Senior Specialist Purchase

Role & responsibilities

Local Supplier Development & Material Availability (40%): Localise parts with qualified Indian suppliers and build alternate sources for risk and cost; run RFQs on drawings and specifications for locally sourced items; place purchase orders and follow up deliveries; keep material available and stock levels right with Production, Planning and Stores.

• Cost Engineering & Savings (30%): Negotiate prices, payment terms and contracts for maximum value; build cost breakdowns and should-cost; set index-linked material pricing; deliver savings through VA / VE, localisation and import substitution; track raw-material and currency trends and keep pricing intelligence up to date.
• Tooling & Plant Ramp-up (10%): Lead procurement of tooling, machines, equipment and other plant CAPEX for the ramp-up, with clear terms on ownership, maintenance and spares; support project teams on supplier readiness (APQP / PPAP) and supplier-side changes.
• Supplier Management & Quality (10%): Run a supplier scorecard on quality, cost, delivery and development; hold periodic evaluations and feedback; audit suppliers with Quality (VDA 6.3 and applicable CQI assessments); ensure material compliance (IMDS and customer or Group restricted-substance requirements).
• Governance & Compliance (10%): Follow company policy, legal norms and Group supplier code of conduct; keep ERP data accurate and approval workflows followed; keep every transaction audit-ready for IATF 16949, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO / IEC 27001 and customer audits; coordinate with Projects, Finance and Admin, including MSME payment compliance; provide MIS to the Plant Head and mentor the team.

Preferred candidate profile

Qualification: BE / B. Tech (Mechanical / Production / Industrial); MBA / PGDM in Supply Chain, Operations or Materials Management preferred. Trade-negotiation training is an advantage.

• Relevant depth: 35 years of purchasing experience in a manufacturing environment, preferably automotive, with a proven record in part localisation and cost savings.
• Greenfield exposure (must-have): Has helped set up purchasing for a greenfield plant, including supplier development, tooling and production ramp-up.
• Technical and audit knowledge: Should-cost and cost breakdown, APQP, PPAP, FMEA and GD&T; IATF 16949 (clause 8.4), VDA 6.3 and ISO 14001 / 45001. Knowledge of tooling is an advantage.
• Working style: Strong negotiation, analytical and cross-functional skills; hands-on ERP user (Microsoft Dynamics 365 or Infor LN); business-fluent English; exposure to overseas suppliers or a foreign headquarters, including Incoterms and import duties; willingness to work on site in Vadodara. Hindi and/or Gujarati are advantageous.