Manager – Procurement & Vendor Development

Manager Procurement & Vendor Development

Location: Chennai

Experience: 3+ years

Company: Akvo Atmospheric Water Systems Pvt. Ltd.

Remuneration: 5-7 LPA(negotiable)

About Akvo

Akvo designs and manufactures industrial atmospheric water generation systems with deployments across 15+ countries. Our products combine mechanical systems, power electronics, embedded hardware, refrigeration components, filtration, and fabricated structures.

Procurement at Akvo is strategic, not transactional. The right vendor decisions directly impact:

• Machine reliability
• Cost per liter of water
• Field failure rates
• Scale readiness

We are looking for a Procurement Manager who combines technical understanding, ERP discipline, and aggressive vendor development capability.

Role Overview

You will own end-to-end procurement, from vendor discovery to cost negotiation, ERP integration, and long-term supplier performance.

This role sits at the intersection of:

• Engineering
• Manufacturing
• Finance
• Quality

You are expected to build the vendor ecosystem Akvo needs for scale.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Procurement Ownership

Own procurement for all categories:

• Power electronics & electrical components
• Compressors, pumps, fans, blowers
• Sensors, PCBs, control panels
• Sheet metal, fabricated parts, enclosures
• Filters, plumbing, consumables
• Develop category-wise sourcing strategies.
• Balance cost, quality, lead time, and reliability.

Vendor Identification & Development

• Actively find, qualify, and onboard new vendors across India (and overseas where required).
• Reduce single-vendor dependency through alternate sourcing.
• Conduct vendor audits (technical, capacity, quality).
• Build long-term vendor partnerships, not spot buying.
• Support vendors in improving:
• Quality consistency
• Lead times
• Documentation and compliance

Technical Evaluation & Costing

• Understand drawings, BOMs, specifications, and tolerances.
• Participate in value engineering and cost-down initiatives.
• Challenge over-specification and inflated pricing.

Work closely with engineering on:

• Make vs buy decisions
• Component substitutions
• Standardization across models

ERP & Systems Ownership

• Own procurement workflows inside ERP (SAP / Oracle / Odoo / equivalent).

Ensure:

• Accurate BOMs
• Vendor masters
• Pricing, MOQ, lead times
• GRN, invoicing, and reconciliation
• Drive data discipline across procurement and stores.

Generate procurement MIS:

• Spend analysis
• Vendor performance
• Inventory turns
• Lead time tracking

Inventory & Supply Planning

Coordinate with production planning for:

• Forecast-based procurement
• Critical component buffering
• Long-lead item planning
• Prevent line stoppages due to procurement lapses.
• Optimise working capital without risking production.

Commercials, Negotiation & Compliance

• Lead commercial negotiations and annual rate contracts.

Ensure compliance with:

• GST, invoicing norms
• Payment terms and credit cycles
• Work closely with finance on cash flow alignment.
• Support audits and documentation requirements.

Leadership & Process

• Build and lead a procurement team as scale increases.
• Define SOPs, approval matrices, and escalation paths.
• Create supplier scorecards (cost, quality, delivery).
• Act as a strong internal counterbalance to engineering, production, and finance when needed.

Required Skills & Experience

Must-Have

3+ years experience in technical procurement for:

• Industrial equipment
• Electronics / electrical / mechanical systems
• Strong ability to read drawings, BOMs, and specs
• Proven experience in vendor discovery and development
• Hands-on experience with ERP-driven procurement
• Strong negotiation and commercial acumen
• Comfortable being on factory floors and at vendor sites

Good to Have

• Experience in HVAC, refrigeration, water, or energy sectors
• Exposure to import procurement and customs
• Knowledge of quality systems and audits
• Experience scaling procurement for a growing manufacturing company

What This Role Is Not

• Not a clerical PO-processing role
• Not limited to existing vendor management
• Not disconnected from engineering or manufacturing

This is a build-from-the-ground-up procurement leadership role.

Why This Role Matters at Akvo

• Direct impact on margins, uptime, and scale
• Ability to shape Akvos supplier ecosystem long-term
• Close working relationship with founders and core teams
• Opportunity to professionalize procurement at the right growth stage