Head: Procurement Centre of Excellence

Main Responsibilities:

Role Purpose:

The Head of Procurement Centre of Excellence (CoE) is responsible for establishing and embedding best-in-class procurement standards, governance, systems and technology, processes and analytics, and driving innovation across AECI. The role drives functional excellence, ensuring that procurement operates as a data-driven, digitally enabled, and compliant function that consistently delivers value. This role enhances performance visibility, builds organisational capability, and fosters continuous improvement.

Key Accountabilities

• Act as strategic partner to the VP: Procurement:
  • Drive execution of AECI’s procurement strategy and operating model
  • Lead digital transformation and systems enablement
  • Lead and direct the development and implementation of procurement policies, governance frameworks, and standard operating procedures.
  • Define and enforce clear parameters to ensure alignment with AECI’s procurement governance, policies, and compliance frameworks.
  • Provide leadership over procurement risk management frameworks and oversight of monitoring processes.
  • Lead functional research, external benchmarking, and market intelligence to inform strategy and decision-making while incorporating global best practices to continuously advance procurement maturity
  • Enable effective information sharing and transparency across the procurement organization

• Providing strategic insights and guidance to the Procurement teams to optimize value and drive functional excellence, by developing and maintaining key frameworks, including:
  • Functional delivery RACI and segmentation (i.e. A framework defining what is central vs business vs in-region)
  • Supplier Relationship Management (SRM) and Suppler Performance Management (SPM);
  • Supplier onboarding and lifecycle management
  • Supplier sustainability and/or security of supply
  • Internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
  • Category Management
  • Spend and category analytics, including  should-cost and TCO modelling
  • Contract management
  • Tiered risk monitoring
  • S2P principles
  • Responsible sourcing
  • ESG reporting integration
  • Inclusive procurement / Supplier diversity / Localistation

• Functional PMO:
  • Procurement performance management and improvement (i.e. Metrics & Benchmarks) through leading and setting out key performance indicators, analytics, reporting and performance management principles
  • Proof-of-concept and improvement projects
  • Procurement operations planning activities E.g. Strategic planning, Annual plans, Frontloading

• Master data, analytics and reporting:
  • Custodian of procurement master data, analytics, and reporting
  • Establish and govern data management standards to ensure data integrity and accessibility
  • Lead advanced procurement analytics, including spend analysis, performance insights, and value tracking

• Innovation and continuous improvement:
  • Champion and implement innovation and continuous improvement initiatives to elevate procurement effectiveness
  • Oversee the enhancement and adoption of procurement systems and tools, including tracking (e.g. % compliance, tool usage, policy adherence)
  • Embed a culture of continuous improvement and operational excellence across procurement

• People Management:
  • Build procurement organisational capability through:
    • Structured talent development programmes
    • Driving knowledge management, including playbooks, best practices and lessons learned
    • Enhancing stakeholder capability through education and engagement initiatives
    • Effective change management
    • Digital value realisation

• Cost Optimisation and Value Delivery:
  • Develop and maintain the AECI Procurement Cost Optimisation Playbook, defining standards for opportunity identification, prioritization, value realization and benefits tracking;
    • Act as PMO for procurement value delivery initiatives, ensuring governance, alignment and execution discipline;
    • Establish reporting mechanisms to monitor, track and validate procurement value delivery

• Performance Management Oversight:
  • Establish enterprise-wide routines for monitoring procurement performance, benefits realisation, and ROI
  • Drive adoption and effective use of analytics and digital tools
  • Continuously improve procurement cycle times, outcomes, and stakeholder satisfaction

Competencies Required:

• Skills:
  • Strong commercial acumen
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Influencing skills
  • Stakeholder engagement skills

• Knowledge
  • Procurement systems
  • Exposure to industrial or specialty chemicals or similar industries (Explosives industry knowledge advantageous)
  • In-depth knowledge of procurement, logistics and supply chain principles and processes in mining and chemicals environment
  • Knowledge of regulations relating to logistics and transportation

• Behaviours
  • Strong ability to engage effectively at executive and board level
  • Exceptional strategic thinking abilities
  • Demonstrated leadership capability, including team development

Key internal stakeholders:

• • Finance
  • Business Executives
  • Cross functional teams

Key external stakeholders:

• • Suppliers
  • Other Procurement professionals
  • Service providers

Role reporting to:

• • Vice President: Strategic Sourcing & Procurement

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