Head of Procurement

As a seasoned procurement professional, you will be leading the end-to-end sourcing of mangoes, tomatoes, and other tropical fruits during harvest seasons. Your role will be crucial in establishing robust on-ground networks, aligning procurement activities with production, and promoting traceability and sustainability throughout the supply chain. Your responsibilities will include overseeing procurement operations for mangoes, tomatoes, and other key fruits during seasonal harvests. You will be tasked with developing and executing procurement strategies that emphasize cost efficiency, quality assurance, and timely delivery. Building and nurturing strong relationships with farmers, APMCs, aggregators, cooperatives, and traders will be a significant aspect of your role. It will also be essential to monitor crop patterns, market pricing trends, and forecast yield availability to synchronize with plant schedules effectively. In addition, you will be responsible for managing logistics to ensure the smooth and timely transportation of raw materials to processing facilities. Collaboration with various cross-functional teams such as QA, Production, Finance, and Sustainability will be essential. Recruiting, supervising, and training regional procurement staff and seasonal field teams will also fall under your purview. Furthermore, supporting the implementation of traceability frameworks and sustainability programs like FSA/SAI certification will be part of your responsibilities. To be successful in this role, you should possess at least 10 years of experience in agri-commodity procurement, preferably focusing on fruits and tomatoes. Experience in collaborating with food processors, juice/beverage companies, tomato paste producers, or agri-exporters will be advantageous. A solid understanding of fruit sourcing dynamics in South and West India is essential. Proficiency in negotiation, vendor management, and team leadership is required. Strong communication skills in English and fluency in at least one regional language (Tamil / Telugu / Kannada / Marathi / Gujarati) are necessary. A degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Food Technology, or Supply Chain is preferred. You must also be willing to travel extensively during the procurement season. The base location for this role is in South India, ideally near Dindigul, Chittoor, or Krishnagiri.,