Jeddah Automotive Operation Seeks Purchasing Director

Procurement leadership and eligibility

The director will oversee procurement for an established manufacturing operation, setting purchasing strategy and negotiating supplier agreements. The role also covers supplier relationships and responsibility for keeping production supplied without interruptions while controlling costs and supporting business growth.

The employer seeks a leader with commercial judgment, financial analysis skills and experience managing people. Negotiation, supplier management, cost optimization, communication and problem-solving are among the stated competencies, along with the ability to work in an international, multicultural manufacturing setting.

Candidates must have spent at least 10 years in automotive manufacturing purchasing, procurement or strategic sourcing. At least five years must have been in a senior procurement leadership position overseeing teams, supplier strategy and commercial negotiations. The skills section requires a bachelor's degree in supply chain management, procurement, engineering, business management or a related discipline.

The sourcing experience sought spans automotive components, raw materials, tooling, capital equipment and MRO requirements. Applicants must also demonstrate results in developing suppliers, reducing costs, negotiating contracts and managing supply chain risks. The technical requirements include familiarity with automotive quality standards and launch processes, including APQP and PPAP, plus strong ERP knowledge. SAP experience is an advantage; international sourcing and supplier management exposure are beneficial.

Application terms

The preferred-candidate profile specifies Saudi nationality, at least 10 years of experience and a Director/Head career level. It lists a bachelor's degree or higher diploma, while the skills section separately calls for a bachelor's degree.

Only applicants who meet the automotive industry and experience requirements will be considered. Candidates who receive no response within 30 days of applying are told to regard their applications as unsuccessful. The page displays a December 2, 2026, posting date and says applications close in 29 days.

Manufacturing projects around Jeddah

The listing does not identify the manufacturer or connect the vacancy to a specific automotive project. Separately, the region's manufacturing developments include the King Salman Automotive Cluster at King Abdullah Economic City (KAEC), on the Red Sea coast north of Jeddah. Officially named in February 2025, the cluster includes domestic and international companies such as Ceer, Lucid and Hyundai Middle East Engine Manufacturing.

KAEC data reported by Asharq Al-Awsat on October 29, 2026, projects that the cluster's ecosystem will contribute more than SAR 92 billion ($24.5 billion) to Saudi Arabia's non-oil GDP by 2035.

Local sourcing is a stated goal for Ceer, Saudi Arabia's first homegrown electric vehicle brand. The Public Investment Fund and Foxconn joint venture, which uses BMW component technology, aims to source 45 percent of vehicle materials and components locally by 2034. AGBI reported that Ceer signed 16 commercial deals worth more than SAR 3.7 billion ($987 million) in February 2026, on top of SAR 5.5 billion in agreements announced at a PIF private-sector forum the year before.

Lucid's AMP-2 facility near Jeddah opened in September 2023 as the company's first factory outside the United States and produced the first vehicle carrying the "Made in Saudi Arabia" label. In January 2026, interim CEO Marc Winterhoff said he expected full-scale vehicle manufacturing in Saudi Arabia to begin that year, replacing the facility's assembly-only operations.

Construction on the cluster's Hyundai Middle East Engine Manufacturing project began in May 2025. The company plans to recruit and train Saudi talent throughout 2026. The project is expected to generate thousands of jobs and transfer manufacturing expertise to Saudi workers.

Suppliers and technical training

Masarat Mobility Park serves as the cluster's supplier park. As of October 2026, 73 percent of its industrial land was leased, with six factories for Tier-1 global automotive suppliers under development. Five are in the Tasaru supplier accelerator center. The sixth, FPI Gulf, is a joint venture between Thailand's FPI Company and Saudi Arabia's Fuel Autoparts.

Training for the sector is provided by the National Automotive and Vehicles Academy (NAVA), established in 2024. Project data reported in October 2026 showed that the academy had trained more than 1,200 technicians and delivered over 90,000 training days during its first two years.