Manager - Commodity Procurement & Trading - Food & Agri

Role Purpose:

The role will be responsible for commodity procurement and trading activities, with a primary focus on Maida/Wheat. Candidates with relevant experience in procurement or trading of Wheat, Edible Oil or Sugar will also be considered, with preference for professionals having strong Wheat/commodity trading exposure.

Key Responsibilities:

Commodity Procurement & Trading:

- Manage procurement and trading activities for commodities across South and West India.

- Handle spot and forward buying and ensure competitive procurement rates.

- Develop and maintain relationships with traders, mills, suppliers and other commodity-market participants.

- Evaluate market prices, supply-demand trends and buying opportunities.

- Track procurement requirements and ensure timely availability and delivery of commodities.

- Support Wheat/Flour/Maida procurement and custom milling activities.

- Monitor by-product rates and market movements where relevant.

- Identify and develop new vendors/suppliers to improve competitiveness.

Market Intelligence:

- Develop strong ground-level understanding of commodity markets.

- Track prices and market developments across major clusters.

- Monitor competition, supply availability and market trends for Wheat, Maida, Edible Oil and Sugar as relevant to the candidate's experience.

- Provide market inputs to support procurement and trading decisions.

Purchase Operations:

- Track purchase orders and ensure timely execution and delivery.

- Work on improving RFQ effectiveness and procurement efficiency.

- Monitor quality and reduce quality-related rejections.

- Coordinate with internal teams, vendors, mills and logistics partners.

- Facilitate internal and external audits related to procurement.

Team Management:

- Lead and guide a small procurement team.

- Ensure effective execution of purchase and commodity-related activities.

Skills and Experience:

Candidate Profile:

- 2 - 6 years of experience in commodity procurement, commodity trading or purchase.

- Candidates with experience in Wheat, Maida, Edible Oil or Sugar will be considered.

- Wheat traders / Wheat procurement professionals are particularly preferred.

- Candidates from either procurement or trading backgrounds can be considered.

- Experience dealing with traders, mills, commodity suppliers or institutional buyers preferred.

- MBA from a premier B-School is mandatory.

- Strong understanding of commodity markets, pricing and procurement practices.

- Good Excel and analytical skills.

- Strong negotiation, vendor management and communication skills.

- Ground-level market exposure and ability to develop supplier/trader relationships.

Preferred Commodity Background:

- Wheat / Maida - Preferred

- Edible Oil / Oilseeds

- Sugar

- Other Food & Agri Commodities

- The position is particularly suitable for professionals with 2 - 6 years of hands-on experience in commodity procurement or trading, especially those with Wheat trading/procurement exposure.