Director of Procurement

Front End is seeking a commercially astute and operationally grounded Director of Procurement to lead our procurement function across all eight solution verticals - Offshore, Energy, Industrial Facilities, Geoscience, Artificial Intelligence, Autonomy & Mobility, Space, and Mining.

This role carries a dual mandate: serve as the primary procurement authority for Front End's maritime and offshore operations - including our Aramco-chartered vessel fleet - while simultaneously driving strategic sourcing, supplier development, and contract governance across the full breadth of the company's industrial and technology portfolio.

Reporting directly to the Chairman & CEO, the Director of Procurement will be a senior decision-maker who understands the commercial rhythm of the offshore and maritime industry, is fluent in BIMCO contract frameworks and MLC 2006 supply chain obligations, and can translate that expertise into procurement discipline across a fast-growing, multi-sector industrial group. Front End is a proud member of BIMCO and OCIMF, and operates under IMO and DNV standards - the right candidate will regard these not as compliance overhead but as professional foundations.

Key responsibilities

1. Maritime & offshore procurement (primary anchor)

• Lead all procurement for Front End's offshore vessel operations - technical spares, FIFI systems, life-saving appliances, navigational equipment, deck consumables, and port disbursements.
• Manage procurement obligations arising from Saudi Aramco time charter agreements, ensuring all items and services satisfy Charter Party technical schedules and avoid off-hire exposure.
• Apply BIMCO standard contract frameworks (SUPPLYTIME, SHIPMAN, CREWMAN, GENCON, etc.) in vendor agreements; ensure procurement documentation aligns with BIMCO best practice for offshore support vessel operations.
• Coordinate with the marine operations and shore support team to align procurement timelines with vessel schedules, dry-dock plans, and survey windows.
• Manage ship chandler, port agent, and technical service provider relationships across key ports in Saudi Arabia and GCC, and international call points.
• Ensure procurement decisions reflect OCIMF TMSA and SIRE requirements, supporting the fleet's third-party inspection readiness at all times.
• Procure crew welfare items, PPE, and consumables in compliance with MLC 2006 supply chain standards, in coordination with the Crewing Superintendent.

2. Strategic procurement across all solution verticals

• Own the enterprise-wide procurement strategy covering all Front End solution segments: Energy, Industrial Facilities, Geoscience, Space, AI & Autonomy, Mobility, and Mining.
• Develop category management plans for each vertical, identifying strategic versus tactical spend and building sourcing strategies accordingly.
• Lead high-value tendering and RFQ/RFP processes, ensuring competitive market testing, transparent evaluation, and audit-ready award decisions.
• Partner with Business Development to assess supplier capabilities and local content positioning when pursuing new Aramco and SABIC opportunities.
• Manage procurement input into project bids, ensuring cost accuracy, supplier commitments, and lead-time assumptions are correctly reflected in commercial proposals.

3. Supplier management & contract governance

• Build and govern a qualified supplier base across maritime, energy, industrial, and technology categories - regionally in KSA and GCC, and internationally through Front End's global strategic alliances.
• Lead major supplier contract negotiations, applying commercial leverage, total cost of ownership analysis, and risk-adjusted pricing models.
• Maintain and continuously improve Front End's Approved Vendor List (AVL), ensuring alignment with Saudi Aramco SRMS qualification requirements.
• Implement formal supplier performance management: KPIs, quarterly business reviews, escalation protocols, and corrective action frameworks.
• Identify and act on supply chain risks - geopolitical, logistical, and commercial - and maintain contingency sourcing for mission-critical items.

4. Commercial & cost discipline

• Drive year-on-year cost savings through strategic sourcing, spend consolidation, and supplier rationalization without compromising quality, safety, or delivery performance.
• Develop and maintain a procurement spend dashboard aligned to executive reporting cycles, covering committed, actioned, and forecasted spend by category and vertical.
• Partner with Finance to ensure procurement plans align with project budgets, cash flow forecasts, and working capital targets.
• Establish clear procurement authority levels and delegation matrices aligned to Front End's governance framework.

5. Compliance, ethics & regulatory alignment

• Ensure all procurement activities comply with Saudi procurement regulations, ZATCA requirements, and client supply chain codes of conduct.
• Maintain zero-tolerance enforcement of Front End's anti-bribery and anti-corruption policy, consistent with Saudi Anti-Bribery Law and signed agency agreements.
• Apply BIMCO's ethical standards and IMO supply chain requirements across all maritime vendor engagements.
• Maintain audit-ready tender files, award justifications, and contract modification records for all categories.

6. Systems, team & process leadership

• Build and lead a capable procurement team; set clear accountability frameworks aligned to Front End's five core values: Empowerment, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Agility, and Community.
• Drive adoption and optimization of procurement modules within Front End's ERP environment (NetSuite), including purchase order workflows, vendor master management, and spend analytics.
• Integrate procurement workflows with Asana-based project management and the company's AI-enabled bid submission pipeline.
• Champion digital procurement tools and AI-assisted sourcing to improve cycle time, supplier discovery, and category intelligence.

Job Requirements

Essential

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Maritime Studies, Engineering, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 12 years of progressive procurement experience, with at least 5 years in a Director-level or equivalent senior leadership role.
• Demonstrated expertise in maritime and offshore procurement - vessel technical spares, charter party supply obligations, port services, and offshore support operations.
• Working knowledge of BIMCO standard contracts (SUPPLYTIME, SHIPMAN, CREWMAN, GENCON, etc.) and their commercial and procurement implications.
• Solid understanding of OCIMF TMSA, SIRE inspection standards, and MLC 2006 supply chain compliance.
• Direct experience managing procurement for Saudi Aramco or SABIC-linked projects, including familiarity with their AVL/SRMS qualification systems.
• Strong contract negotiation and commercial structuring capability with a track record of measurable cost performance.
• Fluency in English; Arabic proficiency is a strong advantage.

Preferred

• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) qualification or equivalent.
• Active BIMCO membership or BIMCO Education credentials.
• Experience across multiple industrial sectors beyond maritime - energy, geoscience, AI, or mining procurement is highly valued.
• Familiarity with ERP procurement modules (NetSuite, SAP, or Oracle Procurement Cloud).
• Saudi national (or GCC national) strongly preferred in line with Vision 2030 Saudization objectives.
• Experience within a multi-sector holding company or diversified industrial group.