Procurement Team Lead

About Air India SATS Airport Services Private Limited:

AISATS, a leading gateway services provider in India, is a 50-50 joint venture between Air India Limited (a part of the TATA Group) and SATS Ltd., one of the world’s largest providers of air cargo handling services and Asia’s leading airline caterer. ‘AISATS’ is defined by its people – they are our greatest strength. Their commitment to seamless delivery and customer delight is what enables us to fulfil our brand promise of service excellence. This has been the hallmark of our business for more than a decade. With deep domain knowledge of the aviation ecosystem, we offer end-to-end ground handling services such as passenger and baggage handling, ramp handling, aircraft interior cleaning, load control and flight operations, and cargo handling services for general, perishable, transshipment, express courier and special cargo.

Job Purpose

As a leader within the Procurement management team, the incumbent will lead vendor negotiations across complex projects, work to improve sourcing processes and continue to build a strong team to support AISATS growing business. Beyond procurement management, he/she will also work closely with other BU’s and CHQs – in areas such as IT, Facilities, Real Estate, Marketing, Finance and more, to provide negotiations strategy, supplier performance key metrics and commentary on market conditions.

Specific Responsibilities

• Plan, manage source and procure within budget and on time products/material/commodities/equipment etc at BU level ; ascertain the best products and suppliers in terms of best value, delivery schedules and quality;
• Maintain the highest standards of safety and quality and incorporate quality control processes as an effective tool;
• Monitor and forecast upcoming levels of demand, and timelines; work on reducing sourcing lead times;
• Forecast price trends and their impact on future activities;
• Develop a long-term sourcing plan for strategic spends, assign/evaluate offers and make recommendations based on commercial and technical factors;
• Review procurement volumes by vendor and product class/type, therefore identify areas for Rate Contracts/Frame Contracts, and finalize the same;
• Negotiate and manage contracts and execute end to end RFP / RFQ/ Sourcing process and ensure negotiated deals are properly contracted;
• Good Analytical, presentation and negotiation skills;
• Build strong working relationships both internally and with key suppliers;
• Work with other departments to ensure clear requirements for documentation;
• Take and incorporate feedback from internal users of procured goods and services;
• Understand and keep up with new trends and regulations in business;
• Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness;
• Ownership for monthly (and periodic) management reports;
• Optimizing inventory control and maximizing savings and value-additions
• Ensure that his/her team works in line with AISATS values, principles and procedures; serve as role model for employees in his/her team.
• Responsible and accountable for overall quality, safety and security of operations.
• You will be responsible and accountable to make necessary operational decisions related to safety and security matters at all times whilst on duty.

Educational Qualifications

• University Degree
• Related qualification in Business Administration

Relevant Experience

• At least 7 years of airport operational experience having worked as a Station /General Manager in an operation involving a high frequency of flights with large passenger and cargo loads
• Expert level knowledge of passenger Services, Cargo, Ground operations and Flight Operations
• Thorough knowledge of mishandled baggage practices and understanding of hardware /software protocols related to airport systems
• Detailed knowledge of and prior experience in the negotiation and drafting of IATA Standard Ground Handling Agreements
• Added knowledge of Safety and Quality standards

Personal Characteristics & Behavior's

• A strong business acumen
• Demonstrated leadership and positive performance skills as it relates to managing staff
• Advanced level of negotiation skills
• Articulate, confident ,poised and engaged
• Responsible and accountable for overall Quality, Safety and Security of operations.