Head Procurement Operations

Head of Procurement Apparel & FMCG Retail

Department: Procurement / Purchase
Designation: Head/Manager – Procurement/General Merchandiser
Industry: Retail / Apparel / FMCG
Location: Mumbai
Reporting To: CMD
Experience: 15–20+ Years
Qualification: Graduate/Postgraduate; MBA/PGDM in Supply Chain, Procurement, Retail Management or related field preferred.

1. Job Purpose

The Head of Procurement will be responsible for developing and executing the overall procurement strategy for Apparel and FMCG categories across the retail business. The role will lead vendor development, sourcing, negotiations, buying, cost optimization, purchase planning, inventory availability, supplier performance and commercial controls.

2. Key Responsibilities

A. Procurement Strategy & Planning

• Develop and implement the annual procurement strategy for Apparel and FMCG categories.
• Prepare category-wise procurement plans based on sales, stock, seasonality, budgets and business requirements.
• Drive centralized procurement and category-wise buying strategies.
• Establish procurement budgets and ensure purchases remain within approved limits.
• Develop sourcing strategies for regular, seasonal, promotional and new product requirements.
• Coordinate with Merchandising, Sales, Operations, Warehouse, Finance and Management.

B. Apparel Procurement

• Lead procurement of Men's, Ladies', Kids, Ethnic Wear, Suiting & Shirting and other apparel categories.
• Identify manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and sourcing partners.
• Develop direct sourcing opportunities from manufacturers to improve margins.
• Negotiate rates, MOQ, lead time, payment terms, quality standards and commercial conditions.
• Monitor seasonal buying and ensure timely availability of merchandise.
• Work closely with merchandising teams on range, assortment and product requirements.
• Track product performance and support buying decisions based on sales and stock data.
• Develop private-label / exclusive merchandise sourcing wherever applicable.

C. FMCG Procurement

• Lead procurement of Grocery, Food, Beverages, Personal Care, Home Care and other FMCG categories.
• Develop direct relationships with manufacturers, distributors, super-stockists and authorized suppliers.
• Negotiate distributor margins, trade schemes, rebates, promotional support and credit terms.
• Ensure continuous product availability across stores.
• Monitor expiry, shelf life, ageing, slow-moving and non-moving inventory.
• Ensure appropriate MOQ and order quantities to avoid excess inventory.
• Develop alternate suppliers for critical/high-volume products.

D. Vendor Development & Management

• Identify, evaluate and onboard new vendors.
• Develop a strong and reliable vendor base for Apparel and FMCG categories.
• Conduct vendor negotiations and finalize commercial terms.
• Establish vendor performance parameters covering:
• Price
• Quality
• Delivery
• Fill rate
• Lead time
• Service level
• Claims/returns
• Payment terms
• Conduct periodic vendor performance reviews.
• Develop alternate sources to reduce supply and business risks.

E. Cost Optimization & Negotiation

• Lead high-value commercial negotiations with suppliers.
• Drive purchase cost reduction without compromising product quality.
• Benchmark market prices regularly.
• Negotiate:
• Basic purchase price
• Discounts
• Schemes
• Rebates
• Credit period
• Freight
• MOQ
• Return/claim terms
• Promotional support
• Identify opportunities for direct sourcing and bulk buying.
• Improve gross margins through effective procurement strategies.

F. Inventory & Availability Management

• Maintain optimum inventory levels across categories.
• Coordinate with Merchandising/MIS/Stores/Warehouse teams for stock planning.
• Monitor:
• Stock cover
• Sell-through
• Stock ageing
• Slow-moving inventory
• Non-moving inventory
• Stock-outs
• Excess inventory
• Develop action plans for ageing and slow-moving products.
• Ensure purchase decisions are linked with actual sales and inventory data.

G. Purchase Order & Supply Management

• Ensure timely creation and release of Purchase Orders.
• Monitor the complete PO cycle:

Requirement Approval PO Vendor Confirmation Production/Dispatch Inward GRN Payment

• Track pending POs and delayed deliveries.
• Coordinate with vendors and logistics teams for timely dispatch.
• Ensure suppliers comply with agreed delivery schedules.
• Escalate critical supply issues to management.

H. Commercial & Contract Management

• Finalize commercial agreements with major suppliers.
• Review vendor contracts and commercial terms.
• Ensure compliance with approved procurement policies.
• Coordinate with Finance regarding credit terms, payments and vendor reconciliation.
• Ensure proper documentation for all procurement transactions.

I. Team Leadership

• Lead and mentor the Procurement, Purchase, Buying and Sourcing teams.
• Define KRAs and KPIs for procurement team members.
• Allocate categories and vendors among team members.
• Establish daily/weekly procurement review mechanisms.
• Train the team on negotiation, vendor management and procurement controls.
• Build accountability for purchase cost, availability and inventory performance.

3. Ideal Candidate Profile

The candidate should have strong experience in organized retail procurement/purchase, preferably handling both Apparel and FMCG categories.

Preferred Industry Background

• D-Mart

Preferred Experience

• 15–20+ years overall procurement/purchase experience.
• Strong vendor network in Apparel and/or FMCG.

6. Required Skills

Functional Skills

• Retail Procurement
• Apparel Buying & Sourcing
• FMCG Procurement
• Vendor Development
• Strategic Sourcing
• Category Management
• Price Negotiation
• Purchase Planning
• Cost Reduction
• Market Intelligence

7. Reporting & Cross-Functional Coordination

Reports To: Management / Director / Business Head

Works Closely With:

• Merchandising
• Buying & Sourcing
• Retail Operations
• Category Management
• Sales
• Warehouse
• Logistics
• Finance & Accounts
• MIS
• Quality
• Store Operations