Procurement Lead

Role : Procurement Lead

Location : Madrid

Who We Are

Whitewater Group is a leading provider of innovative and sustainable water treatment engineering systems operating in Ireland, UK and across Europe in the Data Centre, Pharma, Power and Industrial sectors. We specialize in designing, installing, commissioning, and maintaining water treatment solutions to meet our clients' specific needs. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality, cost-effective engineering solutions that prioritize safety, reliability, and environmental sustainability.

Whitewater Group is headquartered in Ireland and operates from European bases in Spain, Sweden, Italy and UK, with plans for further offices to open in Germany, Denmark and Finland. The Group is experiencing significant growth due to its focus on off-site construction methods (OSM) of delivering turnkey projects, meaning on-site construction time is kept to a minimum.

The Head of Procurement and Supply Chain is responsible for leading and optimizing the company’s supply chain activities — including procurement, logistics, and expediting — to ensure the efficient and cost-effective delivery of materials and equipment for water treatment plant projects.

The role ensures that all purchasing activities and supplier performances fully align with project requirements, through close coordination with the Engineering, Project Management and Quality departments. This position is instrumental in securing technically compliant, on-time, and cost-effective supplies that meet the company’s standards of excellence.

Role Description

Due to continued expansion, we are seeking a highly skilled Procurement Lead to join our team. The successful candidate will oversee and ensure the Purchasing, expediting and Logistic Procedures of all the water treatment projects of Whitewater Group across Europe

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership & Strategy

Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team across purchasing, logistics, and expediting.

Define and implement procurement and supply chain strategies aligned with project, corporate and company objectives

Drive continuous improvement initiatives in cost efficiency, supplier quality, and lead time reduction.

Procurement Management

Oversee all procurement activities for projects

Negotiate major supply agreements, contracts, and long-term partnerships with key vendors.

Ensure that all purchased equipment and materials fully comply with the technical specifications and quality standards defined by Engineering team and Quality departments.

Collaborate closely with Engineering to validate technical requirements, vendor documentation, and design conformity.

Coordinate with Quality Assurance to ensure that suppliers meet inspection, testing, and certification requirements before shipment.

Monitor market trends, identify risks, and propose mitigation strategies related to materials and supply chain disruptions.

Logistics & Expediting

In coordination with Project Management team, Supervise all logistics operations, ensuring on-time and cost-effective delivery of materials to project sites.

Oversee the expediting team to ensure suppliers meet project schedules and technical specifications.

Coordinate with project and site teams to manage delivery schedules, customs clearance, transportation, and warehousing.

Supplier Relationship Management

Develop and maintain strong relationships with strategic suppliers and subcontractors.

Evaluate supplier performance, ensuring compliance with both commercial and technical expectations.

Promote collaboration and transparency within the supplier network to ensure reliability, innovation, and alignment with company standards.

Financial & Reporting

Prepare and manage the procurement department’s budget, ensuring financial targets are adhered to and achieved.

Report key performance indicators (KPIs) to senior management, including cost savings, on-time delivery, and supplier performance.

Support cash flow management through optimized purchasing strategies and negotiated payment terms.

Required Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, or a related field.

Minimum 8–10 years of experience in procurement or supply chain roles within industrial or EPC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction) environments.

Proven leadership experience managing teams.

Strong knowledge of international purchasing, logistics, and contract management.

Experience in managing high-value procurement for complex industrial projects (preferably in water treatment,d ata centers, energy, or process industries).

Familiarity with supplier quality assurance processes and technical documentation review.

Proficient in ERP systems (e.g., SAP, Oracle) and Microsoft Office tools.

Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.

Fluent in English and Spanish

Benefits

Fix salary plus health insurance and pension plan

Hybrid model. 2 days Home Office

Opportunity for career progression within a rapidly growing company