Our partners, a leading holding company in the steel industry, manage multiple subsidiaries across Africa specializing in manufacturing, processing, and distribution. They're looking for a Procurement Officer - Electrical Engineer to be responsible for sourcing and securing electrical spares and components for the steel manufacturing plants across Africa. Leveraging deep technical knowledge of electrical equipment by managing end-to-end procurement, from requirement gathering and OEM engagement through to negotiation, ordering, and delivery coordination.
Responsibilities
Requirement Gathering & Technical Specification
- Collaborate closely with Maintenance and Engineering teams across various plants to gather, review, and validate electrical spare part requirements.
- Convert technical details into clear, structured RFQs/RFPs for OEMs and authorized suppliers.
Supplier and OEM Relations
- Develop and nurture robust relationships with both international and regional OEMs, along with approved electrical vendors.
- Monitor supplier performance, focusing on timely deliveries, product quality, and lead times, while actively pursuing performance enhancements.
Sourcing Strategy & Negotiations
- Explore and assess alternative suppliers for key spare parts to minimize risks related to lead times and costs.
- Lead negotiations on pricing, payment terms, and contracts to secure optimal commercial terms, while ensuring adherence to OEM standards and warranty terms.
Order Processing & Follow-Up
- Create, follow up on, and expedite purchase orders via SAP or similar ERP platforms.
- Work in coordination with logistics and shipping teams to guarantee prompt customs clearance and delivery to each operational site.
Cost Management & Budget Oversight
- Track and report expenditures on electrical spares against pre-approved budgets.
- Identify and implement cost-saving initiatives, such as bulk purchasing or long-term vendor contracts, without sacrificing quality or plant uptime.
Procurement Records & Regulatory Compliance
- Keep procurement files updated, including contracts, pricing agreements, and technical specifications.
- Ensure full compliance with internal procurement procedures, ISO certification standards, and all relevant local import/export regulations.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a closely related technical field.
- At least 7 years of procurement experience within heavy industry or steel production environments.
- Demonstrated success in procuring electrical spare parts, including motors, VFDs, switchgear, cables, sensors, and related components.
- Practical experience collaborating directly with OEMs such as ABB, Siemens, Schneider, and recognized regional suppliers.
- Proficient in using ERP systems for procurement processes.
- Strong negotiation capabilities with a proven history of achieving cost reductions.
- Excellent communication skills with the ability to work effectively with cross-cultural, multi-country teams remotely.
- Strong analytical skills, able to read and understand technical drawings and bills of materials.
- Skilled in Microsoft Office, especially in Excel (for modeling and analysis) and PowerPoint (for reporting).
- Highly detail-oriented, self-motivated, and capable of handling multiple tasks in fast-paced environments.
- Fluent in English; knowledge of French or Portuguese is an advantage when dealing with plants in French or Portuguese-speaking regions of Africa.
Location
- Dubai, UAE