Contractor - Project Category Specialist (Clean Fuels) at Astron Energy (Pty) Ltd.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Project Category Specialist plays a critical role in supporting the implementation of Astron’s Clean Fuels Project.This position coordinates the procurement of services and materials, ensuring the achievement of procurement objectives and targets for the Project
• Primary Point of Contact: Serve as the designated point of contact for all procurement, contracts and finance personnel regarding procurement and contract inquiries. Enhance clarity and improve communication between the project and procurement teams to drive efficient decision-making and coordination.
• Oversight of Purchase Orders and Contracts: Oversee the management and coordination of all purchase orders and contracts within the procurement department, ensuring they comply with established procedures and meet project-specific requirements. Maintain accurate and thorough documentation for all transactions.
• Collaboration with other Department: Work closely with Finance and other stakeholders Departments at all levels to align purchasing activities with project milestones. Act as a go-to contact for procurement and finance-related clarifications, ensuring timely and precise processing of all purchase orders and contracts.
• Ensure Compliance: Enforce adherence to company procurement policies and practices. Monitor processes to ensure all procurement activities align with organizational standards and project objectives. Identify and address any gaps to enhance compliance and efficiency.
• Lead  Project Sourcing: Drive sourcing  intiatives, overseeing all key phases including stakeholder engagement, strategy development, supplier negotiation, award recommendations, and business case presentations.
• Contract Management: Ensure successful execution of supplier contracts (MSA, NEC, PSC, etc.), including negotiation, award, and post-award relationship management.
• Extensive project contract experience, particularly with NEC3 contracting, is highly advantageous.
• Market Intelligence: Drive and support deep market intelligence to support procurement initiatives, ensuring that both efficiency and effectiveness are maximized in the procurement process.
• Supplier Relationship Management: Foster strong, long-term relationships with suppliers, ensuring that contracts and agreements align with business objectives and performance metrics.
• Negotiation and Commercials: Lead negotiations with suppliers, ensuring the best commercial terms and incorporating best practices into all contracting activities.

Desired Skills & Experience:

• Procurement Expertise: Proven track record in managing procurement within large scale projects , with deep experience in stakeholder management, sourcing strategy, and contract execution.
• Contracting Experience: Strong understanding of project contracts, particularly NEC3 or similar frameworks. Ability to draft and manage complex agreements.
• Market Intelligence: Skilled in gathering and analyzing market data to drive informed procurement decisions that enhance project delivery and cost efficiency.
• Negotiation Skills: Strong negotiation capabilities with the ability to secure favorable terms for the organization while fostering positive supplier relationships.

Educational Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related field.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in procurement or supply chain management, with at least 5 years specifically in a Project Procurement role.

Knowledge & Skills:

• MS Office Proficiency: Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Strategic Sourcing: Expert level expertise in strategic sourcing processes and best practices.
• Operational Excellence: Expert in optimizing operational processes to achieve procurement efficiency and effectiveness.