Operations Manager – Commercial & Admin

Location: Dubai & Umm Al Quwain

_Business & Administrative Control_

• Oversee end-to-end administrative operations across departments.
• Establish and enforce SOPs for procurement, logistics, documentation and approvals.
• Ensure alignment between sales, procurement, finance and warehouse functions.
• Act as central control point for operational decision-making and escalations.
• Assist in hiring & onboarding of new HR resources as well as retaining & promoting / re structing existing HR resource

_Commercial Governance & Financial Discipline_

• Monitor margins, pricing structures, and deal profitability.
• Validate purchase vs. sales contracts to ensure commercial viability.
• Control overheads, operational costs and budget adherence.
• Work closely with accounts on receivables, payables and cash flow planning.
• Review credit terms, customer exposure and risk limits.

_Procurement & Vendor Management_

• Supervise procurement planning for chemicals and allied materials.
• Negotiate with suppliers for pricing, credit terms and delivery timelines.
• Develop alternate sourcing strategies to reduce dependency and risk.
• Evaluate vendor performance (cost, quality, reliability).

_Logistics & Supply Chain Coordination_

• Oversee shipment planning, documentation, insurances and timely deliveries.
• Coordinate with Logistics Team to ensure cost optimization of freight forwarders, CHA and transporters.
• Ensure compliance of internal fleet with hazardous chemical handling, regulatory norms & required vehicle licenses / passes.
• Minimize logistics cost and delays.

_Compliance & Regulatory Oversight_

• Ensure adherence to local and international chemical trade regulations.
• Monitor documentation: MSDS, COA, import/export licenses and statutory filings (VAT , CT , UBO , ESR , MOH).
• Liaise with legal and compliance teams for risk mitigation.
• Maintain audit-ready systems at all times.

_Team Management & Cross-functional Coordination_

• Lead admin, procurement, accounting and support teams.
• Set KRAs/KPIs and track performance.
• Drive accountability across non-revenue-generating functions.
• Resolve interdepartmental conflicts with a solution-oriented approach.
• Overall management of contingencies & errors including conducting a detailed investigation & RCA

_Process Optimization & Digitization_

• Identify inefficiencies and implement process improvements.
• Drive ERP & Server utilization and data accuracy.
• Introduce automation where possible (approvals, reporting, tracking) including enforcing strict monthly & weekly reporting.
• _Strategic Support to Management_
• Provide MIS reports on operations, margins and cost structures.
• Spearhead expansion plans, new supplier onboarding and market entry.
• Act as a first line to leadership for execution and control.

Key Performance Indicators (Kpis)

• _Financial & Commercial_
• Gross margin adherence (% vs target)
• Cost savings achieved (procurement + logistics + operations)
• Debtors Aging & Bi-Monthly Tracking of Actuals v/s Projected
• Creditors Aging & Bi-Monthly Tracking of Actuals v/s Projected
• _Operational_
• Order fulfillment timelines (% on-time delivery)
• Inventory turnover ratio
• Reduction in operational delays/errors

• Slow Moving Goods Analysis Compliance

• Zero regulatory non-compliance incidents
• Documentation accuracy rate

• Root Cause Analysis & Error Reduction

• _Process & Efficiency_
• SOP implementation score
• ERP & Server usage and reporting accuracy
• Process turnaround time reduction
• _People & Leadership_
• Team productivity metrics
• Attrition within admin/support/accounting teams
• Cross-functional issue resolution time
• HR hiring & attrition metrics

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Age – 40 Years Minimum
• Master’s degree in Chemistry / Chemical Engineering / Business Management (MBA preferred)
• 10 years (Minimum) of experience in chemical / oil & gas / paint & polymers, / petroleum
• 5 years (Minimum) of experience in GCC (UAE preferred)
• Strong exposure to commercial operations, procurement, and compliance
• Experience in handling multi-functional control roles

Key Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen (pricing, margins, contracts)
• High ownership and control mindset
• Negotiation and vendor management expertise
• Process-driven with attention to detail
• Ability to operate in SME environment (hands-on, not siloed)
• Strong coordination and problem-solving capability