Capex Category Lead

The Capex Category Lead is responsible for developing and executing category strategies across capital projects, ensuring optimal value delivery, cost efficiency, and supply assurance throughout the project lifecycle. This role plays a pivotal part in enabling safe, compliant, and on-time project execution by aligning procurement strategies with engineering, project management, and commercial objectives.
Acting as a strategic partner to the business, the Capex Category Lead supports major capital investments by driving robust sourcing strategies, managing critical supplier relationships, and ensuring governance across high-value, complex spend categories such as construction, engineering services, equipment, and project-related services.
This role is instrumental in balancing cost, risk, quality, and schedule to enable successful project outcomes and a high-performing procurement function.

Category Strategy & Project Alignment

• Develop and execute Capex category strategies aligned to capital project plans, timelines, and investment priorities

• Partner with Engineering, Projects, and Finance teams to ensure early procurement involvement in project planning and design phases

• Conduct market intelligence, supplier capability assessments, and benchmarking specific to Capex environments

• Identify opportunities for cost optimisation, value engineering, and schedule efficiencies across projects

• Continuously review category and project performance, adapting strategies to mitigate risks and deliver project outcomes

Strategic Sourcing & Commercial Delivery

• Lead end-to-end sourcing for capital projects, including RFx processes, technical evaluations, and supplier selection

• Drive complex commercial negotiations covering pricing, contract structures (e.g. EPC, EPCM), and risk allocation

• Oversee the development and management of Capex contracts, ensuring alignment to project scope, timelines, and governance requirements

• Ensure sourcing activities comply with internal policies and controls (e.g. PACM) and meet audit and regulatory standards

Supplier & Stakeholder Management

• Build and manage strategic relationships with key Capex suppliers, contractors, and service providers

• Lead supplier performance management across project delivery metrics, including safety, quality, cost, and schedule adherence

• Act as a trusted advisor to project teams, providing procurement insights to support decision-making

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration across Projects, Engineering, Finance, Legal, and Operations

Risk, Governance & Compliance

• Identify and proactively manage risks specific to Capex projects, including contractor performance, supply chain constraints, and commercial exposure

• Ensure adherence to procurement governance frameworks, delegation of authority, and contract controls

• Support audit requirements and ensure accurate documentation across all project procurement activities

• Embed risk mitigation strategies into sourcing and contracting approaches

Performance & Value Delivery

• Track and report on Capex savings, cost avoidance, and value delivery across projects

• Provide insights into spend analytics, project cost drivers, and category trends

• Contribute to procurement reporting for leadership forums (e.g. EXCO, Finance), with a focus on project performance and delivery assurance

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Commerce, Engineering, Quantity Surveying, Finance, or a related field

• A postgraduate qualification in Supply Chain, Commerce, Business, or Engineering would be advantageous

• Professional procurement qualification or certification such as CIPS or equivalent is preferred

Skills

• Strong strategic sourcing and category management capability

• Advanced commercial and negotiation skills

• Strong contract management and supplier management skills

• Ability to work across complex capital project environments and manage competing priorities

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability

• Financial acumen, including total cost of ownership and cost modelling

• Strong stakeholder engagement and influencing skills

• Ability to operate effectively across cross-functional and senior leadership teams

• Strong planning, organising, and project coordination skills

• Effective verbal and written communication skills

• Strong reporting and presentation capability

Knowledge

• Sound understanding of Capex procurement and category management practices

• Knowledge of capital project delivery environments, including construction, engineering services, and project contracting models

• Understanding of commercial terms, contract structures, and supplier performance management

• Knowledge of procurement governance, internal controls, and audit requirements

• Familiarity with relevant regulatory, legal, and compliance frameworks applicable to procurement in South Africa

• Understanding of market analysis, supplier landscapes, and sourcing methodologies

• Knowledge of risk management principles related to supply continuity, contractor delivery, and commercial exposure

• Understanding of ERP and procurement systems, as well as spend analytics and reporting tools

Application deadline:

13 September 2026