Head of Supply Chain

Our client is a leading diversified industrial group in Pakistan with over seventy years of operational history and a listing on the Pakistan Stock Exchange. The group exports to more than 45 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, the Americas, and Oceania. It serves as a long-term strategic supplier to major multinational FMCG, food, and beverage brands. With diversified interests spanning manufacturing, packaging, textiles, fashion retail, and power generation, the organization employs several thousand people.

The Head of Supply Chain will oversee the entire supply chain function, including procurement, commercial negotiations, demand and supply planning, logistics, and warehousing. This role is critical to ensuring that materials and finished goods are delivered at the right cost, quality, and timing to meet the needs of both domestic and international customers. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on leader capable of strengthening an established operation, solving problems swiftly, and maintaining smooth business continuity.

Key Responsibilities

Supply Chain Strategy: Develop and implement a supply chain strategy aligned with the group’s business objectives, growth plans, and export targets. Benchmark existing processes, identify gaps, and drive continuous improvements in cost efficiency, service levels, and working capital management.

Procurement and Commercial Negotiations: Lead strategic sourcing for raw materials, packaging, spares, and services, both locally and internationally. Negotiate pricing, contract terms, and long-term agreements with key vendors. Monitor commodity, freight, and currency trends to develop pricing and hedging strategies that protect margins. Manage vendor relationships through evaluation, performance reviews, and risk mitigation.

Planning: Own the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process, linking demand forecasts with production, procurement, and inventory plans. Establish inventory policies that balance service levels with working capital requirements across raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods.

Logistics and Warehousing: Oversee inbound and outbound logistics, including imports, exports, port clearance, freight forwarding, and domestic distribution. Manage warehouse operations, including layout, capacity, safety, and stock accuracy across multiple sites. Negotiate and manage contracts with third-party logistics providers, transporters, and shipping companies.

Analytics and Systems: Develop supply chain dashboards and KPIs to drive data-informed decisions on cost, lead times, and inventory management. Maximize ERP system utilization and lead digitization initiatives within supply chain processes.

Leadership and Governance: Lead, develop, and motivate teams across procurement, planning, logistics, and warehousing. Collaborate closely with production, finance, sales, export, and retail teams to resolve bottlenecks. Ensure compliance with company policies, procurement controls, customs regulations, and other statutory requirements.

Required Qualifications

- Over 15 years of supply chain experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing significant parts of the function.
- Proven expertise in retail and/or FMCG sectors; experience in manufacturing or export-oriented businesses is advantageous.
- Demonstrated hands-on experience in procurement, commercial negotiations, planning, logistics, and warehousing.
- Experience managing import/export supply chains, vendor contracts, and multi-site operations.
- MBA or Master’s degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, or Engineering.
- Graduates from top-tier institutions such as IBA, LUMS, KSBL, IoBM, NUST Business School, Lahore School of Economics, GIKI, NED University, FAST-NUCES, or equivalent international universities.
- Professional certifications like CSCP, CPIM (ASCM), or CIPS are a plus.

Preferred Qualifications and Attributes

- Strong leadership skills with the ability to build, coach, and hold teams accountable while earning respect across functions.
- Excellent problem-solving capabilities, able to diagnose root causes and implement practical solutions in a live environment.
- Adaptability to integrate into a large, established organization, respecting existing standards while driving improvements.
- Commercial acumen with confidence in pricing, contract negotiation, and supplier leverage on both local and international levels.
- Analytical mindset comfortable with data, cost modeling, forecasting, and KPI-driven decision-making; advanced proficiency in Excel and ERP systems (SAP or Oracle preferred).
- Effective communication skills for presenting to senior management and collaborating with cross-functional teams.
- High integrity with a commitment to procurement governance, transparency, and ethical standards.

Key Performance Indicators

- Procurement cost savings and price variance against budget.
- On-time, in-full (OTIF) delivery performance for domestic and export customers.
- Inventory days and working capital tied up in stock.
- Forecast accuracy and adherence to plans.
- Logistics and warehousing cost per unit shipped.
- Supplier performance on quality, lead time, and reliability.
- Stock accuracy and warehouse safety records.
- Team capability, engagement, and retention.