Director, Procurement

Role Overview

The Procurement function is responsible for building and leading a mature, end-to-end procurement capability across Empyrion Digital's data centre portfolio. The role sets procurement strategy, policy, and process, manages sourcing and tender activity for construction, equipment, and services packages, and develops strategic vendor relationships across the region.

Working closely with design & construction, engineering, operations, legal, and finance stakeholders, the role provides subject matter expert procurement input to current and upcoming projects, implements best sourcing practices internally, and drives year-on-year cost efficiency. It plays a critical role in balancing speed of delivery, cost discipline, and governance as the portfolio scales across Asia.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy & Governance

• Develop and implement the procurement strategy, along with underlying policy and processes, to deliver fast, cost-effective and compliant sourcing across the portfolio

• Define the function's strategic objectives and provide the KPI and reporting mechanism to measure performance against them

• Establish delegation of authority, approval workflows, and procurement controls in line with governance and audit requirements

Sourcing & Tender Management

• Procurement and Tendering - Review all bid proposals, conduct bid evaluations, and prepare recommendation reports for tender awards. Validate approval notes before raising purchase requisitions and initiate Request for Approval (RFA) for all procurement activities. Ensure completeness and accuracy of purchase requisitions before issuing Purchase Orders (POs).

• Manage end-to-end procurement activities and the tender process, from requisition and RFx through evaluation, award, and contract execution

• Establish vendor selection and pre-qualification criteria in collaboration with key internal stakeholders

• Lead commercial negotiations on major data centre construction, equipment, and services packages

• Ensure tender processes are competitive, auditable, and aligned to project schedules

• Supply Chain & Logistics - Coordinate with Project Management Consultants (PMC) to monitor long-lead equipment (LLE) delivery schedules. Collaborate with Finance to process tax exemptions for overseas shipments. Identify and mitigate potential supply chain disruptions or logistical risks.

• During the data center operation phase, coordinate with the Operation team on budget planning, lead OPEX bidding and vendor selection, and liaise with the Finance team on contract execution and payment matters

Cost Efficiency & Value Delivery

• Drive year-on-year cost efficiency initiatives and track realised savings against baseline

• Apply should-cost, benchmarking, and total-cost-of-ownership analysis across major spend categories

• Identify opportunities for standardisation, volume aggregation, and long-term supply agreements across sites

Vendor & Supplier Relationship Management

• Develop strategic vendor relationships with key OEMs, contractors, and service providers in the region

• Conduct (or drive) regular business review meetings with suppliers, covering performance, risk, and improvement plans

• Monitor supplier delivery, quality, and performance against contractual SLAs

DC Delivery & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide subject matter expert procurement input to current and upcoming data centre development projects

• Partner with D&C, engineering, operations, legal, and finance teams to align sourcing plans with project and business objectives

Procurement Systems & Data

• Establish / review the procurement system and e-Procurement tools supporting requisition-to-pay activities

• Maintain accurate procurement data, pipeline visibility, and spend reporting for management

Risk, Compliance & Sustainability

• Ensure procurement activity complies with regulatory, ESG, and internal control requirements across all operating markets

• Manage supply chain risk, including lead-time exposure on long-lead data centre equipment

• Embed sustainability and green-by-design criteria into sourcing decisions and vendor evaluation

Reporting & Analytics

• Reporting & Analytics – Maintain and update key procurement reports, including the Monthly Procurement Report, Contracts and Procurement Dashboard, POs, and procurement transactions. Oversee the Competency Mapping Report to align procurement skills with business goals and manage the tracker.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 10+ years of end-to-end procurement experience, including 4+ years leading procurement as a function, preferably in data centre, infrastructure, or construction environments

• Proven track record managing high-value tenders and negotiating major construction, MEP equipment, and services contracts

• Proven, hands-on experience managing the full procurement cycle: vendor list preparation, vendor qualification, RFP issuance/receipt, bid proposal analysis, T&C review with Legal-vendor coordination, objective shortlisting, and PQ/TBE/CBE-based vendor selection

• Extensive experience in vendor pool development and selection for key data center contracts — General Contractors, major equipment vendors (incl. Long Lead Equipment), and QS/PM consultants within the local market & global market is preferred.

• Knowledge of data centre construction, engineering industry standards, and related project delivery activities

• Strong commercial, negotiation, and analytical skills, with the ability to move between the detail and the big picture

• Experience building procurement policy, process, and governance frameworks from a low base of maturity

• Hands-on experience with e-Procurement or ERP platforms (e.g. SAP, Oracle, Coupa) is an advantage

• Regional sourcing experience across Asia (Singapore, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand) preferred

• Cross-functional experience partnering with design & construction, operations, legal, and finance

• Strong communication and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage conflicting interests across stakeholders

• High degree of integrity and trust, with the ability to influence and motivate others positively

• Comfortable with changing priorities and ambiguity; innovative and solution-oriented in removing obstacles

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain, engineering, business, or a related field; CIPS or equivalent certification preferred