Background:

The purpose of this post is to assist the organisation to remain compliant with procurement rules and regulations, to improve effectiveness of the procurement function and to obtain best value from its procurements.

Basic Function:

The Procurement Specialist will have specific responsibility for procurement and will continuously review and improve procurement policies and procedures in Teagasc.  They will provide expertise to the organisation on national and EU legal and regulatory requirements and will monitor procurement activity throughout the organisation to ensure compliance.  They will co-ordinate procurement requirements within supply categories across multiple Teagasc locations, ensure appropriate competitive tendering is employed to secure best value from suppliers and assist in the management and implementation of contracts and of procurement systems.  The role involves collaboration and negotiation at all levels within Teagasc, with external agencies and with our suppliers and potential suppliers tendering for Teagasc business.

Essential

Desirable

Qualifications

• Candidates must have a Level 8 degree as recognised on the National Framework Qualifications (NFQ) in Procurement or another related discipline (for example, Business, Economics, Logistics, Supply Chain Management). 

• Candidates should have a minimum of 1 years’ experience in procurement and contract management

• APICS / CIPM / IIPMM or equivalent qualification.
• 5 years’ experience in a procurement role.
• Qualifications and/or experience in:
  • Project management.
  • Risk management.
  • Quality and continuous improvement.
  • Procurement and / or contract law.

Knowledge

• Solid understanding of the principles of Procurement including Category Management, Supplier Relationships, Contract Management, procurement processes, analytics and compliance requirements.
• Strong understanding of the use and deployment of procurement systems including sourcing, ordering, contract management, supplier management and analysis systems.   
• Very good knowledge of process improvement, change management, project management and the potential for using procurement to effect change.
• An understanding of budgets and cost management, along with KPI management and reporting.

• Good knowledge of contract and procurement law and the legal and regulatory framework relating to procurement within the public sector. 
• Procurement and contract management of one or more of the following categories:
  • Laboratory supplies, chemicals, equipment & services.
  • Construction and facilities management.
  • Farm supplies and services.
  • Professional services.
• Strong knowledge of quality / continuous improvement systems and customer support.
• Experience of inventory management processes and systems.
• Intensive supplier management including performance, compliance, consolidation and the maintenance of contract and supplier documentation, registers and information.

Skills

• Strong negotiation skills.
• Effective communication skills with a strong ability to consult and collaborate in a clear, concise and persuasive manner at all levels across the organisation.
• Analytical and problem-solving skills with an ability to organize and structure information and processes to meet organisational needs.
• Able to think strategically and contribute to the strategic business agenda.
• Strong proficiency in the use of MS Office, Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook.
• Excellent administration, organizational Project Management, and time management skills.    

• Development of systems and process documentation and training materials.
• Contract negotiation.
• Spend analysis.
• Project management.
• Preparation of specifications and requests for tender.

Behavioural Competencies

• Ability to work on own initiative and to work as part of a team, including consulting, collaborating and building relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to lead and guide project teams members.
• Self-disciplined, organised, methodical and flexible with an ability to adapt to changing requirements/priorities.
• Strong operational decision-making capacity.
• Strives for high quality of work and demonstrates commitment to the programme.
• Ability to communicate effectively to enable knowledge transfer and an ability to set clear standards and to take a quality customer service approach to work.
• A proactive, solutions approach to work.
• A commitment to on-going personal and professional development.
• A commitment to teamwork and collaborating with colleagues as per our Teagasc Together ethos