We're a leading recruitment companyin Sri Lanka looking for a Head of Strategic Sourcing for a leading company in the Automobile sector. This senior leadership role will be responsible for driving cost competitiveness, supplier performance, supply chain resilience, innovation partnerships, and sustainable sourcing practices across the operations.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership

Develop and implement a comprehensive sourcing strategy aligned with corporate objectives and long-term business plans.
Lead category management, supplier segmentation, and strategic sourcing initiatives across direct and indirect spend categories.
Drive procurement transformation programs to improve efficiency, transparency, and value creation.
Establish sourcing policies, governance frameworks, and best practices across the organization.

Supplier Management

Build and maintain strategic relationships with key global and regional suppliers.
Lead supplier selection, evaluation, qualification, and development processes.
Negotiate complex commercial agreements, ensuring favorable pricing, quality, delivery, and risk mitigation terms.
Develop supplier performance management systems with clear KPIs and continuous improvement programs.

Cost Optimization & Value Creation

Identify and implement cost reduction opportunities without compromising quality, safety, or delivery performance.
Lead value engineering and should-cost analysis initiatives in collaboration with engineering and manufacturing teams.
Monitor market trends, commodity pricing, and industry developments to support informed sourcing decisions.
Deliver annual savings targets and procurement performance objectives.

Risk & Supply Chain Management

Develop sourcing strategies that enhance supply chain resilience and business continuity.
Proactively identify and mitigate supplier, geopolitical, financial, and operational risks.
Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, sustainability standards, and ethical sourcing policies.
Lead contingency planning and supplier diversification initiatives.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

Partner closely with Engineering, Manufacturing, Quality, Finance, Logistics, and Product Development teams.
Support new product introduction programs by securing capable suppliers and ensuring timely sourcing activities.
Drive collaboration across global procurement teams and manufacturing sites.

Team Leadership

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing strategic sourcing team.
Foster a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Build organizational capability in category management, negotiation, supplier development, and procurement analytics.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Business Administration, Procurement, or a related field.
Minimum 12–15 years of progressive procurement and strategic sourcing experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
Significant experience within the automotive, automotive components, manufacturing, or industrial sector.
Proven track record of leading large-scale sourcing initiatives and delivering measurable cost savings.
Strong expertise in supplier negotiations, contract management, and category management.
Experience managing multi-million-dollar procurement budgets and complex supplier networks.