Purchasing & Procurement Lead; Scale-up Process & Systems Build

I’m Alejandro Martínez, a freelance headhunter currently supporting a leading scale-up technology company in its search for a Purchasing & Procurement Lead.

The company is undergoing a major operational transformation. This is not a corporate procurement role. This is a hands-on, builder position in a growing company where processes, documentation, and tooling are still evolving.

Context

The company is transitioning from a highly manual procurement setup (Google Forms, email approvals, spreadsheets) to its first centralized procurement system.

There is no existing procurement team. This role will own everything end to end: process design, system rollout, stakeholder alignment, training, vendor management, and day-to-day execution.

A procurement software has already been shortlisted, and vendor support will be provided.

This is a strategic position reporting directly to the CFO & COO, offering the opportunity to lead a project that will define the company’s internal efficiency and digital maturity for years to come.

Your Mission

You will design, implement, and operationalize the company’s procurement function, ensuring its adoption across the business.

This role combines:

• Process design
• System implementation
• Change management
• Daily operational procurement

You will work closely with Finance, IT, Legal, Office Management, and Leadership, acting as the central point of ownership.

Key responsibilities

• Design and implement a company-wide procurement process from scratch.
• Lead the rollout and adoption of a procurement software, coordinating with the vendor and internal stakeholders.
• Map existing purchasing workflows and translate them into clear, scalable processes.
• Define approval flows, policies, and governance adapted to a growing scale-up.
• Drive training and communication so teams understand not just the tool, but the process.
• Manage supplier relationships, negotiations, renewals, and contracts.
• Own day-to-day procurement operations across all categories (software, services, office, subscriptions, etc.).
• Act as a hands-on project owner, pushing decisions forward and managing ambiguity.
• Ensure alignment with security, compliance, and finance requirements.

What We’re Looking For

This role is ideal for someone who has built things before, not just optimized them.

Must-have

• 5–8+ years of experience in Procurement, Operations, or similar roles.
• Proven experience building or implementing processes and systems, ideally in startups, scale-ups, or complex SMEs.
• Comfortable operating without documentation, structure, or a team.
• Strong communication skills — able to explain, train, push back, and align stakeholders.
• Experience working cross-functionally with Finance, IT, and Legal.
• Fluent in English and Spanish.
• Willing to work from Málaga under a hybrid model.

Nice to have (not mandatory)

• Experience with procurement or ERP tools (implementation or heavy usage).
• Background in startups, consulting, or early-stage teams.
• Exposure to compliance, audits, or structured approval processes.

• Location: Málaga, Spain
• Work model: Hybrid (first 2 months on-site, then 3 days/week on-site, 2 days remote). This setup is non-flexible, due to close collaboration required with key departments during rollout.
• Compensation: €45,000 – €55,000 total package
• Relocation package available, including relocation assistance for family.
• Candidates must hold EU citizenship or an existing Spanish work permit.
• The company cannot sponsor or transfer work visas (e.g. Highly Qualified Visa).
• Support provided for relocation logistics, documentation, and local registration.

Recruitment process