Job Context:

To strategically lead and execute the sourcing, category management, and end-to-end supply chain integration for the Seed and Fertilizer business units; ensuring cost optimization, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and seamless material availability to support business growth.

Principal Accountabilities & Responsibilities:

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Vendor Development & De-risking: Formulate and execute alternative sourcing strategies. Proactively research, evaluate, and onboard high-performing local and international suppliers to mitigate single-source dependencies.
• Commercial Negotiation & CS: Lead complex commercial negotiations regarding price structure, volume rebates, shipment schedules, and favourable credit/payment terms. Oversee the preparation of Comparative Statements (CS) for leadership sign-off.
• Cost Analysis & Intelligence: Conduct total cost-of-ownership (TCO) analysis. Monitor international fertilizer and raw material market trends, global freight movements, and currency fluctuations to time market purchases strategically.
• Contract Management: Draft, review, and finalize robust Purchase Agreements, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and long-term supply contracts in alignment with corporate legal frameworks.
• Cropping Pattern Assessment & Seasonal Procurement: Analyze cropping patterns and execute season-wise purchasing of fertilizers/seeds in alignment with crop seasons such as Rabi and kharif to ensure timely procurement before peak consumption periods.

Operational Excellence & End-to-End Import Management

• International Trade Operations: Oversee the end-to-end import lifecycle for agro-inputs. Manage Letter of Credit (LC) documentation, bank endorsements, customs clearance procedures, and freight forwarding to eliminate demurrage risks.
• Supply Chain Synchronization: Act as the primary corporate coordinator between ACI Business Units, Factory Production Units, and Quality Control (QC) to ensure a perfectly synchronized supply of raw materials and finished goods.
• Inventory and Price Reporting: Conduct regular inventory and price data analysis, and prepare detailed reports to support procurement and supply chain decision-making.
• Inventory & Risk Optimization: Monitor and manage inventory buffers and safety stock levels. Align sourcing pipelines with seasonal demand spikes unique to the agricultural crop cycles in Bangladesh.

Compliance, Quality, and Financial Settlement

• Regulatory & Government Compliance: Ensure all imported and locally sourced seeds/fertilizers comply with national agricultural regulations, government subsidy criteria, environmental mandates, and customs tariff rules.
• Technical Evaluation: Intercept field trial results and laboratory testing reports from QC to validate product efficacy and approve/reject supplier batches based on performance.
• Financial & Tax Settlements: Directly manage and resolve complex VAT, Tax, and AIT structural issues pertaining to imports and local procurement in coordination with Corporate Finance.
• Supplier Governance: Establish KPI metrics to regularly track, audit, and score supplier performance regarding delivery timelines, quality consistency, and commercial compliance.