Head - Procurement - Furniture Manufacturing

Location: Mumbai | Reports to: Managing Director | Industry: Furniture Manufacturing & Retail About the Company: A leading Indian furniture manufacturer and retailer with multiple manufacturing plants, a national retail footprint and a large institutional/projects business. The company is on a strong growth path and is building a professional, data-driven management team for its next phase. Role Purpose: Lead the procurement function end to end, delivering the right material at the right cost and on time to support production and growth. The role combines commercial strength with technical understanding of materials and costs, and calls for building a disciplined, system-driven team. Key Responsibilities: Strategic Sourcing and Cost: - Develop and execute category strategies across key materials: metal, wood-based panels, laminates, hardware, upholstery, packaging and outsourced products. - Drive cost reduction through negotiation, should-cost analysis, value engineering and vendor consolidation. - Maintain an accurate, approved rate master and a controlled process for price changes. - Own the annual savings plan and track it monthly. Supply Assurance: - Ensure on-time, in-full material supply to all plants in line with production plans. - Monitor vendor lead times and performance, and act early on risks to supply. - Work closely with planning, production, stores and quality teams. Vendor Management and Development: - Build and maintain a strong vendor base, including alternate sources for critical items. - Establish vendor evaluation and rating on price, quality, delivery and service. - Support new product development with fast RFQ turnaround and technical sourcing. Systems, Process and Reporting: - Run procurement on the ERP with strong data discipline. - Define and enforce SOPs for RFQs, purchase orders, rate approvals, rejections and vendor onboarding. - Publish regular MIS on spend, savings, open orders, delays and vendor performance. Team Leadership: - Lead, hire, develop and retain a team of category managers and plant buyers. - Set clear KRAs and run structured performance reviews. - Build a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement. Key Performance Indicators: - Cost savings against baseline - On-time in-full (OTIF) supply to plants - Reduction in overdue purchase orders - Rate and ERP compliance - RFQ turnaround time - Vendor performance ratings - Team capability and retention Candidate Profile: - Education: Engineering degree (Mechanical or Production preferred); MBA or supply chain qualification an advantage. - Experience: 12 - 18 years in procurement or sourcing in a manufacturing environment, including at least 5 years leading teams. - Industry: Furniture, interiors, modular kitchens, metal fabrication, auto components, consumer durables or similar. - Technical depth: Strong grounding in materials, processes and cost structures. - Track record: Measurable, demonstrable cost savings. - Systems: Hands-on ERP experience (SAP, Microsoft Dynamics / Business Central or similar) and strong Excel or analytics skills. - Style: Data-driven, proactive and structured, able to drive change and new systems through the organisation. - Strengths: Excellent negotiation, communication and stakeholder management. Travel Requirement: Regular travel to manufacturing plants as required.