Role: Head of Procurement
Location: Brisbane-based, with regular rotational travel to and extended time on-site in Papua New Guinea
Vacancy Type: Permanent
Salary: Competitive
Security Clearance: N/A
Spinwell is recruiting for a Head of Procurement for an excellent opportunity within the private sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HEAD OF PROCUREMENT
Procurement Strategy & Vendor Relationships
- Develop and own client’s overall procurement strategy, aligning sourcing decisions with project budgets, cost targets and delivery schedules across exploration and site operations.
- Build and personally manage relationships with key vendors, contractors, freight forwarders, customs agents and local PNG suppliers - negotiating terms that balance cost, reliability and lead time.
- Develop a mixed local/international vendor base that reduces single-source risk, supports PNG content and local development commitments, and improves resilience against supply disruption.
- Establish framework agreements and preferred-supplier panels for recurring categories (fuel, consumables, PPE, plant hire, camp supplies, drilling consumables) to reduce transaction time and improve pricing.
Team & Capability Building
- Design the procurement team structure required to service both the Brisbane corporate function and PNG site operations, and recruit, onboard and develop that team.
- Build the procurement function from a largely ad-hoc-led model into a structured department with clear roles, delegations of authority and accountability.
- Mentor and upskill PNG-based procurement staff, building local capability in line with PNG content objectives.
Systems, SOPs & Governance
- Develop and implement procurement SOPs covering requisitioning, vendor onboarding and approval, purchase order issuance, receipting, invoice reconciliation and payment release.
- Introduce fit-for-purpose procurement and inventory systems/tools suited to a growing junior/mid-tier miner operating across two jurisdictions, with practical controls rather than over-engineered process.
- Establish delegated financial authority (DFA) levels, three-way matching, and audit-ready documentation to satisfy corporate governance and, where relevant, ASX/JORC-adjacent reporting expectations.
- Own supplier risk management - insurance, safety compliance, financial standing and contractual protections - for all material vendors and subcontractors.
Hands-On Delivery & Problem-Solving
- Be personally present on the ground in PNG for critical procurement activity - vendor site visits, customs and freight escalations affecting supply commitments, and urgent sourcing for site continuity.
- Think laterally to solve procurement challenges unique to PNG operating conditions: constrained shipping windows, customs delays, limited local supplier depth, remote site access and foreign exchange exposure.
- Proactively identify alternative sourcing routes, substitute materials, or staged purchasing approaches that protect schedule when standard supply chains fail, in coordination with the Head of Logistics.
- Manage category and total procurement spend against budget, reporting variances and cost-saving initiatives to the leadership team.
Cost, Budget & Schedule Integration
- Work closely with Project Managers, Site Managers and Finance to align procurement plans with project schedules, cash flow constraints and budget approvals.
- Build procurement lead-time planning into project schedules, flagging long-lead items early and driving early-order strategies for critical path materials and equipment.
- Deliver measurable cost-out and cost-avoidance outcomes without compromising site safety, quality or schedule.
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE HEAD OF PROCUREMENT
- Demonstrated procurement/supply chain leadership experience in mining, exploration, resources or heavy construction.
- Track record of building a procurement function and team from a low base, including SOP and systems design.
- Strong vendor negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to develop and manage supplier relationships that deliver on cost, quality and schedule.
- Comfortable with regular travel and extended time on remote PNG sites, including working within local logistics, customs and infrastructure constraints.
- Commercially literate - able to read budgets and project schedules and translate them into procurement plans and vendor commitments.
- A pragmatic, resourceful operator who solves problems in the field rather than waiting for perfect process - while still building the discipline the company needs as it scales.
- Eligible to travel to and work in Papua New Guinea, including obtaining any required work permits/visas.
- Stakeholder influence - able to negotiate confidently with vendors and hold firm internally on budget and process discipline, including with senior colleagues.
- Resilience and adaptability - maintains composure and judgement when working in frontier-market conditions with imperfect information and shifting priorities.
- Integrity and sound judgement - applies consistent ethical standards to vendor selection and negotiation, particularly given elevated corruption risk in the operating environment.
- Remote leadership - able to lead and hold accountable a team split across Brisbane and PNG, including staff the incumbent will not see daily
If you are a Head of Procurement, apply now or send your CV to Spinwell!
We welcome all applications regardless of background, in line with our commitment to diversity, equality and inclusion.
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