Procurement Manager

What we offer

Competitive salary (IPA Grade 3)

Starting salary €69,375 per annum. Rising to €106,749 (14-point salary scale, the top 2 points are long service increments). Annual increase subject to satisfactory performance. Additional pay increases in line with national pay agreements.

Prior public sector experience will be taken into consideration in determining starting salary.

Holidays and Leave

29 days annual leave.

Hybrid working – up to 2 days working from home subject to operational demands.

The Institute currently has a flexible working hour attendance scheme in operation.

Central location

Based in Lansdowne Road, Dublin 4 beside dart station.

Premises subject to relocation to central city-centre office in 2027/2028 (estimate).

Pension

Career-Average Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

Retirement benefits are mainly based on a percentage of your pensionable earnings throughout your public service career (Single Pension Scheme for Public Servants).

Prior public sector employees (pre-2013) will be entered on to the IPA superannuation scheme.

Staff Development

Support for professional development programmes, including full fee remission for IPA academic and training programmes.

Benefits

Permanent contract.

Employee supports including Employee Assistance Programme, Tax-free travel pass, Bike-to-work scheme.

Social Committee.

Social clubs and staff events (i.e. Book Club, Drawing Circle, Tag Rugby)

Role Overview:

Reporting to the IPA Head of Procurement, the role will support the IPA in the management and oversight of its procurement activities in line with organisational-level policies, public procurement legislation and required compliance standards.

The role will be responsible for providing professional advice and direct support to the organisation, in the development and management of the IPA’s procurement competitions in line with the Board and ELT approved annual procurement plan, and emerging business requirements across a broad range of procurement categories.

The role sits within the Office of the Deputy Director General / Company Secretary as part of the overall Governance team of the IPA.

This role plays an important role in the promotion of procurement best practice within the IPA, and the achievement of the organisation’s procurement goals.

Principal Duties

Procurement Operations

• Manage and deliver the full tender process for assigned projects and for IPA request for quote campaigns ensuring adherence to procurement policies, public procurement legislation and required compliance standards.

• Manage and deliver procurement processes using the self-service central purchasing arrangements available through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP).

• Provide professional advice to stakeholders and support on all steps of these processes to include: timelines, advertisement, drafting and development of procurement documentation, evaluation, contract award, communication of decisions, preparation of contracts, preparation of audit file and post-award contract management.

• Advise stakeholders on specification development and the incorporation of relevant environmental, social and governance considerations as required.

• Work with multiple stakeholder groups to deliver appropriate procurement solutions.

• Work with external service providers as required for the successful delivery of the procurement function.

• Fully utilise and operate e-Procurement tools and other IT systems.

• Act as a point of contact for routine queries and provide practical support to colleagues as required.

• Manage the process for extending contracts currently in place, in accordance with the procurement competition.

Procurement Governance

• Support the Head of Procurement and other members of the governance team to promote an awareness of procurement discipline across the IPA.

• Support the Head of Procurement in the development and maintenance of appropriate systems of internal control.

• Support the administration and maintenance of the contracts register ensuring that contract information is current and compliant with governance requirements.

• Develop and maintain meaningful relationships across the IPA and with key external stakeholders to ensure the smooth operation of procurement activities.

• Assist in the development and delivery of procurement reports, including spend analysis, contract status updates, compliance monitoring and KPI reporting.

• Attend and contribute to meetings in support of service delivery activities and organisational objectives as required.

• Provide support across service delivery activities and undertake additional duties as required.

General

• Deputise for the Head of Procurement as required and represent the department at meetings and events.

• Support effective communication with IPA colleagues on procurement matters.

• Any other duties that arise from time to time as directed by the Company Secretary or Head of Procurement or nominee.

About the ideal candidate

Qualifications

• Minimum Level 6 Qualification in Procurement, Finance, Governance, Law or a related discipline - essential

• Degree or equivalent expertise gained through experience- essential

Knowledge

• A demonstrated understanding of Public Procurement rules and Public Sector Governance as they apply to an organisation such as the IPA.

• Knowledge of different procedure types, use of framework agreements and approach to lotting.

• Knowledge of the eTenders platform, MS Office suite including SharePoint, financial management systems and other relevant IT systems.

• Evidenced commitment to CPD to remain up-to-date knowledge of relevant legislation, regulations and best practice and to apply this knowledge effectively in the role.

• Knowledge of central purchasing arrangements available through the Office of Government Procurement (OGP).

Experience

• Minimum of four years’ experience in a procurement function role (essential) ideally in the Public Service (desirable)

• Demonstrated experience of Public Service tender management across a broad range of procurement categories.

• Experience of managing the full tender process across all stages of the procurement lifecycle, including use of the eTenders platform and drafting and delivering feedback to and engaging with tenderers.

• Experience of drafting formal contracts.

• Experience of engaging with the OGP.

Skills

• Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to communicate effectively and work collaboratively with both internal stakeholders at all levels and external service providers and other stakeholders as appropriate.

• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to evaluate information, identify issues and develop practical, evidence-based solutions.

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written with particular emphasis on the written communications required in procurement competitions.

• Strong, efficient and methodical work methods with the ability to prioritize workload to handle multiple procurement processes in line with pipeline activity and emerging business needs.

• Excellent attention to detail to ensure accurate data management and that work is completed to a high standard.

• Strong numeracy skills to gather, compile and analyse data for reporting requirements.

• Strong IT literacy skills with proficiency in standard office software (i.e. MS Office including Outlook, Word, Excel and SharePoint), digital systems and the ability to quickly adapt to new technologies.

Personal attributes

• High level of integrity and professionalism.

• Commitment to ongoing professional learning.

• Flexibility in adapting to changing requirements.

• Commitment to quality service delivery, continuous improvement and client focus.

Health

• Each candidate shall be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.