The Head of Procurement will lead the full procurement function, overseeing sourcing, purchasing, and supplier management across raw materials, ingredients, packaging, retail products, and operational supplies. This is a senior, hands-on role suited to someone who thrives in building structure, driving change, and operating within the realities of a small-island market.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and lead a centralised procurement function serving multiple business units.
• Consolidate procurement activities currently spread across departments into a coordinated group service.
• Develop and execute the company’s procurement strategy, ensuring cost efficiency, quality assurance, and continuity of supply.
• Lead the end-to-end procurement function covering raw materials, ingredients, packaging, third-party retail products, and operational supplies.
• Oversee the sourcing and purchasing of all raw materials and packaging used in manufacturing, ensuring alignment with production requirements and inventory targets.
• Negotiate with local and international suppliers, securing competitive pricing, favourable terms, and reliable delivery performance.
• Oversee procurement activities for retail, including sourcing complementary products, managing annual supplier contracts, and negotiating rebates and promotional support.
• Ensure full compliance with Maltese and EU import regulations, certifications, foodsafety standards, and supplier documentation requirements, in liaison with the company’s legal personnel.
• Drive cost-control initiatives, including supplier consolidation, tendering, alternative sourcing, and optimisation of landed costs in collaboration with Finance.
• Support margin analysis by ensuring accurate and updated cost data, including freight, duties, and handling charges for manufactured and retail goods.
• Ensure that product sourcing aligns with the company’s commercial and profitability objectives, collaborating closely with Operations, Finance, and Retail departments.
• Review the creation and maintenance of supplier master data, ensuring clean and accurate records at inception and throughout the supplier lifecycle.
• Oversee the setup, maintenance, and accuracy of stock cards, item configurations, and system pricing for both new and existing products.
• Ensure timely and precise price updates to maintain accuracy in costing, landed cost calculation, and retail pricing.
• Oversee and continuously improve automated BI-driven procurement reports, ensuring exception-based monitoring for efficiency and control.
• Monitor system-generated alerts, including pricing discrepancies across outlets, offer viability, and items received without valid purchase orders.
• Lead the development and execution of digital procurement initiatives, including automated purchasing workflows, online supplier portals, and process automation.
• Maintain strong cross-departmental collaboration with Manufacturing, Retail, Logistics, Finance, and Quality Assurance.
• Ensure adherence to internal controls, company policies, procurement procedures, and audit requirements.
• Provide leadership, training, and guidance to procurement team members, ensuring consistent performance, development, and alignment with departmental goals