Deputy Manager, Contract and Procurement – West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo)

Job Description

Eligible Locations: Nigeria | Benin | Togo | Ghana
Employment Type: Full-Time
Application Deadline: 17th July, 2026

About WAPCo

The West African Gas Pipeline Company (WAPCo) owns and operates the West African Gas Pipeline, supplying natural gas across Ghana, Togo, Benin, and Nigeria. As a leading multinational energy infrastructure company, WAPCo is committed to operational excellence, sustainability, safety, and delivering value through strategic procurement and supply chain management.

We are seeking an experienced and commercially astute Senior Category & Strategic Sourcing Specialist to join our Contracts, Procurement and Materials (CPM) team. The successful candidate will lead strategic sourcing initiatives, optimize category performance, strengthen supplier relationships, and deliver sustainable commercial value across low to medium-priority procurement activities.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Contracts, Procurement & Materials Manager, the successful candidate will be responsible for developing and executing category strategies, leading sourcing events and commercial negotiations, managing supplier performance, and supporting contract administration.

The role requires a highly analytical procurement professional with extensive experience in category management, strategic sourcing, contract negotiation, supplier relationship management, ERP systems, and procurement leadership within engineering, infrastructure, or oil and gas environments.

Key Responsibilities

1. Category Management & Strategic Sourcing

The successful candidate will:

• Lead end-to-end category management activities for low to medium-priority contracts and sourcing events.
• Develop and implement category sourcing strategies aligned with organizational objectives.
• Plan and execute competitive tendering, supplier evaluations, commercial negotiations, and award recommendations.
• Monitor category performance and cost savings against business plans.
• Drive sourcing innovation initiatives, including vendor-managed inventory and strategic framework agreements.
• Apply analytical tools to identify supply chain performance gaps and supplier risks.
• Develop market intelligence and commercial benchmarking using competitor and industry analysis.
• Support user departments on contract administration, contractor performance management, contract variations, and claims.
• Develop and continuously improve procurement templates, methodologies, and category management tools.
• Coach and mentor Contract and Procurement Specialists on best practices.

2. Commercial Negotiation & Deal Management

The role includes responsibility for:

• Leading cross-functional negotiation teams to achieve optimal commercial outcomes.
• Conducting stakeholder mapping, risk assessments, market analysis, and BATNA (Best Alternative to a Negotiated Agreement) planning.
• Developing negotiation strategies that balance commercial, operational, legal, and ethical considerations.
• Establishing negotiation objectives, KPIs, and implementation plans.
• Managing contract reviews, amendments, claims, and dispute resolution.
• Preparing contingency plans and structured fallback positions during negotiations.
• Conducting post-negotiation evaluations to capture lessons learned and continuously improve negotiation strategies.

3. Supplier & Contractor Performance Management

The successful candidate will:

• Oversee supplier and contractor performance across the entire procurement lifecycle.
• Monitor supplier KPIs, including:
  • Cost performance
  • Delivery reliability
  • Product and service quality
  • Contract compliance
• Identify and mitigate risks relating to:
  • Cost overruns
  • Contract variations
  • Health, Safety & Environment (HSE)
  • Ethics and compliance
• Maintain strategic relationships with suppliers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and contractors.
• Ensure timely contract setup and maintenance within WAPCo’s ERP systems.
• Recommend medium- and long-term continuous improvement initiatives for supply chain performance.

4. Business Partnering

The successful candidate will:

• Collaborate proactively with internal stakeholders to identify sourcing opportunities and cost optimization initiatives.
• Translate business requirements into effective sourcing strategies.
• Build productive relationships across departments and external stakeholders.
• Resolve procurement challenges while maintaining positive stakeholder engagement.
• Develop compelling business cases and commercial recommendations.
• Support organizational objectives by promoting procurement as a strategic business partner.

5. Systems, Data & Process Management

Responsibilities include:

• Maintaining procurement dashboards, compliance reports, and management information.
• Supporting procurement process automation and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Ensuring accurate procurement data within ERP systems.
• Supporting day-to-day operation of procurement modules within Microsoft Dynamics, Maximo, and related systems.
• Maintaining procurement documentation and ensuring compliance with company policies.
• Ensuring procurement activities comply with WAPCo’s Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) standards and regulatory requirements.

6. Leadership & People Management

The successful candidate will:

Performance Management

• Support the administration of the Performance Planning & Review Process (PPRP) for team members.
• Provide regular coaching, mentoring, and constructive performance feedback.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and applicable legislation.
• Escalate policy violations and recommend corrective actions where necessary.

Team Leadership

• Coordinate work allocation for low to medium-priority procurement activities.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing within the procurement team.
• Support capability development and continuous learning.
• Encourage innovation and process improvement.

Delivering Results

• Take ownership of procurement outcomes and team performance.
• Monitor procurement activities to ensure timely delivery.
• Remove operational barriers and drive continuous improvement.
• Promote personal and process safety across procurement activities.

Qualifications

Applicants must possess:

• Bachelor’s Degree in:
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Procurement
  • Logistics
  • Engineering
  • Business Administration
  • Or a related discipline.

Professional qualifications in Procurement or Supply Chain Management are mandatory.

Professional Certification

Applicants must possess:

• Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) certification or an equivalent internationally recognized procurement qualification.

Experience

The ideal candidate should have:

• Minimum 10 years’ relevant professional experience, preferably within:
  • Oil & Gas
  • Energy
  • Engineering
  • Infrastructure
  • Heavy Industry
• At least 7 years’ experience in procurement management and leadership.
• Proven experience leading strategic sourcing, supplier negotiations, and category management initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience managing high-value procurement projects.

Technical Skills

Candidates should demonstrate proficiency in:

• Category Management
• Strategic Sourcing
• Contract Management
• Commercial Negotiation
• Supplier Relationship Management
• Supply Chain Performance Analysis
• Procurement Analytics
• ERP Systems, including:
  • Microsoft Dynamics
  • IBM Maximo
  • Microsoft Power BI
• Market Intelligence
• Procurement Compliance
• Risk Management
• Data Analysis & Reporting

Core Competencies

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking and commercial acumen.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Excellent negotiation and influencing skills.
• Outstanding leadership and coaching capabilities.
• Effective stakeholder management.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Strong planning and organizational abilities.
• High ethical standards and integrity.
• Results orientation and accountability.
• Continuous improvement mindset.
• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural environment.

Why Join WAPCo?

Joining WAPCo offers an exciting opportunity to work with one of West Africa’s leading multinational energy companies while contributing to strategic procurement and supply chain excellence across the region.

Successful candidates will benefit from:

• Regional exposure across four West African countries.
• Opportunities to lead strategic procurement initiatives.
• Professional development and continuous learning.
• Collaborative and multicultural work environment.
• Competitive remuneration and benefits package.
• Opportunity to contribute to critical energy infrastructure that supports economic growth across West Africa.

Eligibility

Applications are invited from qualified internal candidates based in:

• Ghana
• Nigeria
• Benin
• Togo

How to Apply

Eligible candidates who meet the above requirements are encouraged to submit their applications to jobs@wagpco.com.

📅 Application Deadline: 17th July, 2026

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.