Sr. Manager Procurement | Solar Cells (RM Category A)

Department

Procurement / Supply Chain

Function

Raw Material Procurement – Solar Cells

Position

Sr. Manager – Procurement

Category

RM Category A – Solar Cells

Location

As per business requirement

Reporting To

Head / GM – Procurement & Supply Chain

A. JOB OBJECTIVE To manage end-to-end Procure-to-Pay (P2P) activities for RM Category A – Solar Cells, ensuring uninterrupted material availability, competitive sourcing, timely procurement, effective supplier management, and delivery as per production and business requirements. The role will drive strategic vendor development, cost optimization, supplier performance, process improvements, and cross-functional coordination to strengthen supply reliability and overall procurement effectiveness.

B. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

- Own end-to-end P2P procurement for Solar Cells, covering supply planning, sourcing, purchase requisition, PO processing, approval coordination, logistics, delivery planning, and closure.
- Develop and execute procurement plans aligned with production schedules, sales commitments, inventory norms, and business demand.
- Manage strategic suppliers and ensure timely availability of Solar Cells as per quantity, quality, specification, price, and delivery requirements.
- Lead vendor onboarding, qualification, evaluation, development, and periodic performance reviews for strategic suppliers.
- Build and maintain long-term supplier partnerships to ensure continuity of supply, commercial competitiveness, and responsive support during demand fluctuations.
- Drive commercial negotiations covering price, payment terms, credit period, MOQ, lead time, freight, warranty/claims, and other contractual terms.
- Coordinate PO creation, amendments, approvals, order confirmation, and follow-up to ensure timely execution.
- Coordinate LC opening, approval, amendment, and closure with Finance/Treasury and relevant internal stakeholders, wherever applicable.
- Plan and coordinate inbound logistics, shipment schedules, documentation, customs/clearing coordination, and delivery to ensure material reaches the plant within required timelines.
- Monitor supplier order fulfilment, shipment status, inventory pipeline, and potential supply risks; initiate corrective actions and escalation where required.
- Track supplier OTIF performance, lead time, quality issues, shortages, claims, and commercial deviations through defined KPIs and dashboards.




- Identify alternate suppliers and develop contingency plans for critical materials to mitigate supply disruption and business continuity risks.
- Drive cost optimization through strategic sourcing, price benchmarking, volume consolidation, negotiation, alternate sourcing, and value-engineering opportunities.
- Collaborate with Production, Planning, Quality, Finance, Logistics, Stores, Engineering, and other stakeholders to resolve procurement and supply-related issues.
- Ensure procurement transactions and documentation comply with company policies, approval matrices, audit requirements, and applicable statutory/commercial guidelines.
- Identify opportunities for automation, digitization, standardization, and process improvement across the procurement cycle.
- Prepare and present procurement MIS, spend analysis, supplier performance, savings, open PO, delivery, inventory pipeline, and risk reports to management.
- Support annual budgeting, procurement strategy, supplier capacity planning, and long-term sourcing initiatives for Solar Cell requirements.

C. STRATEGIC / VALUE-ADD RESPONSIBILITIES

- Develop category strategy for Solar Cells based on demand outlook, supplier landscape, capacity, pricing trends, technology changes, and supply risk.
- Build a robust supplier ecosystem with focus on reliability, scalability, quality, cost competitiveness, and business continuity.
- Lead supplier development initiatives to improve delivery adherence, responsiveness, quality, and overall supplier capability.
- Drive should-cost analysis, market intelligence, benchmark studies, and commercial analytics to support sourcing decisions.
- Identify and implement procurement savings and working-capital improvement initiatives without compromising supply continuity or quality.
- Establish risk-monitoring mechanisms for critical suppliers, including capacity, financial/commercial, logistics, geopolitical, and supply-chain risks.

D. KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS (KPIs)

- Material availability / supply continuity
- Supplier OTIF and delivery adherence
- Procurement cost savings and cost avoidance
- Purchase price variance / price competitiveness




- Inventory and working-capital optimization
- Supplier quality and complaint closure
- PO and LC processing turnaround time
- Supplier onboarding and development effectiveness
- Critical supply risk mitigation
- Process compliance, audit readiness, and procurement cycle-time improvement

E. EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, Procurement, Commerce, or a related discipline; MBA / PG qualification in Supply Chain, Procurement, Operations, or related field preferred.
- Typically 10–15 years of relevant experience in Procurement / Strategic Sourcing / Supply Chain, preferably in Solar, Renewable Energy, Electronics, Electrical, Semiconductor, Manufacturing, or a related industry.
- Strong experience in strategic procurement and end-to-end P2P operations, preferably handling critical / high-value raw material categories.
- Experience in Solar Cell procurement, supplier ecosystem, international sourcing, LC-based transactions, and inbound logistics will be an advantage.

F. CORE COMPETENCIES

- Strategic Sourcing & Category Management
- Supplier Relationship & Vendor Development
- Commercial Negotiation & Cost Optimization
- P2P / Procurement Process Management
- Supply Planning & Material Availability
- Logistics & Delivery Management
- LC / Trade Finance Coordination
- Supplier Risk & Performance Management
- Data Analysis, MIS & Procurement Dashboards
- Cross-functional Stakeholder Management
- Problem Solving, Decision Making & Process Improvement

G. SYSTEMS / TOOLS

- Hands-on experience with ERP procurement modules such as Oracle / SAP or equivalent.
- Strong proficiency in MS Excel, data analysis, procurement dashboards, and reporting tools.
- Working knowledge of procurement analytics, supplier performance tracking, and digital sourcing tools.

H. STAKEHOLDER INTERFACES

- Internal: Procurement, Supply Chain, Production, Planning, Quality, Finance, Treasury, Logistics, Stores, Engineering, Legal, and senior management.
- External: Strategic suppliers, manufacturers, logistics partners, freight forwarders, banks/trade-finance partners, and other supply-chain service providers.

I. ROLE PROFILE The position requires strong ownership of critical raw material procurement, commercial acumen, supplier-management capability, analytical thinking, and the ability to manage multiple stakeholders and time-sensitive supply requirements in a rapid-paced manufacturing environment.

📌 Senior Manager - Procurement (Chennai)
🏢 Vikram Solar
📍 Chennai