Head of Procurement

About the role

• Position: Head of Procurement
• Location: South San Francisco
• Type: Full-time

The Opportunity

Ohalo™ is seeking a detail-oriented and experienced Head of Procurement to manage a wide range of vendor contracts, procurement processes, and expense controls. This role is crucial in ensuring that our procurement activities, including those for laboratory, greenhouse, automation, and production equipment, and various services, are efficient, cost-effective, and aligned with our operational and financial goals.

The ideal candidate will have a strong background in negotiating diverse contracts, optimizing procurement strategies, technology tools and AI, and managing procure-to-pay & purchase order (PO) processes as well as contributing to accurate financial reporting and analysis.

This role will require partnership with teams across the company, including research, engineering, finance, operations, and facilities, to understand their needs, develop project plans, and ensure that procurement supports business goals and operating plans.

Ohalo has developed a proprietary plant breeding technology, Boosted Breeding™, which provides unprecedented improvements in crop yields that may otherwise take millennia to achieve with traditional breeding methods. We are now deploying these technologies through partnerships across the food and agriculture value chain. We are seeking a Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Manager who will report to the Controller..

Responsibilities

• Contract Negotiation and Management: Lead negotiations for a diverse range of vendor contracts, including but not limited to equipment purchases, lab/greenhouses supplies & consumables, service agreements, consulting agreements, subcontracts, grower contracts, logistics and statements of work. Secure favorable terms, pricing, and service levels. Continuously evaluate contracts and supplier performance to maximize value.
• Procurement Strategy: Develop and execute data-driven procurement strategies to optimize spending and enhance efficiency across all categories. Stay informed about market trends, identify new suppliers and technologies, and proactively suggest improvements to processes.
• Procure-to-pay Management: Oversee the end-to-end PO process, including reviewing requisitions, obtaining approvals, creating and issuing POs, tracking deliveries, verifying receipts, and managing invoices and vendor management in conjunction with our accounting team.
• Inventory Management: Partner with cross-functional teams (e.g., finance, operations, facilities) to develop and implement an effective inventory management system for all capital expenditures (capex). Track capex assets, monitor utilization, and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Performance Tracking and Reporting: Establish and monitor key procurement metrics, including cost savings, supplier performance, and capex utilization. Regularly report on these metrics to stakeholders, highlighting successes and areas for improvement.
• Compliance and Documentation: Maintain meticulous records of all procurement activities, ensuring adherence to company policies and regulations. Prepare clear and concise reports to track performance and communicate insights to stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: Partner with teams across the organization to understand their needs, develop project plans, and ensure timely procurement of goods and services to support ongoing operations and special projects.
• Budgeting and Forecasting: Collaborate with the finance team to develop budgets and forecasts. Monitor actual spending against budgets, analyze variances, and provide insights to support financial decision-making.
• Financial Analysis: Conduct comprehensive financial analyses to identify trends, cost-saving opportunities, and potential risks. Provide data-driven recommendations to management.
• Expense Management: Implement and oversee expense management processes, ensuring that all expenditures are within budget and comply with company policies. Identify areas for cost optimization and lead initiatives to reduce expenses.

Candidate Profile

• Bachelor's degree, preferably in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, finance, or related field.
• 5+ years of demonstrated experience in procurement, vendor contract negotiation, capex management, and purchase order processing.
• Proven track record of successful negotiations, cost savings, and efficient PO management.
• In depth knowledge and experience negotiating a wide range of consulting agreements, subcontract agreements, statement of works including legal terms and conditions.
• Deep expertise in technology tools (e.g., P2P and ERP systems), business processes, and managing end-to-end data flow from spreadsheets and/or source systems to final financial outcomes.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, capable of building and maintaining effective relationships with stakeholders and suppliers.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a cross-functional team, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability.

Desired Skills/Experience

• Experience in biotech, research, or manufacturing industries is a plus.
• Familiarity with laboratory, greenhouse, field grower or automation equipment.
• Experience in implementing & scaling procurement and expense management processes across various platforms and systems.
• Relevant procurement certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS) or familiarity with PLM or ERP systems a plus

Pay and benefits

The anticipated pay range for this role is $150,000 - $190,000 per year for our South San Francisco location. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.