About The Role
Role: Head of Procurement
Location: Brisbane-based, with regular rotational travel to and extended time on-site in Papua New Guinea
Vacancy Type: Permanent
Salary: Competitive
Security Clearance: N/A
Spinwell is recruiting for a Head of Procurement for an excellent opportunity within the private sector.
RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE HEAD OF PROCUREMENT
Procurement Strategy & Vendor Relationships
Develop and own client’s overall procurement strategy, aligning sourcing decisions with project budgets, cost targets and delivery schedules across exploration and site operations.
Build and personally manage relationships with key vendors, contractors, freight forwarders, customs agents and local PNG suppliers - negotiating terms that balance cost, reliability and lead time.
Develop a mixed local/international vendor base that reduces single-source risk, supports PNG content and local development commitments, and improves resilience against supply disruption.
Establish framework agreements and preferred-supplier panels for recurring categories (fuel, consumables, PPE, plant hire, camp supplies, drilling consumables) to reduce transaction time and improve pricing.
Team & Capability Building
Design the procurement team structure required to service both the Brisbane corporate function and PNG site operations, and recruit, onboard and develop that team.
Build the procurement function from a largely ad-hoc-led model into a structured department with clear roles, delegations of authority and accountability.
Mentor and upskill PNG-based procurement staff, building local capability in line with PNG content objectives.
Systems, SOPs & Governance
Develop and implement procurement SOPs covering requisitioning, vendor onboarding and approval, purchase order issuance, receipting, invoice reconciliation and payment release.
Introduce fit-for-purpose procurement and inventory systems/tools suited to a growing junior/mid-tier miner operating across two jurisdictions, with practical controls rather than over-engineered process.
Establish delegated financial authority (DFA) levels, three-way matching, and audit-ready documentation to satisfy corporate governance and, where relevant, ASX/JORC-adjacent reporting expectations.
Own supplier risk management - insurance, safety compliance, financial standing and contractual protections - for all material vendors and subcontractors.
Hands-On Delivery & Problem-Solving
Be personally present on the ground in PNG for critical procurement activity - vendor site visits, customs and freight escalations affecting supply commitments, and urgent sourcing for site continuity.
Think laterally to solve procurement challenges unique to PNG operating conditions: constrained shipping windows, customs delays, limited local supplier depth, remote site access and foreign exchange exposure.
Proactively identify alternative sourcing routes, substitute materials, or staged purchasing approaches that protect schedule when standard supply chains fail, in coordination with the Head of Logistics.
Manage category and total procurement spend against budget, reporting variances and cost-saving initiatives to the leadership team.
Cost, Budget & Schedule Integration
Work closely with Project Managers, Site Managers and Finance to align procurement plans with project schedules, cash flow constraints and budget approvals.
Build procurement lead-time planning into project schedules, flagging long-lead items early and driving early-order strategies for critical path materials and equipment.
Deliver measurable cost-out and cost-avoidance outcomes without compromising site safety, quality or schedule.
SKILLS/EXPERIENCE OF THE HEAD OF PROCUREMENT
Demonstrated procurement/supply chain leadership experience in mining, exploration, resources or heavy construction.
Track record of building a procurement function and team from a low base, including SOP and systems design.
Strong vendor negotiation skills and a demonstrated ability to…