Director - Rice Procurement

ABOUT THE ROLE

market leadership in organized B2B food retail

Chief Merchandising O

Restaurants, Catering)

Your mandate

Key Responsibilities

1. National Rice Sourcing Strategy & Value Chain Optimization

Upstream Value Chain Mastery & Intervention Design

• Design and execute comprehensive rice procurement strategy across all major varieties (basmati, parboiled, raw, specialty) and regional preferences
• Map end-to-end value chain from farmer to consumer, identifying strategic intervention points for margin capture and efficiency gains
• Eliminate inefficiencies across farmer mandi miller wholesaler retailer touchpoints through direct relationships and technology integration
• Build innovative sourcing models that bypass traditional intermediaries while ensuring farmer income stability and quality consistency

Scale Leverage & Competitive Positioning

• Leverage our 150,000+ retailer network

  as strategic procurement advantage to secure preferential terms, volume bonuses, and exclusive arrangements with mills
• Drive rice category contribution to company-wide

  >80% direct sourcing target

  through scale-enabled mill partnerships

• Outmaneuver organized and unorganized competition

  through superior supplier relationships, pricing intelligence, and procurement innovation
• Establish Co as the

  preferred partner for tier-1 rice mills

  by offering scale, payment reliability, and strategic growth partnership

Financial Optimization & Risk Management

• Implement sophisticated working capital optimization

  including payment term negotiations, inventory financing, and cash conversion cycle improvement
• Establish

  commodity price risk management frameworks

  including futures, forward contracts, and seasonal hedging strategies where applicable
• Drive

  procurement e

  ffi

  ciency improvements

  that deliver measurable margin expansion while maintaining competitive pricing to retailers
• Design financial structures with suppliers that optimize both parties' working capital and cash flow requirements

2. Regional Buyer Team Leadership & Matrix Management

Regional Rice Buyer Network Development

• Build and lead a team of

  4-6 Regional Rice Buyers

  strategically positioned across key production zones (Punjab/Haryana for Basmati, Andhra Pradesh/Telangana for varieties, West Bengal for specialty rice)

• Transfer hands-on buying expertise to regional teams

  including negotiation techniques, supplier evaluation methods, and deal structuring approaches
• Establish dual reporting matrix where Regional Rice Buyers report functionally to you and operationally to Regional CEOs for local execution
• Design cross-regional sourcing strategies, particularly for premium varieties like Basmati that serve multiple regional markets

• Coach regional buyers on seasonal buying strategies

  , market timing, and commodity volatility management based on your field experience

Crisis Management & Business Continuity Excellence

• Navigate supply chain disruptions

  including weather events, crop failures, policy changes, and market volatility while maintaining business continuity
• Establish

  contingency sourcing strategies

  and backup supplier networks to ensure uninterrupted supply to our retailer base

• Coach regional buyers on crisis response protocols

  including emergency sourcing, quality compromises, and customer communication during disruptions
• Develop

  competitive intelligence capabilities

  to anticipate market changes and position Co advantageously against organized and unorganized competitors

3. Regional Success Enablement & Market Intelligence

Regional CEO Partnership & Support

• Support Regional CEO market competitiveness

  by ensuring rice sourcing strategies align with local P&L targets and market conditions
• Provide weekly market intelligence including competitor pricing, supply opportunities, and demand trends

• Resolve con

  fl

  icts constructively

  between central optimization and regional market needs through collaborative problem-solving
• Develop region-specific rice portfolios that address local customer preferences while leveraging central sourcing advantages

Performance Management & Capability Building

• Implement monthly regional buyer reviews focusing on procurement performance, supplier relationships, and regional market support

• Ensure Regional Rice Buyers become e

  ff

  ective regional assets

  who contribute to Regional CEO success
• Create knowledge sharing frameworks for best practice exchange across regional network
• Lead talent development with emphasis on buying skills, market intelligence, and Regional CEO partnership

Quality Assurance & End-Customer Focus

• Establish

  customer-back quality standards

  that ensure consistent product experience for kiranas and their end consumers
• Implement

  traceability systems

  and documentation protocols that support food safety compliance and audit requirements
• Design quality control processes that minimize rejection rates while maintaining standards that protect Co's reputation with retailers

• Proactively manage FSSAI compliance

  and food safety requirements across all supplier relationships and sourcing activities

