Procurement Manager

Strategic Procurement & Inventory Manager

Are you an experienced procurement and supply chain professional who knows how to balance stock availability, working capital and commercial growth ?

Our client is looking for a Strategic Procurement & Inventory Manager to take ownership of national procurement, demand planning and inventory optimisation across the business.

This is a strategic, data-driven role with responsibility for key product categories including steel coils, insulation and fasteners , as well as supplier management, imports and stock optimisation across a national branch network.

The challenge is simple to describe, but not always simple to achieve: have the right stock, in the right place, at the right time — without tying up unnecessary cash in inventory.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement & Sourcing

• Develop and manage national purchasing strategies across key product categories.
• Consolidate purchasing across branches and factories to leverage group buying power and improve pricing.
• Negotiate and manage national supplier agreements, pricing structures and SLAs.
• Reduce ad-hoc purchasing by implementing structured procurement processes and preferred supplier arrangements.
• Monitor supplier performance across pricing, quality, service and on-time delivery.

Demand Planning & Inventory Optimisation

• Develop forecasting and demand-planning models using historical data, seasonal trends and market demand.
• Establish appropriate minimum and maximum stock levels across individual branches.
• Analyse stock movement, inventory ageing and slow-moving stock to improve stock turns and release working capital.
• Balance product availability with the need to minimise excess inventory.
• Use data and reporting to identify purchasing trends, risks and opportunities.

Imports & International Supply

• Manage the procurement and importation of raw materials and products from international suppliers.
• Monitor global pricing trends, exchange-rate movements, tariffs and other factors affecting landed cost.
• Work closely with freight forwarders, shipping providers and customs agents to ensure efficient import and clearance processes.
• Identify and mitigate supply-chain risks that could affect product availability or cost.

National Inventory Management

• Work closely with branch Stock Controllers to ensure consistent inventory practices across the national network.
• Establish stock parameters based on branch size, sales patterns and local demand.
• Coordinate inter-branch stock transfers to address shortages and utilise surplus inventory before placing additional external orders.
• Provide guidance and oversight to branch teams while maintaining a centralised national supply-chain strategy.

What We’re Looking For

• Bachelor’s Degree or Advanced Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, Commerce or a related analytical discipline.
• Approximately 5–8+ years’ experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, inventory management or demand planning.
• Experience managing procurement or inventory across multiple branches, sites or business units would be highly advantageous.
• Exposure to steel, building materials, construction, manufacturing, industrial products or wholesale distribution would be ideal, although strong high-volume inventory experience from other sectors will also be considered.
• Experience working with international suppliers, imports, freight and landed-cost considerations .
• Strong commercial and analytical ability, with an understanding of the relationship between inventory, working capital, service levels and business growth .
• Advanced ERP and MS Excel skills, including data analysis, modelling and pivot tables. Power BI experience would be advantageous.

The Opportunity

This role will suit someone who enjoys operating at the intersection of procurement, inventory, analytics and commercial strategy .

You’ll have the opportunity to influence how a national business buys, holds and moves stock — improving availability while ensuring capital is deployed as efficiently as possible.