Procurement Manager

The Procurement Manager will own end-to-end sourcing of fresh and frozen seafood for Agro Lanka's daily processing operation. The role is responsible for securing consistent supply at the right quality, price, and volume from local landing sites and import suppliers; building and managing strong relationships with fishermen, agents, auction buyers, and overseas suppliers; and forecasting demand to ensure uninterrupted service to our hotel and restaurant customers. The Procurement Manager will play a central role in protecting margin, reducing supply risk, and supporting Agro Lanka's growth strategy.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Sourcing & Supplier Management — Identify, evaluate, and onboard suppliers across Negombo Lellama, Peliyagoda wholesale market, Beruwala, and other key landing sites and harbours. Build long-term relationships with fishermen, mudalalis, agents, and aquaculture suppliers.

• Daily Procurement Operations — Plan and execute daily buying schedules to meet processing and order fulfilment requirements. Coordinate closely with Operations and Sales to align purchasing with confirmed customer orders and forecast demand.

• Price Negotiation — Negotiate prices, payment terms, and supply commitments with suppliers to deliver target gross margins. Track market price movements daily and adjust buying strategy accordingly.

• Demand Forecasting & Inventory Planning — Forecast weekly, monthly, and seasonal demand by species and product category. Manage inventory levels and shelf-life risk; minimise stock-outs, over-buying, and wastage.

• Import Procurement — Manage procurement of imported seafood items, including supplier identification, RFQs, contract negotiation, shipping coordination, customs clearance, import documentation, and landed-cost analysis.

• Quality & Food Safety — Work with the Quality and Operations teams to ensure all procured product meets Agro Lanka's GMP and food safety standards. Conduct supplier audits and reject non-conforming product.

• Cost Control & Reporting — Maintain accurate records of all purchases, prices, and supplier performance. Provide weekly procurement reports to management covering volume, price trends, supplier reliability, and cost variances.

• Risk Management — Anticipate and mitigate supply risks from seasonality, weather disruptions, harbour closures, exchange rate movements, and import delays. Maintain a diversified supplier base for every key product line.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration — Partner with Sales, Operations, Quality, and Finance to ensure procurement decisions support customer commitments, processing capacity, and cash-flow management.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Minimum GCE Advanced Level (A/L); a Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain, Business Administration, Procurement, Food Science, Fisheries, or a related field is strongly preferred.

• Strong negotiation skills with a demonstrated track record of securing favourable pricing and supply terms.

• Proven ability to forecast demand, plan purchases, and manage inventory in a perishable-goods environment.

• Sound commercial judgement; strong numerical and analytical skills.

• Working proficiency in MS Excel and basic ERP / inventory systems.

• Fluency in Sinhala and working English; Tamil is an advantage.

• Valid driver's licence and willingness to travel to landing sites, auctions, and supplier locations at early-morning hours.

• High personal integrity — this role handles significant daily cash and credit exposure with multiple suppliers.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Prior experience working in a seafood processing, distribution, or export company in Sri Lanka.

• Strong working knowledge of Sri Lankan seafood markets and landing sites — particularly Peliyagoda, Negombo Lellama, Beruwala, and major harbours — including buying patterns, key agents, seasonal availability, and price formation.

• Good understanding of seafood species, grades, cuts, and quality indicators across reef fish, pelagic fish (tuna, seer, mackerel), shellfish, and aquaculture products.

• Experience importing seafood products, including familiarity with supplier identification, INCOTERMS, freight and cold-chain logistics, customs clearance, import licensing, and landed-cost calculation.

• Familiarity with food-safety standards (GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000) and traceability requirements.

• Existing supplier and agent network across Sri Lanka's main fishing harbours and wholesale markets.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Negotiation and relationship-building

• Demand forecasting and analytical decision-making

• Attention to detail and operational discipline

• Ability to operate at speed in a daily, perishable-product environment

• Strong communication and cross-functional teamwork

• Integrity, reliability, and ownership