This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Salary range: Rs 1000000 - Rs 2000000 (ie INR 10-20 LPA)

Experience: 3+ yrs

Location: Pune

Job Type: full-time

We are looking for a technically strong and commercially driven Procurement & Supply Chain professional to build and lead the R&D procurement function from the ground up. This role sits at the intersection of chemical/material science understanding, vendor management, and digital transformation, where you will be responsible for ensuring uninterrupted availability of critical raw materials required for R&D and prototyping. The ideal candidate will bring deep familiarity with specialty chemicals, reagents, lab consumables, and technical components, combined with strong commercial negotiation capabilities and a structured approach to procurement operations. This is a high-impact role where you will design procurement systems, build vendor ecosystems, and introduce AI-driven tools to transform procurement into a data-led, efficient, and intelligent function. You will work closely with R&D, engineering, and operations teams in a fast-changing environment where requirements are dynamic, batch-based, and highly time-sensitive.

Requirements

Key Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end procurement of specialty chemicals, raw materials, reagents, sensors, electronic components, and R&D consumables.
• Handle batch-based, high-variability procurement aligned with evolving R&D requirements.
• Translate technical and scientific input into clear, actionable procurement requirements.
• Ensure uninterrupted material availability through proactive sourcing, lead time management, and alternate supplier development.
• Build strong vendor ecosystems and manage long-term supplier relationships across chemical and technical categories.
• Lead commercial negotiations including pricing, contracts, payment terms, and delivery commitments.
• Conduct RFQs, vendor comparisons, and sourcing evaluations to ensure cost and quality optimization.
• Develop procurement processes, SOPs, and governance frameworks for R&D procurement operations.
• Identify and onboard alternate suppliers to reduce dependency risks and improve supply resilience.
• Implement AI-driven and digital procurement tools for automation, spend analysis, and decision support.
• Build dashboards and reporting systems to track procurement KPIs, vendor performance, and spend efficiency.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including R&D, engineering, finance, and operations.

What Makes You a Great Fit

• Strong experience in procurement of chemicals, specialty materials, or technical R&D inputs.
• Excellent negotiation skills with the ability to manage vendor pricing, contracts, and commercial terms.
• Deep understanding of chemical/raw material sourcing ecosystems and supplier landscapes.
• Ability to balance technical understanding with commercial decision-making.
• Experience in vendor management and building long-term supplier relationships.
• Strong process orientation with the ability to design and implement SOPs in evolving environments.
• Data-driven mindset with experience in procurement analytics and dashboard reporting.
• Familiarity or interest in AI, automation, and digital procurement tools.
• Strong stakeholder management skills across technical and business teams.
• Ability to work in fast-paced, R&D-driven environments with changing requirements.