3. Pricing Strategy & Margin Optimization

Dynamic Pricing Framework Development

• Build sophisticated pricing models that optimize gross margins while maintaining competitive market positioning
• Develop and manage rice pricing corridors that regional teams execute within (15-20% flexibility)
• Create promotional calendars and markdown strategies that maximize rupee margin per van day
• Implement advanced analytics for demand forecasting, inventory optimization, and price elasticity analysis

Margin Enhancement Initiatives

• Lead rice category contribution to overall

  trading gross margin expansion

• Identify and execute margin enhancement opportunities through supplier negotiations, process improvements, and mix optimization
• Drive higher-margin specialty rice varieties penetration across regional markets
• Optimize logistics costs through strategic sourcing geography alignment with fulfillment network

4. Quality Standards & Cross-Functional Collaboration

Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Establish consistent quality standards and testing protocols across all rice varieties and suppliers
• Implement

  customer-focused quality controls

  that ensure reliable product experience for kiranas and end consumers

• Manage FSSAI compliance

  and food safety requirements across supplier relationships and sourcing activities
• Develop traceability systems and documentation protocols for audit and regulatory requirements

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Supply Chain team on logistics optimization and inventory management that supports regional fulfillment
• Collaborate with Finance on category P&L performance and accurate demand forecasting

• Support Technology teams

  with data quality and system adoption for procurement analytics and pricing tools

• Provide category expertise to Head of Own Brands

  for Jumbofarms rice development and quality specifications
• Support emerging HORECA business development with institutional-grade rice solutions and supplier capabilities

Cross-Functional Leadership & Regional Integration

• Partner with Supply Chain team on

  regional ful

  fi

  llment optimization

  , logistics cost minimization, and multi-channel inventory management that supports regional growth targets
• Collaborate with Finance on rice category P&L across channels while

  providing regional margin analysis

  and accurate forecasting for financial planning

• Work e

  ff

  ectively with Technology teams

  on demand forecasting, procurement analytics, and pricing engines that enhance regional competitiveness and data quality

• Provide deep category expertise to Head of Own Brands

  for Jumbofarms rice strategy while ensuring

  end-customer quality consistency

  and regional market adaptation

• Champion regional needs

  in central planning processes and ensure emerging HORECA strategies complement rather than compete with regional B2B focus

5. Strategic Supplier Partnership Development

Tier-1 Mill Relationships

• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with 15-20 tier-1 rice mills across key production zones

• Structure partnership agreements

  that optimize cost, quality, payment terms, and supply reliability

• Build trust-based relationships

  with key suppliers through consistent engagement and transparent communication
• Negotiate multi-season contracts that provide suppliers business predictability while securing favorable terms

Win-Win Deal Architecture

• Design deal structures

  that align supplier incentives with Co goals including volume commitments, quality standards, and pricing frameworks

• Leverage supplier economics knowledge

  to structure mutually beneficial arrangements that improve supplier margins while reducing costs
• Establish preferred partner relationships that provide competitive advantages including priority access and market intelligence
• Drive supplier performance improvements through capability development and partnership programs

6. Performance Management & Analytics

Category Performance Leadership

• Own rice category KPIs including procurement cost optimization, quality metrics, supplier performance, and fill rates
• Develop and maintain rice category dashboards and regional performance tracking
• Conduct regular business reviews with Chief Merchandising Officer and Regional CEOs on category performance and market intelligence
• Lead annual rice category planning and budgeting processes

Technology Integration & Data Management

• Adopt procurement analytics tools

  and contribute to demand forecasting accuracy through market intelligence
• Ensure data quality in procurement systems and support technology team initiatives for process improvement
• Implement automated reporting for key performance metrics and supplier scorecards
• Leverage technology platforms for supplier communication, order management, and performance tracking

Quali

Essential Requirements

• 15+ years

  of rice/commodity procurement experience with

  proven margin expansion track record

  in competitive, scale-driven environments

• Crisis-tested procurement leadership

  with demonstrated ability to navigate major supply disruptions, market volatility, and competitive pressure

• Scale economics expertise

  with experience leveraging large buyer volumes (>100Cr annual procurement) to secure preferential supplier terms and competitive advantages

• Financial sophistication

  including working capital optimization, commodity risk management, and procurement financing structures

• Advanced negotiation mastery

  with track record of structuring complex deals that deliver measurable cost savings and margin improvements under timeline pressure