Permanent - Non-Steel Procurement Analyst - Ekurhuleni (East Rand) - South Africa

This position reports directly to the CEO

Position Overview

Position requires an experienced Non-Steel Procurement Analyst to lead our non-steel (indirect) procurement function. This is a strategic leadership role responsible for the full indirect spend portfolio — spanning engineering spares, maintenance contracts, logistics, facilities management, PPE, and professional services.

The successful candidate will drive strategic sourcing, cost optimisation, and supplier relationship management across a complex, high-value portfolio. You will bring rigorous data-driven analysis, category management discipline, and strong commercial instincts to a function with significant bottom-line impact. This role also carries direct people leadership responsibility, with a mandate to develop and elevate the broader procurement team.

Job Specification

Category & Strategic Sourcing

Own and manage the full indirect procurement cycle across categories including operational consumables and services, capital expenditure (non-steel), logistics, facilities management, PPE, and professional services.

• Develop and execute category strategies aligned to overall business objectives, leveraging spend analytics to identify savings opportunities and mitigate supply risk.
• Monitor commodity and service market trends to inform category strategy, budget forecasting, and proactive risk mitigation.
• Lead competitive tender processes, contract negotiations, and SLA development, ensuring commercially sound and legally compliant outcomes.

Contract & Supplier Management

Build and maintain a high-performing supplier base, including scorecarding, performance reviews, and development of strategic partnerships

Manage the full contract lifecycle including drafting, negotiation, renewals, variations, and dispute resolution.

Identify and mitigate supply chain risks including supplier concentration, single-source dependencies, and continuity planning.

Stakeholder Engagement & Financial Reporting

 Partner with Finance to manage procurement budgets, track savings delivery, and report on key procurement metrics to executive leadership.

• Build effective working relationships with internal stakeholders across operations, HR, legal, and finance to shape procurement needs and secure buy-in for sourcing strategies.
• Present insights, recommendations, and performance reports to senior leadership in a clear and commercially compelling manner.

Compliance & Transformation

• Drive B-BBEE procurement compliance and actively support supplier development and enterprise development commitments in line with the organisation’s transformation targets.
• Maintain audit readiness and ensure compliance with South African procurement legislation, company policy, and internal governance frameworks.

Digital & Process Improvement

• Champion process improvement initiatives, including the further embedding of ERP procurement systems (SAP MM or equivalent).
• Utilise ERP and spend analytics tools to evaluate vendor performance, identify cost reduction opportunities, and improve procurement visibility across the business.

People Leadership

• Lead, coach, and develop a team of procurement analysts and buyers, setting clear performance expectations and fostering a culture of continuous improvement and commercial excellence.

Required Qualifications / Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Commerce, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum 5 years’ procurement experience, with at least 2 years in a managerial or senior individual contributor capacity overseeing indirect or non-production spend categories.
• Demonstrated experience managing and developing a procurement team.
• Proven track record of delivering measurable cost savings and supplier rationalisation across multiple indirect categories.
• Strong commercial acumen with experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex service and supply agreements.
• Sound knowledge of South African procurement legislation and B-BBEE procurement requirements.
• Demonstrated proficiency in ERP systems, preferably SAP MM or equivalent.
• Professional certification such as CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply), CPSM, or MCIPS - advantageous
• Experience in a manufacturing, or steel-related environment – advantageous
• Postgraduate qualification in a relevant discipline - advantageous

Required knowledge and skills

• Strategic thinking and category management discipline
• Data-driven analysis and commercial judgement
• Negotiation and contract management expertise
• Stakeholder influence and relationship management
• Risk identification and supply chain resilience planning
• People leadership and team development
• B-BBEE knowledge and transformation commitment

Important key competencies and characteristics in identifying suitable candidates:

• Strong strategic and indirect procurement experience, rather than predominantly transactional purchasing experience.
• Proven commercial acumen, with the ability to identify and deliver meaningful cost savings and value beyond simply negotiating price.
• Strong category management and strategic sourcing capability.
• Highly analytical and data-driven, with the ability to use spend data to identify trends, opportunities and risks.
• Strong negotiation, influencing and stakeholder management skills, particularly when engaging with senior stakeholders and suppliers.
• Ability to operate confidently at both a strategic and operational level.
• Strong supplier and contract management capability.
• A continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to challenge existing processes and identify more effective ways of working.
• Strong leadership and people-development capability, with the ability to build accountability and develop a high-performing procurement team.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills, particularly the ability to translate complex procurement information into clear commercial recommendations for senior leadership.
• Strong integrity, judgement and accountability, given the commercial value and governance requirements associated with the portfolio.

Ideal candidate:  Someone who has operated in a complex industrial, manufacturing, engineering, mining or similar environment, with exposure to a broad indirect/non-production spend portfolio.