Head of Procurement

As a seasoned procurement professional, your role will involve leading the end-to-end sourcing of mangoes, tomatoes, and other tropical fruits during harvest seasons. Your responsibilities will include: - Leading procurement operations for mango, tomato, and other key fruits during seasonal harvests - Designing and implementing procurement strategies focused on cost efficiency, quality, and timely delivery - Building and maintaining strong field-level relationships with farmers, APMCs, aggregators, cooperatives, and traders - Monitoring crop patterns, market pricing, and forecast yield availability to align with plant schedules - Managing logistics to ensure smooth and timely transport of raw material to processing facilities - Collaborating closely with cross-functional teams including QA, Production, Finance, and Sustainability - Recruiting, managing, and training regional procurement staff and seasonal field teams - Supporting the implementation of traceability frameworks and sustainability programs (e.g., FSA/SAI certification) Qualifications required for this role include: - 10+ years of experience in agri-commodity procurement - preferably fruits and tomatoes - Experience working with food processors, juice/beverage companies, tomato paste producers, or agri-exporters - Strong understanding of fruit sourcing dynamics across South and West India - Proven skills in negotiation, vendor management, and team leadership - Excellent communication in English and fluency in at least one regional language (Tamil / Telugu / Kannada / Marathi / Gujarati) - Bachelors or Masters degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness, Food Technology, or Supply Chain - Willingness to travel extensively during the procurement season The location for this role is based in South India, preferably near Dindigul, Chittoor, or Krishnagiri.,