Head of Procurement

Designation: Head – Procurement
Reporting To: Deputy Director – Administration
Location: Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur
Employment Type: Full-Time
1. Role Purpose
The Head – Procurement will lead and manage the University's complete procurement function covering academic, administrative, infrastructure, IT, laboratory, hostel, facilities, events and other institutional requirements.
The role will ensure that all procurement is transparent, timely, cost-effective, quality-driven and compliant with University policies and approved processes.
The position will be responsible for strategic sourcing, vendor management, negotiations, tendering, purchase orders, contracts, procurement MIS, cost optimization and procurement governance.
2. Key Responsibilities
A. Procurement Management
Lead the complete procurement lifecycle from requirement identification to purchase/order closure.
Establish and implement standardized procurement SOPs.
Ensure timely procurement of goods and services for all University departments.
Coordinate procurement requirements with Deans, Directors, HoDs and administrative departments.
Ensure procurement is undertaken within approved budgets and delegated authority.
B. Strategic Sourcing & Cost Optimization
Develop annual procurement plans and category-wise sourcing strategies.
Consolidate institutional requirements wherever feasible to achieve economies of scale.
Identify opportunities for bulk procurement, rate contracts and framework agreements.
Conduct market benchmarking and price analysis.
Lead commercial negotiations with vendors.
Drive measurable cost savings without compromising quality.
Maintain a procurement savings and cost-avoidance dashboard.
C. Vendor Management
Develop and maintain an approved vendor database.
Identify, evaluate and onboard new vendors.
Establish vendor due-diligence and pre-qualification processes.
Conduct periodic vendor performance evaluations.
Monitor vendor quality, pricing, delivery and service levels.
Handle vendor disputes and performance-related issues.
Develop strategic relationships with key suppliers.
D. Tender / RFQ / RFP Management
Manage RFQ, RFP, tender and quotation processes as applicable.
Ensure adequate competition and transparency.
Coordinate technical and commercial evaluations with concerned departments.
Prepare comparative statements and procurement recommendations.
Ensure all required approvals are obtained before issuing Purchase Orders/Work Orders.
Maintain complete procurement documentation for audit purposes.
E. Purchase Order & Contract Management
Ensure timely preparation and issuance of Purchase Orders and Work Orders.
Monitor delivery schedules and pending orders.
Ensure appropriate warranty, AMC, SLA, penalty and performance-related clauses.
Maintain a centralized contract database.
Track contract expiry and renewal timelines.
Coordinate with Finance, Legal and user departments on major contracts.
F. Institutional Procurement
The Head – Procurement will oversee procurement relating to:
IT hardware and software
Laboratory and academic equipment
Furniture and fixtures
Electrical and civil requirements
Infrastructure-related purchases
Hostel requirements
Housekeeping and facility services
Security services
Transport and fleet
Stationery and consumables
Printing and branding
Events and institutional requirements
AMC and maintenance services
Professional and consultancy services
Other University-wide requirements
G. Stores & Inventory Coordination
Coordinate with Stores for receipt, inspection and inventory recording.
Monitor stock levels of recurring consumables.
Minimize emergency and unplanned purchases.
Review slow-moving, excess and obsolete inventory.
Ensure procurement is aligned with actual consumption and approved requirements.
H. Budget & Financial Control
Prepare procurement budgets in coordination with Finance and Administration.
Monitor procurement expenditure against approved budgets.
Track committed and pending procurement expenditure.
Provide monthly procurement expenditure reports.
Identify major areas for cost optimization.
Coordinate with Finance on GRN, invoice and payment-related issues.
I. Procurement Technology & MIS
Drive ERP/e-procurement adoption.
Establish digital procurement workflows.
Maintain procurement dashboards covering:
Purchase Requisitions
RFQs/Tenders
Purchase Orders
Pending Deliveries
Vendor Performance
Procurement Spend
Savings
Contracts and Renewals
Submit periodic MIS to the Deputy Director – Administration.
J. Compliance & Governance
Ensure adherence to University procurement policies and procedures.
Maintain complete procurement documentation.
Ensure appropriate segregation of duties.
Support internal and external audits.
Address audit observations relating to procurement.
Establish controls against unauthorized purchases, duplicate procurement and conflicts of interest.
Ensure procurement decisions are properly documented and approved.
3. Administrative Responsibilities
The Head – Procurement will:
Work under the overall administrative supervision of the Deputy Director – Administration.
Coordinate with all University departments for procurement requirements.
Ensure adherence to procurement timelines.
Escalate major procurement issues, delays and vendor disputes to the Deputy Director – Administration.
Provide regular procurement status reports.
Support the Administration Department in institutional purchasing and vendor-related matters.
Ensure effective coordination between Procurement, Stores, Finance and user departments.
4. Team Leadership
Lead and supervise the Procurement/Purchase team.
Allocate responsibilities and establish individual KRAs.
Monitor procurement turnaround time.
Conduct periodic performance reviews.
Train team members on procurement procedures, negotiation and documentation.
Establish accountability at each stage of the procurement process.
5. Key Performance Indicators – KPIs
Procurement cost savings/cost avoidance.
Procurement turnaround time.
Percentage of procurement completed within approved timelines.
Vendor delivery performance.
Vendor quality performance.
Compliance with procurement SOPs.
Reduction in emergency purchases.
Purchase Order closure rate.
Contract renewal compliance.
Budget adherence.
Audit compliance.
Internal stakeholder satisfaction.
ERP/e-procurement adoption.
Reduction in procurement-related disputes.
Inventory optimization.
6. Qualification
Essential:
Bachelor's degree in Commerce, Finance, Engineering, Management, Supply Chain, Operations or related discipline.
Preferred:
MBA/PGDM in Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, Finance or Management.
CIPS, CSCP, CPSM or equivalent professional certification.
7. Experience
12–18 years of relevant experience in procurement, purchase, strategic sourcing, supply chain or commercial functions.
At least 5 years in a managerial/leadership role.
Experience in a university, educational institution, hospital, large corporate, infrastructure organization or other large multi-unit organization is preferred.
Demonstrated experience in vendor negotiations, tendering, contracts and cost optimization.
Experience with ERP/e-procurement systems.
8. Core Competencies
Strategic Procurement
Strategic Sourcing
Commercial Negotiation
Vendor Management
Contract Management
Cost Optimization
Tender/RFQ/RFP Management
Budget Management
ERP & Digital Procurement
Procurement Analytics
Compliance & Governance
Inventory Management
Team Leadership
Stakeholder Management
Strong commercial acumen
Integrity and ethical procurement practices
9. Ideal Candidate Profile
The ideal candidate should be capable of transforming the University's procurement function from a transactional purchase activity into a structured, strategic and data-driven procurement system.
The candidate should demonstrate the ability to:
Build robust procurement systems and SOPs.
Negotiate effectively with major vendors.
Establish transparent vendor-selection processes.
Reduce institutional procurement costs.
Introduce rate contracts and centralized procurement.
Build procurement MIS and dashboards.
Manage multiple departments and high-volume procurement.
Work effectively with Administration and Finance.
Maintain strong documentation and audit discipline.
10. Reporting & Coordination Structure

Work arrangement
No