SUMMARY:
Purchasing Director
POSITION INFO:
Purchasing Director Department: Purchasing \/ Procurement Reports to: Chief Operating Officer Location: Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Purpose Lead the purchasing function and define the procurement strategy that supports automotive manufacturing, plant industrialization and business growth. The Purchasing Director is accountable for supplier strategy, commercial performance, procurement governance and supply continuity across production materials, automotive components, tooling, capital equipment, engineering parts, maintenance spares and plant consumables. Partner with executive leadership to improve total cost of ownership, develop a resilient supplier base and ensure purchasing decisions support quality, delivery, working capital and operational objectives. Key Responsibilities Procurement Strategy and Commercial Leadership • Develop and execute purchasing strategies, category plans and sourcing priorities aligned with business plans, production demand and new programme requirements. • Direct purchasing for plant setup, automation, industrialization and ongoing manufacturing operations, balancing cost, quality, delivery and long-term supply security. • Lead major supplier negotiations, strategic sourcing decisions and long-term commercial agreements within delegated authority; escalate commitments requiring executive approval. Supplier Development and Supply Assurance • Oversee the identification, evaluation, selection and development of local and international suppliers, including opportunities to build supplier capability in KSA. • Establish supplier performance reviews covering quality, delivery, capacity, cost and financial or operational risk; direct corrective action and escalation for underperformance. • Develop dual-sourcing, contingency and recovery plans for critical materials and suppliers to protect production continuity and plant uptime. Automotive Programmes and Technical Procurement • Partner with engineering, programme management, quality and operations to align supplier sourcing, capacity and readiness with new product launches and engineering changes. • Ensure supplier qualification and production approval activities are coordinated with quality and engineering teams in line with applicable automotive and customer requirements. • Direct procurement of tooling, capital equipment, MRO items and critical spares, ensuring technical specifications, commercial milestones and delivery commitments meet project and maintenance needs. Cost Management and Working Capital • Own purchasing budgets, cost reduction plans and commercial performance reporting; validate delivered savings with Finance. • Assess total cost of ownership, including tooling, freight, duties, inventory and quality-related costs, when making sourcing recommendations. • Work with planning and logistics to improve lead times, payment terms and inventory levels while maintaining availability of critical and long-lead items. Governance Systems and Risk • Establish purchasing policies, approval controls, tendering standards and contract management practices that support transparent and ethical procurement. • Ensure compliance with company policies, contractual obligations and applicable KSA requirements in collaboration with Finance and legal advisers. • Drive effective use of ERP systems, purchasing data and reporting to improve spend visibility, supplier performance and procurement controls. • Monitor commodity, currency and supply market exposure; recommend mitigation measures and report material risks to executive leadership. People Leadership and Executive Collaboration • Lead, coach and develop purchasing managers and procurement professionals; establish clear accountability, performance objectives and succession plans. • Build effective working relationships across production, engineering, maintenance, quality, logistics and Finance, and coordinate with international business counterparts. • Present purchasing strategy, supplier risks, commercial opportunities and performance results to the executive team. Qualifications and Experience • A minimum of 10 years of automotive manufacturing experience is a prerequisite, with substantial experience in purchasing, procurement or strategic sourcing within this sector. • At least 5 years in a senior purchasing or procurement leadership role, with responsibility for teams, supplier strategy and significant commercial negotiations. • Degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Engineering, Business or a related discipline. A relevant master's degree or professional procurement qualification is advantageous. • Proven experience sourcing automotive components, raw materials, tooling, capital equipment, engineering parts and MRO requirements. • Demonstrated success in supplier development, cost reduction, contract negotiation and supply risk management in a manufacturing environment. • Working knowledge of automotive supplier quality, launch readiness and production approval processes, including APQP and PPAP. • Strong ERP proficiency and analytical capability. SAP experience is an advantage. • International exposure, including global sourcing, overseas suppliers or collaboration across international manufacturing operations, is an advantage. Key Competencies • Strategic judgement and commercial decision-making. • Advanced negotiation and supplier relationship management. • Leadership, coaching and accountability for team performance. • Financial analysis, total cost assessment and budget management. • Supply risk assessment and decisive problem-solving. • Clear executive communication and effective collaboration across functions and cultures. Key Performance Measures Performance will be assessed against agreed targets for validated purchasing savings, total cost improvement, supplier delivery and quality, material availability, launch readiness, critical spares availability, working capital, procurement compliance and team development.
