Procurement Research, Innovation & IT Supervisor

Role Overview

Procurement Research, Innovation & IT Supervisor at KFUPM. The role converts approved category strategy and procurement plans into controlled sourcing pipelines, provides day-to-day direction and quality assurance to Category Buyers, and partners with end users, IT, research and technical stakeholders to deliver compliant, timely and value-focused procurement outcomes.

Role Purpose

The Category Management & Sourcing Supervisor is responsible for supervising the execution of category management and sourcing activities across KFUPM's IT, research, technology, research & laboratory, and related spend profiles. The Supervisor ensures sourcing activities are performed in line with Supply Chain Policy, procedures, Delegation of Authority and Oracle-based systems, escalating material commercial, risk or stakeholder matters to the Director.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy Deployment & Procurement Planning

• Translate IT and research category strategy into prioritised sourcing plans, demand forecasts and activity pipelines aligned with approved budgets, project timelines and stakeholder requirements.
• Maintain category intelligence on demand, supply markets, technology trends, vendor capability, risk and total cost of ownership.
• Identify opportunities to standardise specifications, aggregate demand and improve value.

Sourcing Execution & Commercial Oversight

• Supervise end-to-end sourcing activities undertaken by Category Buyers, including PR review, sourcing route selection, pre-qualification, RFx development, bidder management, commercial evaluation, negotiation, award recommendation and purchase order or contract handover.
• Review sourcing packs for completeness, commercial robustness, procedural compliance and appropriate approvals before submission to the relevant governance forum.

Team Supervision & Quality Assurance

• Allocate work, set priorities and coach Category Buyers to ensure responsive service, consistent quality, accurate records and adherence to agreed SLAs.
• Review workload, cycle time, sourcing pipeline and exceptions.
• Resolve operational issues and escalate capacity, commercial or control risks to the Director.

Stakeholder & Supplier Coordination

• Act as the operational procurement partner to IT, research, academic and technical stakeholders, clarifying requirements, timelines, specifications and evaluation approaches.
• Coordinate with Vendor Management and Contract Management on supplier eligibility, performance information, contractual risks and post-award handover.

Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain accurate sourcing, pipeline, savings and compliance data in Oracle and approved trackers.
• Provide timely category performance updates to the Director.
• Identify and implement practical improvements to sourcing tools, templates, work practices and stakeholder engagement.

Policies, Processes and Procedures

• Ensure adherence to Supply Chain Policy, Supply Chain Procedures, Delegation of Authority and company-specific policies and procedures as required.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Engineering, or equivalent is required.
• Further specialised education in the field would be considered advantageous.
• CIPS / CSCP certification is a plus.
• 5–8 years of experience in Category Management, Strategic Sourcing, or Procurement.
• Demonstrated experience procuring IT, technology, research & laboratory equipment & consumables, software, or related categories.
• Experience supervising, coaching or providing quality oversight to procurement staff is advantageous.
• Prior experience in a University, Government, or large institutional procurement environment is advantageous.

Skills & Competencies

• Fluent in both English and Arabic.
• Category Strategy Deployment – IT & Research.
• Strategic Sourcing and Commercial Negotiation.
• Technology and Research Procurement.
• Demand Forecasting and Procurement Planning.
• Team Supervision and Quality Assurance.
• Stakeholder Collaboration and Coordination.
• Supplier Relationship and Performance Management.
• Documentation, Reporting and Governance.
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills.
• Attention to Detail and Accuracy.
• ERP or database system knowledge and experience – preferably Oracle Fusion.
• Time management and organisation skills.
• Procurement and Supply Chain knowledge.