Procurement Lead – MRO & Industry Services Full Time NEW

Summary : This role will lead the strategic sourcing for maintenance, repair, and operational services across key industrial categories. The role is responsible for securing service continuity, optimizing value for money, and supporting business growth through effective category strategies covering Material Handling, Mobile Equipment Services, Professional Services (Manpower), Facility Management, Asset Maintenance, and Shut-Down Projects. Operating with autonomy, the role drives performance, ensures stakeholder alignment, and mentors the team, while adhering to corporate procurement standards under the guidance of the Procurement Director.

Key Accountabilities:

Strategic Sourcing and Cross-Functional Collaboration:

• Oversees the entire procurement process for Industrial Services categories: Material Handling, Mobile Equipment Services, Professional Services (Manpower), Facility Management, Asset Maintenance, and Shut-Down Projects from category strategy creation and tactical execution through to end-to-end strategic sourcing, encompassing commercial, demand, and scope optimization.
• Develops and implements actionable category strategies to achieve departmental objectives, introducing best practices for increased effectiveness and enhancing the value of strategic sourcing within Industrial Services procurement.
• Cultivates robust relationships with internal business stakeholders, gaining a deep understanding of operational priorities and service requirements, and effectively aligning with multiple stakeholders by leveraging superior problem-solving capabilities.
• Executes all procurement requisitions (PR) raised specific to Industrial Services purchasing groups and categories, ensuring timely processing and compliance with procurement standards.
• Leads the analysis and optimization of tail spend within Industrial Services categories, focusing on transactional volume reduction and expenditure control.
• Ensures PR to PO cycle time targets are met consistently across all service categories.
• Monitors PO to GRN (Goods Receipt Note) lead times to ensure planned service delivery dates are achieved, including mobilization milestones for Shut-Down Projects.
• Owns and drives regular business review meetings with service providers across all categories while maintaining strategic supplier relationships.
• Integrates Value for Money principles, Cost Models, and Clean Sheet analysis into all purchase orders and contracts initiated by the department, ensuring best commercial outcomes without compromising quality or service levels.
• Leads supplier negotiations to maximize value for the company, securing favourable terms and conditions (T&Cs) and contracting KPIs aligned with industry best practices for service contracts (SLA/KPI frameworks, performance incentives, penalty mechanisms).
• Drives departmental initiatives and strategies, including the introduction of SOW (Scope of Work) governance, SLA/KPI frameworks, and performance-based contracting across all service categories.
• Ensures service provider performance in accordance with contractual obligations, SLAs, and operational commitments — including safety compliance, workforce deployment standards, and equipment availability.
• Focuses on supplier resilience and sustainability, including contractor financial health, HSE track record, local content commitments, and business continuity plans.
• Ensures that category strategies promote economic development in line with local content and In-Country Value (ICV) requirements.
• Continuously explores alternate service providers and innovative sourcing models to optimize cost and foster local sourcing across all Industrial Services categories.
• Ensures protection and optimization of company interests while proactively managing commercial and operational risks to minimise the potential for disputes and claims.
• Identifies and pursues financial savings targets through scope challenge, demand management, rate benchmarking, and aggregation across service categories.
• Drives operational efficiencies through innovation in service delivery models, including the adoption of technology-enabled solutions and performance-driven contracting.
• Applies superior problem-solving and analytical skills with the ability to align multiple stakeholders across complex, cross-functional environments.
• Develops executable plans to meet departmental objectives, implementing best practices for greater effectiveness and building the value of strategic sourcing procurement for Industrial Services.

Leadership

• Measures the effectiveness of team performance through the development and implementation of continuous improvement mechanisms, ensuring that goals, objectives, and KPIs are met and that significant, tangible bottom-line value is generated.
• Builds and retains a highly capable procurement team that can serve as a source pool for job rotation across the various procurement categories within the department.
• Drives cross-functional collaboration to generate value and streamline procurement activities across Industrial Services, working closely with Operations, Maintenance, Facility Management, and Finance.
• Builds strong, reliable corporate relationships across functions, leading to high internal customer satisfaction ratings and positioning procurement as a strategic business partner.

Process/Excellence

• Ensures that all procurement activities are carried out in accordance with the Company’s safety policies and procedures, with particular attention to contractor safety management across site operations.
• Directs the development of contractor and service provider performance standards, taking accountability for delivery against SLA/KPI commitments across all Industrial Services categories at Emirates Steel.
• Ensures full compliance with the Company’s internal procurement processes, approval frameworks, and governance practices.
• Adopts and benchmarks industrial best practices to enhance procurement performance effectiveness, including the application of spend analytics, market intelligence, and E-Sourcing tools.

Minimum Qualification (Educational Qualifications, Trainings, or Certifications)

• Bachelor’s degree from a recognized university, preferably in Engineering or Economics or International Commerce, or Finance.
• Professional procurement certifications (CIPS, CPSM, or equivalent).

Professional Experience

• Minimum 10 years’ experience in strategic procurement, with a focus on Industrial Services categories in a heavy industry or large-scale industrial environment (Steel, Oil & Gas, Petrochemicals, Mining, or equivalent).
• Proven experience managing complex service categories including Material Handling, Mobile Equipment Services, Professional/Manpower Services, Facility Management, Asset Maintenance, and/or Shut-Down Projects.
• Demonstrated experience in SOW development, SLA/KPI framework design, and performance-based contract management for large service contracts.
• Experience managing large-scale, multi-contractor service environments with significant workforce deployment and equipment fleets.
• Experience in managing and developing procurement teams.