Procurement Manager - Johannesburg at Unique Personnel

Job Description    
Strategic Sourcing & Cost Management

• Identify, evaluate, select and onboard suppliers that meet cost, quality, lead time, and compliance requirements;
• Actively manage and reduce component costs through strategic sourcing, negotiation, and value engineering if applicable — while preserving product quality;
• Analyse and report on product costing and procurement cost trends and contribute to Gross Profit improvement initiatives in collaboration with finance and product teams;
• Conduct regular cost benchmarking to ensure component pricing remains competitive in the market;
• Drive supplier involvement in cost-down projects and suggest alternative materials or sources where appropriate;
• Support Engineering projects and introduction of new products through sourcing new suppliers or components, conducting a sourcing risk analysis and a cost analysis on new product designs.

Supplier Relationship & Risk Management

• Build strong relationships with key suppliers to ensure supply continuity, responsiveness, and flexibility;
• Monitor supplier capacity, lead times, and responsiveness to identify risks early;
• Develop and execute mitigation strategies for supply disruptions, long lead times, and critical part dependencies;
• Work with finance to manage payment terms, currency risk, and supplier credit limits.

Quality-First Supplier Management

• Prioritise quality, reliability, and consistency in supplier selection and ongoing performance management;
• Take ownership of supplier non-conformances including Supplier Corrective Action Requests (SCAR);
• Maintain a preferred supplier list and conduct annual supplier evaluation based on performance, quality records, and audit outcomes;
• Implement and use Service Level Agreements where needed;

Operational Procurement & Process Control

• Manage the end-to-end purchasing process, from requests for quote to purchase order placement, in line with material planning requirements and production needs;
• Review material planning outputs and ensure timely procurement of components, considering lead times, minimum order quantities, economic order quantities, and inventory levels;
• Liase with the Finance Manager on large orders or deposit requirements ahead of time to allow for efficient cash management;
• Ensure orders are accurate and complete and all technical information is provided and revision controlled to support the purchase order;
• Expedite outstanding orders to meet production and delivery deadlines, escalating as needed;
• Monitor and manage purchase order accuracy, pricing updates, delivery confirmations, approval levels and change control;
• Report on procurement KPIs such as supplier on-time delivery, component cost variance, and supplier quality performance;

Systems, Process & Compliance

• Critically evaluate existing systems and processes for opportunities to improve efficiency and accuracy;
• Ensure all relevant procedures and work instructions are up to date and properly reflects the work that needs to be done;
• Ensure compliance with the Quality Management System;
• Ensure compliance with Safety, Health & Environmental policies.

Inherent Requirements    
Requirements:

• Qualification in Supply Chain, Procurement or Logistics Management is preferred; 
• 10+ Years work experience in Supply Chain, Procurement or Logistics Management; 
• Experience with ISO 9001 quality management systems; 
• System and process driven; 
• Extremely well organised; 
• Meticulous and proactive planner; 
• Ability to prioritise under pressure;