Regional Procurement Lead

Purpose of Role

The Agency requires the appointment of a Grade VII Regional Procurement Officer within each of its six Regions.

The postholder will manage and lead complex procurement activities, ensuring strict compliance with national and EU public procurement law, while also achieving value for money, transparency, and supporting wider Agency objectives.

The postholder will work to strengthen governance and compliance, risk monitoring, drive value for money, and support the Agency’s strategic procurement objectives across all Regions.

The Regional Procurement Lead will directly report to the Regional Services General Manager with a dotted line to the Head of Financial Excellence and Governance, who, through the National Procurement Unit, will assign procurement tasks based on an agreed framework. This framework and plan has been developed and agreed with RCOs.

Reporting Relationship

Directly report to the General Manager – Regional Services

Duties and Responsibilities

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Work in collaboration with the National Procurement Unit (NPU) on procurement assignments, strategies, reporting, and process standardisation.

• Manage the end-to-end procurement processes across categories of expenditure and assist with national and regional tender processes on behalf of budget holders as required, ensuring that the budget holder arrives at the purchase to pay (P2P) stage.

• Lead procurement planning and analysis of purchasing requirements prior to tendering, conducting National and Regional tender processes on behalf of budget holders as required.

• Manage and identify cross function savings.

• Manage all data protection related matters as part of a procurement process.

• Prepare coordinated tender documents such as Request for Tendering (RFT) and Request for Quote (RFQ); advise on tender specifications, award criteria, and manage processes through eTenders.

• Build and retain key stakeholder management, both internally and externally, championing an inclusive and supportive work environment with the NPU, the Office of Government Procurement (OGP), and the Health Service Executive (HSE) on procurement matters.

• Provide clear and regular communication on procurement updates across the Regions focusing on day-to-day queries.

• Contract management and auditing of contracts including disputes, remedies, contract extensions, and contract exit.

• Responsible for governance and compliance procurement reporting.

• Support in the development and implementation of the Agency’s Procurement Strategy, goals, and objectives as set out in the three-year Corporate Procurement Plan.

• Ensure Regional/local alignment of legislation, policies, and procedures with the NPU.

• Coordinate FOI and PQs procurement related responses.

• Responsible for Supplier Relationship Management, including resolving issues at a local level.

• Promote continuous Training & Education programmes including IFMS, eTenders, eProcurement Training, and innovation to include Green Public Procurement (GPP) / Environmental and Social Considerations.

• Develop and maintain positive and effective relationships across all sections of the Agency.

• Apply a deep understanding of Public Procurement processes and regulations, having the ability to apply processes to procurement requirements.

• Support the NPU in standardising the Procurement processes across the Agency.

• Observe strict rules of confidentiality on any information gained as part of any tender process and/or project.

Health & Safety

• Comply with and contribute to the development of policies, procedures, guidelines, and safe professional practice and adhere to relevant legislation, regulations, and standards.

• Have a working knowledge of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) Standards as they apply to the service, for example National Standards for Child Protection and Care, and comply with associated Tusla – Child and Family Agency protocols for implementing and maintaining these standards as appropriate to the role.

• To support, promote, and actively participate in sustainable energy, water, and waste initiatives to create a more sustainable, low carbon, and efficient health service.

The above Job Description is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all duties involved and consequently, the post holder may be required to perform other duties as appropriate to the post which may be assigned to him/her from time to time and to contribute to the development of the post while in office.

Eligibility Criteria

Qualifications and / or Experience

Applicants must by the closing date of application have the following:

• Have at least three years’ administrative experience as relevant to the role.

• Have experience in financial systems such as SAP Finance or similar processing system.

• Strong analytical and organisational skills with project management skills.

• Have experience of liaising with internal and external stakeholders.

• Have MS skills to include advanced Excel.

• Effective communication and interpersonal skills.

• Have the requisite knowledge and administrative ability (including a high standard of management ability) for the proper discharge of the duties of the office.

