Operational Procurement Lead

INEOS is a global manufacturer of petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and oil products, with revenues of around $60 billion. It comprises 36 businesses, each with a substantial heritage in the chemical industry. The production network spans 194 sites in 29 countries worldwide, employing around 21,000 people.

Our O&P Europe business unit, is responsible for the development and growth of the High Density Polyethylene and Polypropylene markets for INEOS.
For our procurement service team (Lillo, Geel and Neder-Over-Heembeek), we are looking for a Operational Procurement Lead.

About the role

• Ensures efficient, compliant and reliable execution of operational procurement activities for the INEOS O&P EU Belgian Sites (Geel, Lillo, NOH)
• Leads and develops the Operational Procurement team ensuring consistent, high-quality Procure-to-Pay (P2P) execution, data accuracy in line with INEOS governance and systems
• Focuses on an efficient (lean), day-to-day procurement execution, process adherence and continuous improvement, supplier follow-up, KPI reporting and issue resolution, safeguarding operational continuity
• Ensures full compliance with INEOS Policies, processes, procedures and procurement Governance and legal requirements

Responsibilities

Leadership and People Management

• Setting daily/weekly priorities for the Operational procurement team
• Coach, guide, and develop team members to strengthen their procurement knowledge/expertise
• Recommend and implement continuous improvement initiatives to improve operational excellence and satisfaction of stakeholders
• Ensuring the team applies procurement governance, templates, procedures, tools, IGGNs and HSSE standards

Procure to Pay (P2P)

• Owns and drives the end-to-end Procure-to-Pay process
• Ensure efficient and compliant P2P execution, using SAP, e-catalogues (GEP) and standard processes
• Monitors working-capital impact, payment terms and supplier adherence
• Manage and monitor procurement team operational KPI's performance
• Drive automation, data quality and reduction of manual transactions
• Resolve supply, delivery and invoice issues to protect operations and business continuity

Supplier & Delivery Management (Operational Focus)

• Ensures reliable and timely delivery of goods and services to support site operations
• Monitors supplier performance on delivery, responsiveness and reliability
• Resolves operational supplier issues in collaboration with stakeholders
• Supports supplier onboarding and qualification processes

Governance & Continuous Improvement

• Drive improvements in processes, tools, digitalisation and data quality
• Maintain audit readiness and complete documentation procurement activities
• Promotes compliance and process discipline across the procurement team by acting as a role model for integrity, compliance and professional procurement conduct
• Monitors operational KPIs (P2P cycle time, Automation rate, Data quality, OTIF, Forecast & transaction accuracy) and identifies inefficiencies and implements improvement actions

Profile

Level of education & experience

• Master's degree in Procurement, Engineering, Business, Supply Chain or equivalent by experience
• Professional procurement certifications (CIPS, CPSM or equivalent) are preferred
• 5+ years' experience in a Procurement Leadership role in industrial or petrochemical industry
• Experience with operational procurement tools, systems and process
• Demonstrated delivery of cost improvements and strong governance compliance

Technical skills

• Expert knowledge of operational procurement and contract management tools
• Understanding of technical equipment, materials and services in a chemical plant context
• Strong analytical ability (cost models, benchmarking, supplier risk)
• SAP MM and MS Office proficiency; GEP is a plus
• Deep knowledge of procurement and contract management with advanced commercial and negotiation capabilities
• Local language and fluent in English, ability in other European languages is an advantage
• Capable of coaching, guiding and developing team members towards strong delivery performance
• Communicates clearly, concisely and confidently with different audiences and uses facts and data to strengthen messages
• Makes balanced, risk-aware decisions based on evidence, business impact and HSSE requirements
• Influences stakeholders effectively by anticipating concerns, presenting strong arguments and guiding discussions to alignment
• Builds constructive, trust-based relationships with internal stakeholders and suppliers, even i