Procurement Manager

About Ugaoo:

Ugaoo is one of India's leading D2C brands in the home gardening space, focused on making gardening simple, accessible, and enjoyable for every household. With a strong digital-first approach, a growing retail footprint, marketplace presence, corporate gifting, and landscaping & maintenance services, Ugaoo serves a diverse customer base across the country.

Our portfolio spans live plants, seeds, gardening inputs, planters, and green lifestyle products. Given the perishable nature of a significant part of our inventory and the complexity of managing a high-SKU product portfolio, our supply chain plays a critical role in delivering a seamless customer experience. Backed by a technology-driven and customer-centric approach, Ugaoo operates through multiple fulfillment hubs, managing a high-velocity supply chain that includes procurement, inventory planning, warehousing, last-mile delivery, and reverse logistics.

As we continue to scale, we are building a future-ready, highly efficient, and tech-enabled supply chain ecosystem powered by innovation, operational excellence, and passionate people who are excited to redefine the gardening experience in India.

Role Summary:

The Procurement Manager will be responsible for end-to-end procurement of all products excluding live plants, including planters, gardening accessories, tools, fertilizers, packaging materials, merchandise, and other indirect procurement requirements. The role requires close collaboration with Category, Merchandising, Planning, Warehouse, Finance, and Operations teams to ensure uninterrupted supply while optimizing costs, quality, and vendor performance.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement

• Develop and execute procurement strategies aligned with business growth plans.
• Source, evaluate, and onboard reliable domestic and international suppliers.
• Identify opportunities for cost optimization without compromising quality or service levels.
• Conduct market research to identify new suppliers, pricing trends, and innovative products.

Techno-Commercial Management

• Conduct techno-commercial evaluation of suppliers based on quality, technical specifications, pricing, lead times, and service capabilities.
• Review and validate Bill of Materials (BOMs) and product specifications in collaboration with Category, and Product Development teams to ensure accurate sourcing, cost optimization, and supplier alignment.
• Lead commercial negotiations for pricing, contracts, payment terms, and delivery schedules to achieve the best value for the business.
• Collaborate with Category, Product, Quality, and Operations teams to evaluate alternate materials, drive value engineering, and optimize total procurement costs.

Vendor Management

• Build and maintain strong relationships with suppliers.
• Negotiate annual contracts, pricing, MOQs, payment terms, and service level agreements.
• Monitor supplier performance on quality, delivery, responsiveness, and cost competitiveness.
• Develop alternate vendors to mitigate supply risks and ensure business continuity.

Purchase Planning & Execution

• Ensure timely procurement based on demand forecasts and inventory plans.
• Raise and manage purchase orders through to successful delivery.
• Coordinate with logistics and warehouse teams to ensure timely inward movement of goods.
• Track procurement KPIs including OTIF, procurement savings, fill rates, and supplier performance.

Inventory & Supply Planning

• Work closely with Demand Planning and Inventory teams to maintain optimum stock levels.
• Minimize stock-outs while controlling excess inventory.
• Support new product launches by ensuring procurement readiness.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with Category, Merchandising, Retail, Warehouse, Finance, and Operations teams to achieve business objectives.
• Support seasonal demand, promotions, and category expansion initiatives.
• Coordinate with Finance for invoice reconciliation and vendor payments.

Process Excellence

• Drive procurement SOPs and continuous process improvements.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with company policies and documentation standards.
• Leverage ERP systems and digital tools to improve procurement efficiency.
• Prepare procurement MIS, dashboards, and reports for leadership review.

Requirements

• 56 years of procurement experience in a D2C, e-commerce, retail, FMCG, consumer goods, or lifestyle brand.
• Master's degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Experience managing multiple product categories with high SKU complexity.
• Working knowledge of Bill of Materials (BOM), product costing, and technical specifications.
• Technical background in packaging materials, packaging specifications, and packaging development processes.
• Strong exposure to strategic sourcing, vendor negotiations, inventory planning.

Good to Have:

• Exposure to omnichannel retail and quick commerce supply chains.
• Experience in import procurement and international vendor management.
• Knowledge of sustainable sourcing practices.
• Familiarity with AI-enabled procurement and demand forecasting tools

Why Join Ugaoo?

• Be part of one of India's fastest-growing D2C lifestyle brands.
• Work across diverse product categories supporting retail, e-commerce, marketplaces, and quick commerce.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams in a high-growth, innovation-driven environment.
• Play a key role in building scalable procurement processes and driving measurable business impact.