Original job description
Senior Procurement Manager
Position Overview
The Senior Procurement Manager will lead the Owner’s Procurement function for a major mining project, overseeing the strategic procurement of equipment and materials required to successfully execute a multi-billion-dollar capital project.
This is a senior client-side leadership position with responsibility for establishing and implementing the project procurement strategy, providing governance and oversight of EPC/EPCM procurement activities, and ensuring that critical equipment and materials are commercially competitive, technically compliant, delivered on schedule, and aligned with project execution requirements.
The role will work closely with Project Management, Engineering, Construction, Project Controls, Contracts, Finance, Operations, HSE, and external EPC/EPCM contractors to ensure procurement is fully integrated with the overall project execution strategy.
The successful candidate will bring extensive experience in large-scale mining or heavy industrial capital projects, ideally involving major processing facilities, infrastructure, utilities, and complex international supply chains.
Key Responsibilities
1. Procurement Strategy & Leadership
Develop and implement the overall Owner Procurement Strategy for the project in alignment with the project’s capital execution strategy.
Establish procurement plans, sourcing approaches, and procurement governance appropriate for a mega-project environment.
Lead the development and implementation of procurement policies, procedures, systems, standards, and reporting.
Establish appropriate procurement organization, staffing, roles, responsibilities, and interfaces across the Owner and EPC/EPCM organizations.
Provide strategic direction and leadership to the project procurement team.
Ensure procurement activities are aligned with the project schedule, cost objectives, technical requirements, construction sequence, and commissioning/start-up requirements.
2. EPC/EPCM Procurement Governance
Provide Owner oversight and governance of EPC/EPCM procurement activities, ensuring alignment with approved project strategies and contractual requirements.
Establish procurement reporting and performance requirements for EPC/EPCM contractors.
Monitor major procurement activities, including:
RFQ/RFP development
bidder identification and prequalification
tendering
technical and commercial evaluation
negotiations
purchase order
engineering release
manufacturing
inspection
expediting
logistics
delivery
Challenge EPC/EPCM procurement strategies and recommendations where required to protect the Owner’s interests.
Ensure appropriate Owner involvement in critical and high-value procurement decisions.
3. Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Management
Lead strategic sourcing activities for major equipment, materials, and services.
Develop market intelligence and supplier strategies for critical commodities and long-lead equipment.
Establish appropriate commercial strategies to manage:
price escalation
foreign exchange
inflation
commodity volatility
logistics constraints
supplier capacity
geopolitical and supply-chain risks
Lead or support negotiations with strategic suppliers and major international vendors.
Ensure procurement decisions consider total installed cost, lifecycle cost, schedule, quality, risk, and operational requirements, rather than purchase price alone.
5. Expediting, Inspection & Logistics Interface
Establish Owner requirements for procurement progress monitoring, supplier expediting, inspection, logistics, and material readiness.
Ensure procurement information is integrated with the project’s Material Management and Construction Readiness strategy.
Maintain visibility of critical equipment and materials from PO award through delivery to site.
Ensure procurement supports construction work-front requirements and commissioning priorities.
Establish appropriate escalation mechanisms for late or at-risk deliveries.
6. Cost & Schedule Management
Ensure procurement commitments are aligned with the approved project budget and cost baseline.
Monitor procurement commitments, forecasts, savings, contingencies, allowances, and exposure.
Work closely with Project Controls to identify procurement impacts on project cost and schedule.
Support development and maintenance of procurement cash-flow forecasts.
Identify opportunities for cost optimization, value engineering, alternative sourcing, and commercial improvement.
7. Team Leadership
Lead, develop, and mentor a high-performing Owner procurement organization.
Establish clear accountability and performance expectations.
Develop procurement capability across sourcing, expediting, supplier quality, materials management, and supply-chain risk.
Promote a collaborative “one team” culture across Owner, EPC/EPCM, engineering, construction, suppliers, and other project stakeholders.
Build an organization capable of transitioning effectively from project development through construction, commissioning, and operational readiness.
Qualifications & Experience
Required
Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Procurement, Engineering, Business, Construction Management, or related discipline.
15+ years of progressive procurement/supply-chain experience, with significant experience on major capital projects.
Extensive experience in mining, minerals processing, metals, energy, infrastructure, or other heavy industrial projects.
Demonstrated experience leading procurement on large-scale / mega capital projects, preferably projects exceeding US$1 billion in capital value.
Significant Owner/client-side experience and/or substantial experience managing procurement through EPC/EPCM organizations.
Proven experience with major international equipment and material suppliers.
Strong commercial negotiation and PO-management capabilities.
Demonstrated experience managing long-lead and critical equipment.
Strong understanding of engineering, construction, commissioning, and project controls interfaces.
Experience managing multicultural and geographically dispersed teams.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English
Preferred
Experience on major copper or other base-metal mining projects.
Spanish speaking
Experience in Chile or Latin America.
Knowledge of Chilean procurement, importation, logistics, and regulatory environments.
Engineering or technical background.
Experience with EPC, EPCM, PMC models.
Experience with major mine processing facilities and associated infrastructure.
