Regional Procurement Supervisor - Middle East

About the role

Cognita, a global family of over 90 schools across 21 countries, is looking for a Regional Procurement Supervisor to manage and optimise procurement activities across the Middle East region. The role ensures timely delivery of goods and services, compliance with company policies and UAE regulations, and strong vendor relationships, working closely with schools, vendors and internal stakeholders.

Key responsibilities

• Manage and process purchase requirements for schools in the region, maintain the regional procurement tracker and monitor timely delivery of goods and services.
• Ensure all procurement complies with company policies, UAE regulations and ethical standards, and oversee vendor onboarding, due diligence, contract administration and performance evaluation.
• Maintain the approved vendor list, explore new supply sources and collaborate with finance, operations and academic departments.
• Coordinate collection, verification and archiving of compliance documents, conduct annual compliance reviews, maintain contracts and audit records, and support internal and external audits.
• Ensure adherence to HSES policies and provide guidance on procurement processes to mitigate operational, financial and reputational risks.
• Set and monitor SLAs for requisition turnaround, onboarding, compliance checks and delivery, track them in ERP systems such as NetSuite, report progress and take corrective action on deviations.

Required profile

• Proven experience in procurement or supply chain management.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and procurement processes.
• Familiarity with compliance documentation and contract administration.
• Desirable: professional qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business Administration (e.g. CIPS, CPM).
• Desirable: experience supporting procurement across multiple sites or regions, knowledge of UAE procurement regulations, and experience monitoring SLAs and supplier performance.

Required skills

• Strong organisational, tracking and multitasking skills.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities.
• Attention to detail and record keeping.
• Desirable: familiarity with ERP systems, ideally NetSuite.