Purchasing Lead

Position Purpose

The Purchasing Lead is responsible for leading and coordinating operational procurement execution and business-facing purchasing activities for AECI Head Office and for Indirect spend on behalf of other AECI businesses in the region. The role provides a central purchasing interface for property-related and indirect requirements, ensuring that business demand is translated into compliant, efficient and value-driven procurement execution.

The role leads the end-to-end purchasing process, from approved requisition through purchase order placement, delivery follow-up and issue resolution, including all finance invoice related queries and workflows from the ERP System. The incumbent is responsible for the monitoring and reporting on compliance with approved category strategies, negotiated contracts, preferred supplier arrangements, procurement policies and Delegation of Authority requirements and for implementing corrective actions where deviations are identified.

Working closely with internal stakeholders, Strategic Sourcing and Category management, the role consolidates demand, improves contract utilisation, reduces fragmented and maverick spend, strengthens supplier performance and drives consistent purchasing practices across AECI Head Office functions and the groupwide indirects portfolio.

Key Accountabilities

Operational Procurement Execution

• Lead and manage end-to-end purchasing execution (requisition → PO → delivery → issue resolution).
• Ensure all purchasing transactions comply with procurement policy and financial controls.
• Translate approved category strategies, contracts and supplier panels into property-level buying plans.
• Ensure approved requisitions are converted into complete and accurate purchase orders within agreed service levels.
• Ensure adherence to approved contracts, catalogues, supplier panels and preferred supplier arrangements.
• Drive contract compliance and maverick spend reduction.
• Ensure accurate and timely procurement transactions in SAP/Coupa and drive improvements in ERP and e-Procurement system usage.
• Coordinate expediting, delivery follow-up, service-entry issues, invoice exceptions and operational escalations.
• Maintain visibility of open purchase orders, overdue deliveries and unresolved purchasing issues across the portfolio.
• Manage the resolution and escalation of supply or service disruptions that could impact AECI operations.
• Monitor transaction backlogs, ageing purchase requests and unresolved purchasing matters.
• Monitor policy exceptions and implement corrective actions.
• Report on open orders, supplier performance, compliance levels and spend trends.

Demand Planning & Consolidation

• Establish forward visibility of recurring and planned portfolio requirements.
• Work with property managers, business stakeholders and budget owners to understand purchasing requirements, service priorities and anticipated demand.
• Identify recurring, fragmented and emergency purchases that should be addressed through demand consolidation, sourcing or contracting interventions.
• Provide consolidated demand information and purchasing insights to Strategic Sourcing and Category Management teams.
• Improve ordering disciplines by ensuring that requirements are submitted with sufficient specifications, approvals and lead times.

People Management

• Lead, coach and develop a team of Buyers.
• Allocate purchasing requirements across the buying team based on category, property, complexity and urgency.
• Establish clear roles, responsibilities, service standards and performance expectations for the buying team.
• Set clear KPIs (OTIF delivery, cost savings, compliance, cycle time).
• Drive a high-performance, service-oriented culture.
• Support capability building across tactical and operational buying.
• Manage team performance and development in line with AECI people-management requirements.

Supplier Performance & Risk Management

• Monitor supplier performance across cost, quality and delivery reliability.
• Manage supplier issue resolution and escalation.
• Monitor procurement-related payment issues impacting supplier relationships.
• Identify and mitigate supply and operational risks.
• Support supplier reviews in collaboration with Strategic Sourcing and/or Category Managers.
• Escalate strategic, commercial or persistent supplier failures to the relevant Strategic Sourcing or Category Manager.
• Identify and mitigate operational supply and service continuity risks.

Business Partnering

• Act as the primary procurement interface for the assigned business unit.
• Translate business requirements into clear purchasing plans.
• Ensure alignment between business demand and procurement execution.
• Provide input on cost drivers, price movements, and supply risks.
• Build effective working relationships with key stakeholders.

Financial & Commercial Management

• Track and report on purchase price variance, savings realization and Budget adherence.
• Support budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Ensure cost discipline and value delivery.
• Monitor spend against approved contracts, supplier panels and preferred supplier arrangements.
• Identify opportunities for demand consolidation, specification optimisation and improved supplier utilisation.

Governance, Compliance & Process Excellence

• Ensure full compliance with procurement policies, Delegation of authority (DoA) and Contracting standards.
• Maintain audit-ready procurement records.
• Drive continuous improvement in procurement processes, system utilisation (SAP, Coupa), data quality and reporting.
• Ensure ethical procurement practices are maintained throughout the purchasing process.

Continuous Improvement & Transformation

• Identify opportunities for process optimization, automation and digital adoption / reduction of manual interventions.
• Support procurement transformation initiatives led at higher levels.

KPI’s

• Contract compliance (%)
• On-time, in-full delivery (OTIF)
• Purchase Order accuracy
• Purchase order cycle time (i.e. % of approved PRs converted into POs within agreed service levels)
• Cost savings / cost avoidance
• Supplier performance scores
• Reduction in emergency / spot buys
• Procurement audit compliance
• Reduction in After-the-Fact POs
• Reduction in maverick spend
• Value and ageing of overdue or open POs
• Governance compliance
• Stakeholder satisfaction

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Commerce, Business Management, Finance, Engineering, Information Technology or related discipline.
• A recognised procurement or supply chain professional qualification will be advantageous.
• Postgraduate qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain, or Business Management will be advantageous.

Experience Required

• At least 5-7 years proven experience in procurement, purchasing, category management, supply chain or operations, including experience in indirects.
• Demonstrated experience in leading, coaching or supervising a purchasing or buying team.
• Experience supporting multiple properties, sites or business units within a matrix organisation.
• Practical procurement experience in property, facilities management, corporate services or other indirect spend categories will be advantageous.
• Strong ERP and eProcurement experience (SAP, Coupa).
• Solid commercial, analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Exposure to industrial or specialty chemicals or similar industries. (Explosives Industry knowledge advantageous).

Competencies Required:

Skills:

• Strong commercial acumen
• Operational purchasing and procurement execution
• Analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent stakeholder management
• Strong stakeholder management
• Communication
• Influencing skills
• Team leadership

Knowledge

• Indirect procurement and property-related purchasing
• Procure-to-pay and requisition-to-order processes
• Contract and preferred supplier compliance
• Supplier performance and operational risk management
• Demand consolidation and purchasing planning
• Purchase order controls and audit requirements
• ERP and eProcurement systems, preferably SAP and Coupa

Behaviours

• Demonstrated leadership capability
• Strong service orientation
• Accountability and ownership
• Team development and performance management
• Performance management
• Ability to operate effectively within a matrix and corporate environment
• Commitment to ethical, compliant and transparent procurement practices

Key Internal Stakeholders

• Business unit operations
• Finance, Accounts payable and Budget owners
• Strategic Sourcing and Category teams
• Category Management team
• Property and Facilities Management

Key External Stakeholders

• Suppliers and service providers

Role reporting to

• Manager SS&C: HO / Overheads (SA)

AECI respects your right to privacy. Please review our privacy policy at https://investor.aeciworld.com/governance.