Head of Procurement

Serco

Dubai, UAE

Ref: LP119-676

Job description / Role

Employment: Full Time

Key purpose

The Head of Procurement will lead the Middle East Procurement organization across the Division, for all direct and indirect sourcing and procurement with an approximate spend of £150 million pounds a year.

This responsibility includes

- Strategic vision, operational planning and execution. The Head of Procurement will lead a team of sourcing and procurement professionals which will be deployed across the Middle East
- Drive change across the organisation, and in partnership with Business Units (BUs) leadership and strategic suppliers, drive transformation to move the department from a transactional, reactive focus to becoming a strategic function, delivering greater value to Serco Middle East. Manage a team of senior direct reports, with sourcing and procurement professionals.
- Lead supply management for the BUs, responsible for sourcing and procurement processes, systems, and results across the Division, to include strategy development and implementation, common process definition and deployment, procurement organisational development and leadership, and delivery to support the company's business model, strategies, and financial operating plans
- Responsible for material delivering annual savings targets, supplier development and performance management, including quality and on time delivery assurance
- Continue the company's evolution in best practice procurement capabilities and organisational development, transforming the organisation from one that is locally-driven to one supported by an industry leading centralised function.
- Driving shareholder value via improved procurement practices across the Middle East

Reason for role

- Establishment of "Centre of Expertise" where local requirements dominate for practical reasons
- Bring commercial expertise and rigout our Procurement approach
- Drive results in short, medium and long term, sustainable cost savings
- Operate effectively within all SME's business units
- Drive change across the organization to move the enterprise to the next level of sourcing and procurement excellence
- Adapt new best practices through thought leadership
- Resolve audit actions
- Liaise effectively with Serco counterparts globally to ensure Serco Middle East is operating in line with group requirements and benefitting from global deals
- Ensure Procurement provides an effective service to the SME business by supporting all sales, bidding and BAU activity

Structure and reporting relationship

Reporting into the Commercial Director with the the central procurement function reporting directly into the role. Includes a total of nine direct reports of various levels?

Key accountabilities

Direct Deliverables

- Ensure implementation, understanding and compliance with the SMS (Serco Management System) Procurement Procedure across all Middle East BUs
- Implementing procurement and supply chain policy, standards, procedures and key controls across the Division/Region; which include the development of procedures and management systems
- Ensuring procedures and key controls remain fit for purpose, reflect legislative and regulatory requirements and effectively manage procurement and supply chain risks
- Defining roles and responsibilities and detailed operating models for the provision of a procurement &supply chain function
- Providing oversight (and managing directly where required) the sourcing and selection of suppliers and products
- Oversee the negotiation and execution of all supplier agreements and ensure that all supplier agreements are centrally maintained and stored
- Providing oversight and reporting of divisional/regional procurement and supply chain performance including providing meaningful reporting and analytics
- Develop and implement innovative solutions to ensure the above is delivered effectively and in line with group requirements
- Management of business and financial risk, deriving maximum value from our spend through appropriate procurement strategies and supplier selection criteria, whilst mitigating risks to business and customer objectives and meeting our customer service requirements
- Work collaboratively across all Serco's sectors and with suppliers to maximize and deliver sustainable value to Serco, maintain the integrity of our procurement process and drive continuous improvements
- Comply with laws and regulations and other requirements applicable to the locations in which we operate our business
- Reflect our ethical standards and Code of Conduct throughout our supply chain and ensure that sourcing initiatives are fair and ethical to both Serco and the participating Suppliers
- Assist with the local / divisional and wider procurement community to drive change and transformation across the business unit particularly in the sphere of procurement processes through the management, development and implementation of procurement systems and procedures
- Being the supply management partner for the Business Units (BUs), responsible for sourcing and procurement processes, systems, strategy development and implementation, common process definition and deployment, procurement organizational development and leadership.
- Management of robust supplier on boarding processes including classification, maintenance and compliance.
- Category Management resulting in an overall reduction of suppliers through consolidation and rationalisation
- Drive cost saving approaches to all Middle East procurement activity, directly impacting our bottom line business performance, through price reduction, volume negotiation and other appropriate initiatives
- Oversee the management and coordination of all tender activity in accordance with the SMS
- Be ultimately accountable for all contract negotiations, approvals variations, terminations, litigations with suppliers and ensure storage of relevant documentation
- Ensuring a defined and implemented compliance system across the Middle East for all suppliers
- Member of the BLRT (Business Lifecycle Review Team)to ensure all new business requirements, large supplier approvals and other material procurement decisions are met in line with governance
- Establish and manage an effective and robust SRM process
- Identification of system and process development needs and where necessary drive the delivery of change requests through the governanceprocess
- Provide project support to ensure business requirements are identified and delivered within budget and timescales
- Capture output of the procurement controls and incorporate common process, system & control issues into the divisions improvement programme
- Work with commercial and business development leadership team to provide a
- robust process for bidding and fit-for-purpose solutions for new business submissions
- Manage and close out independent audit points and conduct compliance audits to ensure systems and process compliance and provide recommendations where required (and ensure subsequent closure through additional reviews)
- Lead the transformation and change of our procurement approach and its alignment to the Groups wider change plan for our procurement services
- Work globally to deliver best practice solutions in the region

