Procurement Executive

Procurement & Vendor Development Executive

Designation: Procurement & Vendor Development Executive
Industry: Modular Furniture / Interior Manufacturing

Job Summary

We are looking for a proactive Procurement & Vendor Development Executive who will be responsible for identifying new materials, products and vendors for our modular furniture business.

The role will involve finding new products and materials, expanding our product and material catalog, identifying and onboarding new vendors, and continuously looking for lower-cost alternatives to our existing vendors without compromising on quality.

The ideal candidate should have a strong understanding of the furniture/interior industry and be someone who actively looks for better products, better vendors and better prices.

Key Responsibilities

1. New Material & Product Development

• Identify new materials, finishes, hardware, accessories and products relevant to modular furniture and interiors.
• Research the market to identify new and innovative products that can be added to the company's product range.
• Visit markets, exhibitions, vendor facilities and industry events to discover new products and suppliers.
• Collect samples, technical specifications, pricing and other relevant information for new materials.
• Work with the design and production teams to evaluate the suitability of new products.
• Maintain and continuously expand the company's material and product catalog.

2. Vendor Identification & Onboarding

• Identify and develop new vendors for existing and newly introduced materials/products.
• Source vendors locally and from other manufacturing hubs across India.
• Evaluate vendors based on price, quality, capacity, lead time, reliability and service.
• Negotiate pricing, payment terms, credit periods, MOQ, delivery schedules and other commercial terms.
• Coordinate the complete vendor onboarding process, including documentation, samples and quality approvals.
• Develop alternate vendors for critical materials to reduce dependency on single suppliers.

3. Cost Reduction & Vendor Replacement

• Regularly review existing vendor pricing and identify opportunities for cost reduction.
• Search for cheaper equivalent or better-quality alternatives to materials currently being purchased.
• Benchmark current purchase prices against the market.
• Negotiate with existing vendors for better pricing based on volume and business potential.
• Identify opportunities to replace high-cost vendors with more competitive suppliers.
• Conduct cost-comparison exercises before approving new vendors.
• Track and report savings achieved through vendor negotiations and replacements.

4. Vendor Management

• Maintain strong working relationships with existing and new vendors.
• Monitor vendor performance on quality, pricing, delivery and service.
• Resolve vendor-related issues in coordination with production and accounts teams.
• Ensure vendors meet agreed specifications and delivery timelines.
• Maintain an updated vendor database with product categories, pricing, contacts and commercial terms.

5. Inventory & Catalog Management

• Work with the inventory and production teams to understand material requirements.
• Identify products/materials that should be added, discontinued or replaced in the company's catalog.
• Ensure new materials are properly coded, documented and added to the inventory/product system.
• Track availability, lead times and pricing of key materials.
• Identify slow-moving or expensive materials and recommend alternatives where appropriate.

Required Experience & Skills

• 2-5 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, vendor development or purchase.
• Experience in modular furniture, furniture hardware, interiors, plywood, laminates, kitchen manufacturing or related industries is strongly preferred.
• Good knowledge of furniture materials, hardware, accessories and finishes.
• Strong negotiation and communication skills.
• Ability to independently identify and approach new vendors.
• Strong commercial understanding and price-comparison skills.
• Good Excel/Google Sheets skills.
• Willingness to travel to markets, factories, exhibitions and vendor locations when required.
• Ability to evaluate both cost and quality, rather than selecting vendors purely on price.