Manager, Purchase (High Current and Hydrogen)

Key responsibilities

Category ownership. Build and run category strategies for the spend blocks that drive cost in these verticals - power semiconductors, magnetics and transformers, PCBAs and control electronics, busbars and copper conductors, water cooling assemblies, cabinets and sheet metal, cables and switchgear. Develop should-cost positions, negotiate annual agreements, consolidate spend across the units, rationalise the supplier base and hold dual-source coverage on every critical item.

Project purchasing. Convert project schedules into purchase commitments with the lead time and payment profile the order can carry. Give an honest feasibility input on long-lead items before delivery dates are confirmed to the customer, not after. Track open commitments so that advance buying does not quietly build inventory against orders that have moved.

Cost-out and value engineering. Run a live savings pipeline for these categories rather than case-by-case substitution - identified, approved and realised, with realisation confirmed by Finance. Look beyond the incumbent supplier and its direct competitors to supply bases built by adjacent high-volume industries, where comparable parts are produced at materially lower cost.

Own each business case end to end: landed cost, qualification effort, tooling, stock and obsolescence impact, approval, supplier development, prototype build with Production, and a controlled phase-in and phase-out.

Localization. Drive the India localization agenda for these verticals, including material transfer arising from the relocation of manufacturing globally, with firm commitments on localization share, qualification lead time and landed cost delta. Develop Indian suppliers to a standard that the group can buy from, not only the India units.

Supplier development and quality. Run supplier qualification, capacity assessment, audits, scorecards and business reviews for the category. Own incoming quality performance and corrective action closure jointly with Quality, and escalate chronic suppliers rather than working around them.

Component lifecycle. Maintain the obsolescence and supply risk register for power semiconductors and control electronics with R&D. Plan last-time buys, qualify replacements ahead of end-of-life notices, and close cases before they reach the line.

Imports and compliance. Handle import sourcing, Incoterms, customs and FTA benefits for the category. Supplier contracting, code of conduct and documentation must withstand customer and certification audits, including export orders built to AD 2000 and ISO 3834.

System discipline. Clean requisition to purchase order to delivery discipline in the ERP - accurate lead times, no open-ended commitments, price and contract master data maintained. Build this discipline in a system environment that is still maturing.

Team. Lead the buyers assigned to these verticals, set clear category ownership and raise commercial and technical capability within the group.

Performance measures

Targets are set annually with the Head - Supply Chain. The measures are:

 Direct material cost reduction as a percentage of addressable spend for the vertical, and Fpurchase price variance against standard

 Value engineering funnel - value identified, approved and realised

 Localization share of spend and number of parts transferred to Indian sources

 Material availability against the project and production schedule, and material-driven delays

 Lead time reduction on critical long-lead components

 Inventory and open commitment position for the category, including slow-moving and non-moving stock

 Supplier quality in PPM and on-time closure of corrective actions

 Obsolescence cases resolved before production impact

Candidate profile

Ten to fourteen years in industrial purchase and sourcing, within power electronics, electrical equipment, transformers or comparable engineered-to-order manufacturing, of which at least three years leading a small purchase team or carrying full category ownership. Engineering degree, preferably electrical or mechanical; MBA an advantage.

The candidate must bring a cost-out record with numbers attached, hands-on supplier development across India and Asia, working knowledge of import sourcing and customs, and enough technical depth to read a drawing or datasheet and challenge a specification without waiting for R&D. Exposure to a European parent organisation, to project-based buying against customer milestones, or to technology transfer and localization projects is a strong advantage.

Good written and spoken English and Marathi or Hindi.

Authority and interfaces

Delegated authority for supplier selection and negotiation within the category strategy approved by the Head - Supply Chain. Substitutions with design or safety implications are approved jointly with R&D. Business cases above the delegated financial limit go to the Head - Supply Chain and, where required, to the Country Head. Principal interfaces are production planning, Production, R&D in India and Sweden, Quality, Finance, Sales and group sourcing.

Pay: ₹1,500,000.00 - ₹1,800,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person