Iron Ore Procurement Head

Job Description

Head Iron Ore Procurement (Captive Mining & Merchant Sourcing)

Location: Kolkata (Head Office)

Reporting To: Director Raw Material

Role Purpose

To lead and optimize iron ore procurement through a captive mininglinked sourcing model , supplemented by merchant miner sourcing , ensuring uninterrupted supply of ~20,000 TPD for integrated steel plants while maximizing cost efficiency, grade optimization, and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Captive MiningLinked Procurement

• Drive iron ore sourcing strategy aligned with captive mine production planning and plant demand.
• Coordinate closely with mining operations, geology, and dispatch teams to align ROM availability, grade control, and evacuation plans.
• Optimize mine-to-plant integration , ensuring minimal dependency on spot purchases.

Merchant Miner & Long-Term Tie-Ups

• Establish and manage long-term sourcing arrangements with merchant miners to bridge captive shortfalls.
• Negotiate supply contracts covering volume commitments, grade assurance, pricing mechanism, and dispatch schedules.
• Develop multi-source merchant portfolio to mitigate operational and regulatory risks.

Volume & Grade Management

• Ensure daily procurement of ~20,000 TPD iron ore with appropriate grade blending to meet BF/DRI/steel plant requirements.
• Oversee ore quality, sizing, and consistency in coordination with plant metallurgy and QA teams.

Commercial & Cost Leadership

• Control landed cost through optimized pricing structures, royalty impact assessment, logistics planning, and contract discipline.
• Monitor mining cost economics, merchant pricing trends, and regulatory changes impacting ore availability.
• Drive cost reduction through captive yield improvement, dispatch efficiency, and blending optimization.

Logistics & Evacuation Interface

• Plan evacuation from captive mines via rail, road, and slurry/alternative modes (where applicable) .
• Coordinate with logistics teams to reduce demurrage, transit losses, and turnaround time.
• Ensure adequate inventory buffers at plants without blocking working capital.

Compliance & Risk Governance

• Ensure full compliance with mining lease conditions, dispatch permits, environmental norms, and statutory requirements .
• Proactively manage risks related to mine disruptions, regulatory changes, and merchant supply volatility.

Leadership & Stakeholder Management

• Lead a senior procurement team across mines, HO, and plant locations.
• Act as key interface with mining, operations, finance, logistics, and top management .
• Build governance frameworks, KRAs, and MIS for captive + merchant sourcing performance.

Candidate Profile

Education

• BE / B.Tech (Mining / Metallurgy preferred) or MBA with strong mining exposure.

Experience

• 20+ years in iron ore procurement and captive mine integration for large integrated steel plants .
• Hands-on experience in captive mine planning, merchant miner contracts, and large-volume evacuation .
• Proven capability in managing high daily volumes (~20,000 TPD) with operational discipline.

Core Competencies

• Captive mine economics & dispatch optimization
• Merchant miner negotiations & long-term sourcing
• Grade blending & plant suitability
• Strong leadership, commercial acumen, and crisis handling

Role Impact

This role is critical in protecting plant uptime, cost competitiveness, and raw material security through a robust captive-first sourcing strategy supported by disciplined merchant procurement.