At Quaker Houghton, we are experts in the development, production and application of industrial process fluids, lubricants and coatings for the manufacturing industry. We have been an integral part in the growth of the world’s largest industrial and manufacturing companies from aerospace and automotive to primary metal and energy. Today, we have a global presence, with our corporate headquarters located in Conshohocken, PA. Quaker Houghton is a global publicly traded company with a unique collaborative culture that supports career growth for its colleagues and offers competitive compensation and benefit programs.
About The Job
We are seeking an experienced Senior Procurement Manager, India (Head of Procurement, India) to lead procurement activities across the country and drive strategic value creation through both direct and indirect sourcing.
Reporting to the Procurement Director, APAC, this role serves as the senior procurement leader for India and acts as a key strategic partner to the General Manager India, Plant Operations, Finance, Commercial teams, and Global Sourcing teams.
This is a highly visible leadership role responsible for procurement strategy execution, supplier relationship management, cost optimization, supply continuity, CAPEX project support, and capability building as Quaker Houghton continues to expand its operations in India.
What You'll Do
- Lead procurement strategy and sourcing activities across both direct and indirect spend categories.
- Manage a diverse supplier portfolio supporting manufacturing and business operations across India.
- Lead strategic sourcing and procurement activities across a significant spend portfolio, including support for major operational and capital investment projects.
- Lead, coach, and develop procurement talent while building long-term procurement capability across India.
- Develop and execute category strategies focused on cost optimization, supply assurance, risk mitigation, supplier innovation, and sustainability.
- Support plant expansion and capacity improvement projects through procurement leadership and execution.
- Lead complex supplier negotiations, contract development, and supplier performance management.
- Drive supplier development, localization initiatives, and contract manufacturing (tolling) strategies in India.
- Partner closely with Operations, Commercial, Finance, Legal, R&D, Supply Chain, and Global Procurement stakeholders to achieve business objectives.
- Drive procurement excellence through digital procurement tools, analytics, and process improvements.
- Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable Indian statutory and regulatory requirements.
What We're Looking For
We are looking for a procurement leader who combines strategic thinking with strong execution capabilities and thrives in a dynamic multinational environment.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
- 12+ years of progressive procurement and sourcing experience.
- Strong experience working within multinational organizations.
- Proven leadership experience managing procurement teams and influencing senior business stakeholders.
- Demonstrated success managing large supplier portfolios and complex sourcing programs.
- Expertise in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier relationship management, and contract negotiations.
- Experience supporting large-scale manufacturing, operational improvement, and CAPEX investment projects.
- Strong knowledge of ERP procurement systems and digital sourcing platforms.
- Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and leadership skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience within the chemical, manufacturing, process industry, or large FMCG organizations.
- Experience with CAPEX procurement and contract manufacturing procurement.
- Professional certification such as CIPS, CPSM, ISM, or equivalent.
- MBA or other postgraduate qualification.
Desired Expertise
- Strong knowledge of Indian statutory and regulatory requirements affecting procurement and supply chains, including GST, import/export regulations, contract law, and SOX compliance.
- Hands-on experience using advanced procurement technologies, including e-sourcing platforms, e-auctions, Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) systems, spend analytics tools, and market intelligence platforms.
- Experience applying should-cost analysis and clean-sheet financial modeling to support sourcing decisions and negotiations.
- Strong commercial acumen, analytical capability, and a continuous improvement mindset.
Soft skills: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, business and financial acumen, excellent communication and stakeholder influencing capabilities, proactive mindset, and ability to drive change. High safety consciousness is a must—safety is at the core of our culture.
Location: Role based in Kolkata, India (Ruby Hospital area)
Who are we?
We are the global leader in industrial process fluids present in 40+ countries continually improving and innovating so the world’s steel, aluminum, automotive, aircraft, machinery and industrial parts manufacturers can stay ahead in a changing world. Throughout our 100+ locations, our chemists, engineers and industry experts partner with our customers to continually improve their operations so they can run even more efficiently, even more effectively, whatever comes next.
Our values:
- Live Safe
- Act with integrity
- Exceed Customer Expectations
- Drive Results
- Embrace Diversity
- Do Great Things Together
Our core values embody who we are as a company, guide our decisions and inspire us. Our commitment to these values, in words and actions, builds a safer, stronger Quaker Houghton. They are the fundamental beliefs that guide our internal conduct and our relationship with the outside world.
Join the team and let's do great things together!
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