Procurement Director – Oil & Gas / Automotive

We are seeking an accomplished Procurement Director to lead the procurement function of a diversified, high-growth organisation with significant exposure to the Oil & Gas and Automotive sectors. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for building a high-performing procurement organisation, optimising the company’s supplier ecosystem, driving significant commercial value, and establishing best-in-class procurement governance and practices. The Role The Procurement Director will own the end-to-end procurement agenda, from procurement strategy and category management through sourcing, negotiations, contracting, supplier performance and risk management. The successful candidate will be a commercially strong leader who can operate across complex technical categories, international supply markets and senior stakeholder environments. Key Responsibilities • Define and execute the Group Procurement Strategy in alignment with the organisation’s business and growth objectives. • Lead strategic sourcing and category management across major direct and indirect spend categories. • Drive cost optimisation, savings, working capital improvement and total cost of ownership initiatives. • Lead complex, high-value tenders and commercial negotiations with strategic suppliers and contractors. • Develop and manage long-term relationships with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, EPC contractors, manufacturers and strategic partners. • Establish robust supplier segmentation, performance management and development programmes. • Strengthen supplier resilience and proactively manage supply chain, geopolitical, commodity and operational risks. • Develop procurement policies, procedures, approval frameworks and governance standards. • Ensure procurement activities deliver the right balance of cost, quality, technical compliance, delivery and risk. • Partner with Engineering, Operations, Projects, Finance, Commercial and Supply Chain leadership on major business initiatives. • Provide procurement leadership and commercial input into capital projects, new facilities, expansions and strategic investments. • Lead procurement transformation initiatives, including digital procurement, spend analytics, automation and data-driven decision-making. • Establish procurement KPIs and provide regular performance reporting to the Executive Leadership Team. • Build, lead and develop a high-performing procurement organisation with strong succession planning and talent development. • Ensure procurement activities comply with corporate governance, ethical standards and applicable regulatory requirements. Ideal Candidate • 15–20+ years of progressive procurement experience, including significant leadership responsibility. • Proven senior procurement leadership experience within Oil & Gas, Energy, Automotive, Industrial Manufacturing, Engineering or related sectors. • Strong understanding of technically complex and high-value procurement environments. • Demonstrated track record of delivering measurable procurement savings and commercial value. • Extensive experience in strategic sourcing, category management, supplier negotiations and contract management. • Experience managing international supplier networks and complex supply chains. • Strong exposure to OEMs, EPCs, manufacturing supply chains and strategic suppliers. • Proven ability to lead procurement transformation and establish scalable procurement operating models. • Experience managing and developing large, multi-disciplinary procurement teams. • Strong commercial and financial acumen, with the ability to understand business economics and translate procurement activity into measurable P&L impact. • Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance or a related field. • CIPS or equivalent professional qualification is highly desirable. • GCC / Middle East experience strongly preferred. • Excellent executive communication, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities. Leadership Profile We are looking for a strategic procurement leader rather than a purely operational buyer. The ideal candidate will have the credibility to engage with C-suite stakeholders while remaining close enough to the business to understand technical requirements, supplier dynamics and operational realities. You should be comfortable challenging established practices, leading complex negotiations, developing procurement talent and delivering tangible improvements in cost, cash, quality, risk and supplier performance. If you have a strong track record of building and transforming procurement functions within Oil & Gas, Automotive or complex industrial environments, we would like to hear from you. Show more Show less

15–20+ years of progressive procurement experience, including significant leadership responsibility. Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Engineering, Business, Finance or a related field. CIPS or equivalent professional qualification is highly desirable. GCC / Middle East experience strongly preferred.

Define and execute the Group Procurement Strategy in alignment with the organisation’s business and growth objectives. Lead strategic sourcing and category management across major direct and indirect spend categories. Drive cost optimisation, savings, working capital improvement and total cost of ownership initiatives. Lead complex, high-value tenders and commercial negotiations with strategic suppliers and contractors. Develop and manage long-term relationships with OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, EPC contractors, manufacturers and strategic partners. Establish robust supplier segmentation, performance management and development programmes. Strengthen supplier resilience and proactively manage supply chain, geopolitical, commodity and operational risks. Develop procurement policies, procedures, approval frameworks and governance standards. Ensure procurement activities deliver the right balance of cost, quality, technical compliance, delivery and risk. Partner with Engineering, Operations, Projects, Finance, Commercial and Supply Chain leadership on major business initiatives. Provide procurement leadership and commercial input into capital projects, new facilities, expansions and strategic investments. Lead procurement transformation initiatives, including digital procurement, spend analytics, automation and data-driven decision-making. Establish procurement KPIs and provide regular performance reporting to the Executive Leadership Team. Build, lead and develop a high-performing procurement organisation with strong succession planning and talent development. Ensure procurement activities comply with corporate governance, ethical standards and applicable regulatory requirements.