Principal Engineer, Procurement

COMPANY DESCRIPTION

REC Group is an international pioneering solar energy company dedicated to empowering consumers with clean, affordable solar power through high-quality solar panels with a leading power density. As Solar's Most Trusted, REC is known for its patented innovations and multiple award-winning products with reliable long-term performance. The cornerstone for REC's strong reliability is advanced and highly efficient manufacturing using Industry 4.0 practices. Founded in 1996 in Norway, REC has always been committed to a low carbon footprint in its solar materials and panels. REC is headquartered in Norway with operational headquarters in Singapore and regional hubs in North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. As of December 2021, REC is part of Reliance Industries Limited, India's largest private sector company with revenues of USD 104.6 billion.

Find out more at

DESIGNATION : Principal Engineer, Procurement

RESPONSIBILITIES

The candidate is responsible for ensuring the timely availability of materials to support production and business targets in a fast-paced solar panel manufacturing environment. This role involves forecasting material demand across multiple time horizons, managing procurement activities from international suppliers, and continuously optimizing supply chain performance through strategic sourcing, lead-time reduction, and supplier relationship management.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Material Planning:
• • Develop accurate short-, mid-, and long-term material demand forecasts based on production schedules, sales projections, and inventory levels.
• Analyze material consumption trends, production rates, and market dynamics to optimize inventory and minimize shortages or excesses.

• Collaborate with Operations teams to align material availability with manufacturing requirements.

• Procurement Management:

• • Execute end-to-end procurement of raw materials from overseas suppliers.
• Evaluate supplier performance through key metrics (on-time delivery, quality, responsiveness, lead time, etc.).
• Ensure compliance with organizational purchasing policies, quality standards, and sustainability goals.
• Develop strong relationships with strategic suppliers to improve communication, reliability, and transparency.
• Conduct regular supplier reviews and work with vendors to reduce lead times and improve responsiveness.
• Drive supplier development initiatives, including cost reduction projects, process improvement, and risk mitigation.
• Identify and implement supply chain improvement opportunities to enhance material flow, reduce procurement cycle time, and improve working capital efficiency.
• Support cross-functional teams in new product development (NPD) projects by ensuring timely material readiness.

• Contribute to digitalization and automation initiatives within the supply chain function.

• Perform other duties as assigned. Duties may vary as the organization progresses.

Examples of relevant KPIs are On Time Delivery (OTD), lead time, Supplier Performance, inventory cost, supplier capacity, accuracy and timeliness of reports, annual cost savings, compliances.

QUALIFICATIONS

Technical/ Professional

• Bachelor's Degree in Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or related field from any recognized university.
• 6-8 years of experience in material planning, procurement, or supply chain within a manufacturing environment (preferably semiconductor or renewable energy sector).
• Strong understanding of MRP/ERP systems (SAP).
• Proven track record in supplier management and international sourcing.
• Excellent analytical, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Familiarity with Incoterms, import/export documentation, and logistics coordination.

Technological

• Certification in supply chain management (e.g., APICS CPIM, CSCP)
• Knowledge of Excel, Word, and Power Point.

General

• Negotiation skills
• Good working knowledge in budget and cost control

People/ Relations

• Proactive, detail-oriented and able to perform under tight deadlines
• Energetic individual with strong leadership skill and collaborator
• High fluency in both spoken and written English & Mandarin

Other Requirements

• Physically fit
• No colour blindness