Battery Procurement Lead – Capex - Chikhli - Waaree Energies Storage Solution Pvt. Ltd.

Description

About the Company

Waaree is setting up a 20GWh integrated lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility catering to BESS and EV applications.

About the Role

The SCM Capex Head will lead all capital procurement required to design, build, and commission this greenfield gigafactory. This is an execution-critical leadership role responsible for developing and delivering the end-to-end capex procurement strategy aligned with plant commissioning milestones.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the complete capex procurement roadmap for current 4GWh & upcoming 16GWh facility
• Align procurement milestones with engineering design and commissioning schedules
• Identify long-lead equipment early and proactively mitigate schedule risks
• Develop sourcing strategies for process equipment, infrastructure, automation, and specialized systems
• Build procurement frameworks that can support future capacity expansions
• Lead sourcing of core battery manufacturing equipment including electrode, cell assembly, dry room, NMP recovery, stacking, pack (EV & BESS), and BESS manufacturing systems
• Manage procurement of civil works, plant infrastructure, mechanical & electrical systems, automation & instrumentation
• Develop and manage a global vendor ecosystem across China and non-Chinese geographies
• Design and enforce a robust vendor prequalification and evaluation framework
• Drive value engineering and cost optimization without compromising quality or commissioning timelines
• Lead techno-commercial negotiations with global OEMs and EPC partners
• Structure and finalize large-ticket contracts (EPC, turnkey, global sourcing agreements)
• Drive cost modelling, total cost of ownership (TCO) analysis, and benchmark-led pricing
• Mitigate risks related to currency exposure, supply chain disruptions, and long-lead dependencies
• Coordinate with Finance for cash flow planning, LC structuring, performance guarantees, and milestone payments
• Ensure compliance, governance discipline, and audit-readiness across all procurement activities
• Partner closely with Engineering, Projects, Manufacturing, and Finance teams to ensure seamless execution
• Act as the single point of accountability for capex procurement-related project risks
• Provide structured reporting and risk dashboards to the CPO and project leadership
• Ensure zero critical procurement bottlenecks during plant build and commissioning
• Drive a strong project orientation while maintaining governance and control rigor

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Chemical, Mechanical, Materials, or Electrical preferred)
• 16–20 years of progressive procurement experience with significant exposure to large industrial capex programs (₹6000 Cr+)
• Mandatory experience in lithium-ion battery manufacturing and greenfield plant setup
• Deep understanding of battery manufacturing process flows including dry room, NMP systems, stacking, and integrated process-to-pack operations
• Strong experience sourcing complex equipment from China, South Korea, and Japan
• Proven ability to evaluate technical specifications and lead large-ticket techno-commercial negotiations
• Expertise in contract structuring (EPC, turnkey, global sourcing), cost modeling, TCO evaluation, and risk mitigation (currency, long-lead, supply chain)
• Demonstrated cross-functional leadership in execution-driven, high-intensity project environments
• Direct exposure to greenfield plant setup and commissioning environments
• Experience in cathode, anode, electrolyte, or upstream battery material plants

Preferred Skills

• MBA / PGDM in Supply Chain, Operations, or related discipline
• Exposure to global vendor ecosystem development and multi-country contract management