Lead - Procurement (BESS)

ROLE MANDATE

The Lead Procurement is a sourcing-led, deal-closing leader who runs the full commercial cycle — RFQ design, supplier engagement, price negotiation, LTA closure and PO execution — across cells, PCS, EMS, balance-of-system and container-level packages.

The role anchors Suzlon's storage sourcing strategy, enabling Wind, Hybrid and FDRE growth through competitively sourced LFP-based solutions and bankable long-term supply arrangements. It owns supplier relationships, framework agreements, cost intelligence and contract execution end-to-end, drawing technical inputs (specs, warranty structures, qualification packs) from Product Engineering.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Sourcing & Lifecycle

• Own the full procurement lifecycle — RFQ design, supplier nomination, techno-commercial evaluation, LTA negotiation and PO / contract closure — for cells, PCS, EMS, transformers and electrical BoS
• Establish BESS OEM (cell, balance-of-container) partnerships; run framework, project and rate-contract structures at multi-GWh scale – China Experience dealing with Hithium, EVEE, CALB, CATL etc is compulsory
• Drive a disciplined, risk-managed Low-Cost-Country sourcing strategy

Cost Intelligence & Should-Cost

• Track raw-material markets (lithium, cobalt, nickel, electrolyte, separators, copper, aluminium) and translate movement into negotiation positions
• Build bottom-up should-cost models from raw material through cell, module, pack and container level
• Develop should-cost benchmarks for PCS, EMS, transformers and balance-of-system to anchor negotiations
• Maintain a live cost-tracker and index dashboard feeding negotiations, bid pricing and management reviews

Negotiation & Deal Closure

• Lead price negotiations with Tier-1 global and Chinese suppliers, owning final commercial outcomes
• Close framework agreements and LTAs covering supply, warranty and performance guarantees — with payment milestones, performance LDs and technology-risk mitigation clauses
• Use Product Engineering's technical inputs (warranty structures, degradation limits, throughput guarantees) to drive defensible deals
• Run structured multi-round negotiations and reverse auctions, where suitable, to secure best-and-final pricing

Vendor Development & Quality Governance

• Develop and manage the China and India vendor ecosystem — identification, onboarding, qualification and ESG / compliance alignment
• Conduct supplier audits, QAP reviews and factory capability assessments; manage performance via scorecards and corrective-action tracking
• Execute FATs at supplier facilities and negotiate equipment-supply contracts for the plant(s)
• Drive supplier localization and second-source development to de-risk supply and support DCR / Make-in-India goals

Contracting & Commercial Safeguards

• Own contract closure end-to-end — LOI / LOA, PO, master supply agreements and amendments through ERP
• Structure payment terms, ABG / PBG, LC processing and milestone-linked releases per treasury and risk policy
• Maintain dispatch trackers, contract registers and post-PO governance with cross-functional teams

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Take specs and qualification from Head – Technical / Product Engineering; final commercial decisions sit with this role
• Work with Finance, Legal, Tax and Logistics on China-to-India delivery models, INCO terms and landed-cost optimisation
• Support BD and tendering with RFQ flow-down, indicative pricing and commercial-risk inputs

SUCCESS MEASURES

• LTA coverage: Framework agreements / LTAs in place for the majority of cell and critical sub-system volumes
• Cost competitiveness: Negotiated prices benchmarked against should-cost; demonstrated cost-down versus market
• Supplier quality: Supplier audits and QAP reviews completed; FATs cleared; scorecard performance on track
• Execution: On-time PO / contract closure with commercial safeguards (payment terms, LDs, guarantees) in place
• Working capital: Payment terms and trade instruments structured to protect cash and optimise landed cost

CANDIDATE PROFILE

Experience & Background

• 7–10 years in BESS, battery, energy storage, power-equipment or large-capex sourcing roles
• Proven track record of closing LTAs / framework agreements at GWh scale on cells, PCS, EMS or container-level packages
• Strong exposure to Tier-1 global and Chinese cell / PCS / EMS suppliers, with hands-on factory-visit and audit experience
• Hands-on experience structuring LC / BG instruments and milestone-linked payment terms with global suppliers

Domain Expertise

• Demonstrated bottom-up cost-modelling capability across cell, module, pack and balance-of-system
• Sharp commercial negotiation skills — warranty, LDs, payment terms and risk-sharing clauses
• Ability to combine commercial depth with technical fluency to engage global manufacturers credibly
• Working knowledge of cross-border trade — INCO terms, customs / BCD, GST and landed-cost optimisation for China-to-India delivery

Education

• B.Tech in Electrical, Electronics, Mechanical, Energy or related discipline
• MBA / PGDM in Operations, Supply Chain or Strategy preferred