Organization and People

- Traveling to contract sites, as required across the Middle East
- Procedures and processes, which are aligned to standards set by the Group through the SMS and other mediums
- To ensure compliance with best practice financial and commercial policies
- Essential technical and professional skills , knowledge and qualifications

Skills/Knowledge/Attributes

- Driven by delivering financial results through effective procurement process and approach
- Highly commercial mind-set
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced complex environment
- Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, and leading through influence, at all levels of the organisation
- Experienced in managing multiple stakeholders successfully
- Willing to drive change and deal with resistance Confident communicator
- A hands-on, results-oriented approach to business with a 'can-do' attitude
- Proven track record of being able to develop a function to match business requirements and exceed expectations
- Exceptional interpersonal and negotiation skills
- Strong Business Acumen: has a pulse on the industry and identifies competitive opportunities; acts quickly to seize opportunities with the ability to identify and capitalise on both trends and innovative thinking
- Possess a 'customer first' attitude; demonstrating passionate commitment to the customer and product/service quality
- Champion the product/services and the customer's needs and implement a model of continuous improvement in both company goals and spend management
- Detail oriented with strong analytical abilities and problem solving skills
- Excellent oral and written communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively with business and technology leaders
- Thorough understanding of Procurement best practices, and up to date knowledge of trends in Procurement technology and innovation
- Proven experience of managing teams and ensuring individual career development for direct reports

Requirements

Essential qualifications

Education

- Bachelors degree within a relevant field
- CIPS qualifications would be desirable

Essential experiences

Experience

- Extensive experience in procurement / supply chain leadership roles
- Extensive experience of procurement fundamentals: supply chain, logistics, quality, supplier vetting, supplier management
- Proven, recent experience of thought leadership within the Procurement community
- Significant experience driving transformation by creating and developing high performing teams and aligning key stakeholders with business objectives
- Minimum of two years Procurement experience within the Middle East
- Experience of services business and organizations is of significant advantage

Serco is committed to Equal Employment Opportunities and is committed to ensuring the safety of all of its employees through its Zero Harm initiative.

About the Company

Serco is a FTSE 250 international service company which combines commercial know-how with a deep public service ethos.

Serco customers are looking for expertise in managing their people, processes, technology and assets more effectively. We advise economic decision makers, design innovative solutions, integrate systems and - most of all - deliver quality services directly to the public.

Serco supplies to governments, government enterprise, agencies and companies who seek a trusted outsourcing partner with a solid track-record of service excellence. Serco people offer operational, logistical and technical expertise in the Transport, Justice and Immigration, Defence, Education and Healthcare industries as well as in the commercial sectors of Facilities Management.

Serco Middle East have been in the Region since 1947, starting out delivering Air Traffic Control Services in Bahrain; a service we are proudly still running today and have expanded to include many other Airports in the region.

We have expanded significantly since that time across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. We have been supporting the RTA to operate the Dubai Metro since 2009, are preparing to launch the flagship Saudi Arabia Passenger Rail service from Riyadh to Qassim in 2016. We deliver Facility Management services to both Cleveland Clinic and Healthpoint Hospitals in Abu Dhabi, large-scale medical facilities in Saudi Arabia and a range of educational and commercial properties in the UAE. We also deliver postgraduate education to Officers in the Qatar Armed Forces through the Joaan Bin Jassim Joint Command and Staff College in Doha.

Focusing on our core values, and creating a positive environment for employees to thrive, we look forward to a bright future as we continue to grow with the region.

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PRO salaries in UAE

Average monthly compensation
AED 8,500

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