Supply Chain Manager

The group develops and operates dry port and inland container depot (ICD) infrastructure in Africa. The Supply Chain Manager will lead owner-side procurement, supply chain and inbound logistics for a dry port currently entering construction in East Africa. Based in the Dubai head office, the role is responsible for competitively sourcing, contracting, expediting and delivering equipment, works packages and critical materials to site on time and within the approved budget. Regular visits to the East Africa project site are an essential part of the role. Phase 1 is a major capital procurement programme covering 100,000 TEU of capacity, including container-handling equipment, scanning, buildings, utilities, warehousing, rail siding and terminal systems. Major sourcing markets include China, India, Europe, the UAE and East Africa. Position details Item Detail Job title :-- Supply Chain Manager Dry Port / ICD Base :- Dubai head office Reports to :-- Chief Financial Officer / Project Director, with regular reporting to the Board of Directors Works with :- Engineering consultant, East Africa site team, finance, legal, operations and lenders/advisers as required Direct reports :- None at start; expected to add a buyer and an expediter / clearing coordinator as procurement volume builds Travel :- Regular travel required - typically 25-30%, including frequent visits to the East Africa project site plus supplier/factory visits in China, India and Europe Contract :- Full-time, UAE employment contract This is a dedicated owner-side project procurement role for the East Africa ICD, working closely with engineering, finance, legal, operations and the site team. Scope of spend The role owns procurement and supply chain from sourcing strategy and tendering through contracting, expediting, logistics and delivery to site. Engineering retains ownership of technical specifications. Key responsibilities Planning Build and maintain the integrated procurement plan and package register, working backwards from the construction programme to set tender, award, manufacturing, shipment and required-on-site dates. Identify critical and long-lead packages early and align commitments and payment milestones with project budget, cash flow and debt-facility drawdown. Sourcing and tendering Convert approved technical specifications into commercially robust RFQs/RFPs; manage bidder clarifications and evaluations; maintain a qualified supplier and contractor base across key sourcing markets; and recommend awards based on total landed cost, lifecycle value, service support and schedule risk rather than headline price alone. Negotiation and contracting Lead commercial negotiations covering price, Incoterms, payment milestones, warranties, liquidated damages, performance security, retention, delivery, commissioning, training and spares. Work with legal on contracts and control variations, change orders and supplier claims through close-out. Logistics, import and clearing Plan and manage containerised, breakbulk and out-of-gauge movements; appoint freight forwarders, shipping lines, transporters and clearing agents; control import documentation, customs and exemption requirements; and coordinate port clearance and inland delivery to site while minimising detention and demurrage. Expediting and quality Maintain an expediting dashboard for all open orders, track production and delivery milestones, escalate slippage early, and coordinate factory acceptance testing, pre-shipment inspection, commissioning, training, manuals, warranties and handover requirements for critical equipment. Cost, stores and reporting Maintain committed-cost, forecast-at-completion and variance reporting by package. Establish goods-receipt, materials coding, inventory and spares controls with the site team, and provide concise monthly reporting to management and the Board of Directors on commitments, cash requirements, critical-path risks, claims and decisions required. Governance and interfaces The Supply Chain Manager leads the commercial process and makes documented recommendations; major awards and commitments are approved in line with the delegation of authority, including Board of Directors approval where required. Procurement must follow the required competitive process, budget and funding confirmation, technical review, legal review where applicable, and a complete audit trail. Key interfaces Engineering - specifications and technical evaluation; Finance - budgets, cash flow, payments and lender reporting; Legal - contracts, securities, claims and disputes; Site team - delivery, receipt, stores and commissioning; Government/authorities - import permits, customs and exemption documentation. Procurement records must be maintained to lender/DFI audit standard, including tender documents, evaluations, approvals, contracts, securities, variations, inspection and shipping records, payments and close-out documents.

Desired Candidate Profile

Qualifications and experience Required Degree in supply chain management, engineering, logistics or a related field. 8 to 12 years in procurement, contracts and supply chain, including at least 4 years handling capital equipment and/or works packages on infrastructure, industrial, port or logistics projects. Demonstrated ownership of a multi-package capital procurement programme of at least USD 20 million. International sourcing experience, particularly China and/or Europe, with exposure to factory audits, FAT, inspection, expediting and shipment follow-up. Strong knowledge of Incoterms, trade-payment structures, marine insurance, international freight, breakbulk and out-of-gauge cargo. Hands-on customs and import experience into an African market, including project-import, exemption and bonded regimes. Strong commercial and contract literacy, including warranties, liquidated damages, retention, performance security, claims and variations. SAP is mandatory, with hands-on procurement and materials-management experience. Fluent English, written and spoken. Preferred Experience in ports, terminals, ICDs, logistics infrastructure, utilities, mining logistics or heavy industry. Prior work in East or Central Africa and familiarity with regional trade corridors. Experience with lender/DFI-controlled procurement and audit requirements. Experience procuring container-handling equipment, scanners, medium-voltage power, civil works or terminal systems; CIPS/CSCP and French are advantageous. Competencies Hands-on execution - comfortable personally writing tenders, building bid comparisons, negotiating and expediting rather than only supervising. Commercially strong and numerate - able to challenge landed-cost models, payment schedules and package forecasts. Highly organised under pressure - able to control multiple packages, suppliers, time zones, dates and approvals. Firm, constructive and high-integrity - protects project rights and delivery commitments while maintaining strong governance and a clear audit trail.