Procurement Operation Support Lead (Japanese Speaker)

About the role

ALBS, an Air Liquide entity in Kuala Lumpur covering the APAC business service centers and global functions of IT, Digital and Procurement, is looking for a Procurement Operation Support Lead fluent in Japanese. The role leads a multi-cultural procurement support team, oversees daily procure-to-pay (P2P) operations, ensures governance and compliance, drives process automation and supports expansion into the Japan and Pacific markets.

Key responsibilities

• Supervise daily procurement support operations, coach team members, optimize workloads and lead service transitions across APAC regions.
• Enforce procurement policies such as split PR monitoring and catalog compliance, track PO acknowledgments, manage aging POs and keep audit readiness.
• Manage intercompany and non-critical PRs, run PO lifecycles (soft/hard close, re-open), test punch-out catalogs and resolve escalated P2P workflow issues.
• Partner with cross-functional teams on P2P standardization, advocate for new digital tools and guide specialists in continuous improvement.
• Manage daily user and supplier queries via the myProc/POS ticketing system and provide guidance on Coupa workflows.
• Deliver monthly "Back-to-Basic" user training, distribute procurement newsletters, publish ticketing guidelines and handle annual conflict of interest communications.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business or a related field.
• 3 to 5 years of experience in a Global Business Services, Shared Services or Procurement Operations environment, including a supervisory or team lead role.
• Proven success leading and coaching multi-cultural, cross-regional teams.
• Fluent in English and Japanese.

Required skills

• Hands-on experience with e-procurement and ERP systems such as Coupa, Oracle / D365, Graphite Connect or ServiceNow.
• Ability to adapt quickly in fast-paced environments and adopt new digital enterprise tools.