivalent) strongly preferred**
• Bachelor's degree required; MBA or advanced qualification in supply chain or business preferred

The Ideal Candidate

• You are known for being a thought leader in your organisation — people seek your perspective on business decisions, not just procurement ones
• You are comfortable with ambiguity and energised by building — this role has genuine whitespace and will reward initiative
• You communicate with executive presence: structured, concise, commercially grounded
• You have strong UAE/GCC market knowledge and can navigate the cultural and regulatory nuances of doing business in this region