Procurement Manager

Position: Procurement Manager (Food Service/HORECA)

Department: Supply Chain

Location: Singapore

Reporting to: General Manager

Position Summary

MerchantBrothers is seeking a driven, hands-on, and highly analytical ProcurementManager to lead our procurement processes from end to end for the entireproduct lifecycle. This role owns the strategic upstream supply chain, demandplanning, supplier performance management, and cold-chain inventory control.The successful candidate will establish rigid sourcing frameworks, improveplanning accuracy, minimise Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), and safeguard rawmaterial margins while ensuring absolute supply continuity across all products.

Core Responsibilities

1. Procurement Operations& Sourcing Governance

• End-to-End Cycle Management: Lead the complete upstream procurement lifecycle, governing Purchase Requisitions (PR), Purchase Orders (PO), Goods Receipt Notes (GRN), and prompt supplier coordination to maintain continuous business operations.
• Process Workflows: Standardise and continuously improve procurement workflows to enhance commercial control, reduce administrative lag, and guarantee full compliance with group SOPs.
• Timeline Resolution: Monitor international and local procurement lead times proactively, identifying bottlenecks and resolving delays to ensure zero operational disruption to processing operations.
• Drive accountability amonginternal stakeholders to ensure procurement deliverables are met.

• Negotiate favourable terms and contracts to achieve cost savings.

2. Demand Planning &Inventory Management

• Cross-Functional Forecasting: Partner closely with Production and Commercial departments to plan and accurately forecast raw materials, high-value primal cuts, and packaging inventories.
• Data-Driven Analysis: Evaluate historical sales trends, seasonality factors, multi-channel demands (Food Service/HORECA, Supermarkets and E-Commerce), and promotional campaigns to optimise purchase volumes and mitigate raw material gluts.
• Inventory Balancing: Design procurement strategies that tightly balance product availability against warehouse storage footprint capacities, item fresh-life cycles, and margin metrics.
• Buffer Strategy: Establish buffer stock levels and systematic replenishment triggers to safeguard sales and production lines, while keeping capital tied up in slow-moving raw materials at a minimum.

3. Supplier Performance& Margin Management

• Strategic Relationship Management: Direct global, regional and local supplier networks, ensuring absolute compliance with product yield, quality, and rigorous temperature-controlled parameters.
• KPI Performance Tracking: Formally track supplier indicators including on-time full (OTIF) delivery, logistical lead times, fulfillment accuracy, and cold-chain temperature compliance.
• Commercial Sourcing & Benchmarking: Conduct proactive global cost benchmarking and execute price negotiations to protect the company’s baseline gross margin and COGS floors.
• Dispute Resolution: Lead prompt resolution of supplier disputes, managing discrepancies in shipping weight, delivery volumes, landing quality concerns, and the application of financial credits or corrective actions.

4. Supply Risk Mitigation& Continuity

• Risk Identification: Audit and identify potential upstream supply chain risks, with targeted focus on single-source dependencies, geopolitical price fluctuations, and seasonal or climate shortages.
• Contingency Engineering: Formulate robust supply continuity frameworks, qualifying alternative regional suppliers, adjusting localised buffer thresholds, and developing rapid recovery solutions.
• Executive Alerts: Provide data-supported early alerts to the executive team regarding emerging global logistics or agricultural vulnerabilities, paired with practical, cost-balanced mitigation tactics.

5. ERP Data Integrity &Systems Integration

• Data Control: Enforce strict ERP data logging compliance within Microsoft Dynamics, taking ownership over the accuracy and update velocity of the item master, supplier master registers, pricing structures, and mass-balance accounting parameters.
• Transaction Oversight: Oversee proper ERP transaction disciplines across purchasing tracks, real-time reporting metrics, and automated inventory reconciliation.
• Discrepancy Reconciliation: Collaborate with Finance and Warehouse leads to systematically identify and close system variances occurring across POs, inventory balances, pricing data, and incoming invoice trails

6. Import Procedures,Regulatory Compliance & Cost Tracking

• Inbound Logistical Controls: Coordinate overseas purchasing streams, ensuring precise document tracking, customs clearances, GST declarations, and multi-temperature inbound freight logistics.
• Regulatory Compliance: Verify that all inbound goods adhere strictly to Singapore Food Agency (SFA) import regulations, food safety protocols, HACCP standards, and relevant certification requirements.
• Variance Reporting: Monitor moving procurement cost factors, compiling monthly variance reviews, cost-saving initiatives, and process efficiency options for management evaluation.

7. Compliance, Audit &Administration

• Ensure adherence to procurement guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
• Support internal and external audits by preparing documentation and maintaining transparent records.
• Handle administrative duties including filing, report generation, and record-keeping.
• Maintain confidentiality of proprietary and financial information.

8. Teamwork &Professional Conduct

• Collaborate with internal teams (Sales, Finance, and Logistics) to align purchasing decisions with operational needs.
• Participate in safety and compliance training as required.
• Maintain professional appearance and communication in all interactions.
• Uphold Merchant Brothers’ values of quality, integrity, and excellence in every aspect of the role.

Requirements, Knowledge, Skills

·       Education: Diplomaor Degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration or arelated field.

·       Experience: 5years of relevant experience in purchasing, procurement, orsupply chain management within food service, hospitality, food manufacturing orFMCG industries.

·       Skills:

-         Strong negotiation,sourcing, and analytical skills.

-         Proficiency in MicrosoftOffice and E-procurement / ERP systems (Microsoft Business Dynamics).

-         Detail-oriented withexcellent organisational and multitasking abilities.

-         Sound knowledge of foodsafety and import/export regulations (HACCP, ISO 22000 preferred).

-         Effective communication andstakeholder management skills.

-         A proactive andcollaborative team player with a commitment to operational excellence.

MERCHANT BROTHERS

Merchant Brothers Pte Ltd, established in Singapore in April 2020 by José Rodrigues and Ray Poh, is a distinguished trading company specialising in fine food products from Portugaland various parts of Europe. In collaboration with the Rodrigues family, whooperates Sabores Alentejanos, a renowned Macau distributor of food stuff throughout Macau, Hong Kong, and China, Merchant Brothers has successfullycarved a niche in delivering exceptional culinary experiences.

José Rodrigues, driven by his profound love for Portuguese culture and tradition, embarked on this venture to address the scarcity of authentic Portuguese food products in the Asian region. His extensive knowledge and passion for nature and agriculture prompted frequent visits to his family's hometown in the rustic Alentejo region of Portugal and Europe. Recognising that the foundation of excellent cuisine lies in the use of quality ingredients, José curated and individually sourced products, elevating Sabores Alentejanos to one of the premier food suppliers inMacau.

Merchant Brothers, inspired bythis culinary journey, aspires to take the Singaporean palate on an extraordinary voyage to explore the flavours of Portugal and beyond. SinceNovember 2023, we have increased our product portfolio to include a wider array of seafood and fine meats, enhancing our commitment to providing diverse and high-quality food options to our valued customers. This expansion aligns withour vision to bring a rich tapestry of flavours, rooted in European culinary traditions, to the vibrant culinary scene of Singapore. As we grow, our dedication to sourcing the finest products remains unwavering, ensuring that every experience with Merchant Brothers is a delightful celebration of exquisite taste and cultural richness.