Head of Procurement at MECS (Pty) Ltd

The Opportunity

• MECS is seeking an experienced and commercially astute Head of Procurement to lead and transform its Procurement function across a complex, multi-site contract mining environment.This is a senior leadership position responsible for establishing Procurement as a strategic business partner to Operations, Maintenance, Engineering, Finance and Capital Projects — moving beyond transactional purchasing to deliver measurable commercial, operational and strategic value.The successful candidate will lead the development and execution of the Procurement strategy, operating model, category management framework, sourcing strategy, supplier partnerships and governance environment across the organisation.

Key Accountabilities

• Developing and implementing the Procurement strategy and operating model aligned to business objectives.
• Establishing and embedding category management and strategic sourcing across major spend categories.
• Driving cost savings, cost avoidance and commercial optimisation, including Total Cost of Ownership initiatives.
• Providing strategic oversight of fleet, HME, plant, repairables, major components, CAPEX, goods, consumables and production/site support services.
• Leading strategic negotiations and managing key OEM, supplier and contractor relationships.
• Establishing robust supplier performance, contract management and supplier risk frameworks.
• Ensuring strong procurement governance, compliance, Delegation of Authority and audit readiness.
• Developing sourcing pipelines and improving procurement planning, cycle times and service delivery.
• Identifying and mitigating supply-chain and business continuity risks associated with critical goods, services and suppliers.
• Providing accurate, data-driven procurement performance, spend and savings reporting to Finance and Exco.
• Building a high-performing Procurement team through leadership, coaching, capability development and succession planning.
• Partnering with senior operational and functional stakeholders to align procurement priorities with production, maintenance and business requirements.
• Leading procurement transformation, process improvement and technology adoption.

Leadership Scope
The role provides overall functional leadership across Procurement, including strategic sourcing, category management, purchasing, supplier and contract management, procurement analytics, master data and governance.The Head of Procurement will lead a structure incorporating key portfolios across:

• Fleet, Plant & HME
• Repairables & Major Components
• Site Support Services
• Production Services
• Goods & Consumables
• Contracts & Buying
• Master Data & Procurement Analytics

What We Are Looking For
The ideal candidate will be a proven procurement leader with:

• 12–15+ years' procurement and supply chain experience, including significant senior leadership responsibility.
• Strong experience in mining, contract mining, engineering, MRO, construction, manufacturing or another capital-intensive environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading a complex, multi-site procurement function.
• Strong expertise in strategic sourcing, category management and commercial negotiations.
• A proven track record of delivering savings, cost avoidance and measurable commercial value.
• Experience developing Procurement strategies, operating models and transformation programmes.
• Strong knowledge of contract management, supplier performance, governance and procurement risk.
• Experience with fleet, HME, plant, repairables, major components and/or capital equipment will be highly advantageous.
• Strong financial understanding and commercial acumen to drive business objectives efficiently.