Health

A candidate for and any person holding the office must be fully competent and capable of undertaking the duties attached to the office and be in a state of health such as would indicate a reasonable prospect of ability to render regular and efficient service.

Character

Each candidate for and any person holding the office must be of good character.

Skills, Competencies and/or Knowledge

Tusla Leadership Competency Framework

The Tusla Leadership Competency Framework describes the behaviours that are key to Tusla colleagues being effective in the execution of their role at all levels within the Agency. The competencies and associated behavioural descriptors capture the transversal knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics that will enable colleagues, regardless of role or rank, to be effective in their work.

The Tusla Leader Framework relevant for this role is Leading Others.

Please access this Leading Others link to fully familiarise yourself with the impact of this Leading Others proficiency for Tusla.

The Competency of Professional Knowledge is specifically linked to the duties, responsibilities, and criteria for this role.

Other Requirements of the Role

• The post holder will require access to appropriate transport as the post may involve travel.

• Have awareness of children and young people’s participatory practice.

Application Process

Campaign Specific Selection Process

Shortlisting / Interview

The online application system has a time out facility. This is in order to protect the privacy of the user. This time out facility activates if the application has been dormant for over 60 minutes. Any work not saved will be lost if the system times out due to lack of activity. As such, please ensure to save your application as you work on it, any lost data cannot be recovered. It might be an idea for candidates to work on their applications outside of the system and copy and paste their answers into the online application forms once they are fully complete and submit them. Once your application is fully submitted you will receive a confirmation email to your profile. If you do not receive this email, your application HAS NOT been submitted and received and you should log back on to submit fully.

AI generated content must not be used in your application. Tusla reserves the right to assess if content in applications is likely created by AI in part or in whole. Use of AI may result in disqualification and exclusion from the recruitment process.

Short listing may be carried out on the basis of information supplied in your application. The criteria for short listing are based on the requirements of the post as outlined in the eligibility criteria and skills, competencies and/or knowledge section of this job specification. Therefore, it is very important that you think about your experience in light of those requirements. Failure to include information regarding these requirements may result in you not being called forward to the next stage of the selection process.

Those successful at the shortlisting stage of this process (where applied) will be called forward to interview.

Code of Practice

The Recruitment Service Child and Family Agency will run this campaign in compliance with the Code of Practice prepared by the Commission for Public Service Appointments (CPSA). The Code of Practice sets out how the core principles of probity, merit, equity, and fairness might be applied on a principle basis. The Code also specifies the responsibilities placed on candidates, facilities for feedback to applicants on matters relating to their application when requested, and outlines procedures in relation to requests for a review of the recruitment and selection process and review in relation to allegations of a breach of the Code of Practice.

Codes of Practice are published by the CPSA and are available on www.cpsa.ie

Tusla Child and Family Agency is an Equal Opportunities Employer

Tusla Child and Family Agency recognises its responsibilities under the Data Protection Acts 2003 - 2018 and the Freedom of Information Act 2014.

Tenure

The current vacancy available is permanent and whole time.

The post is pensionable.

A panel may be created for the purpose of filling this position. Once the position is appointed, the panel will cease.

Appointment as an employee of the Child & Family Agency is governed by the Child and Family Agency Act, 2013 and the Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Act 2004.

Remuneration

The Salary scale for the whole time equivalent of this post is:

01/02/2026: €60,613, €62,094, €63,824, €65,560, €67,302, €68,858, €70,442, €71,985, €73,516, €76,151, €78,795, LSIs

LSIs (Long Service Increments) are represented by emboldened figures. 1st LSI is paid after 3 years on the max, the 2nd LSI after 3 years on LSI1, and the 3rd LSI after 3 years on the 2nd LSI (where applicable).

The appointee shall commence on the first point of the salary scale. Incremental credit may be given on appointment for certain types of relevant experience - more information available in Appendix 5.

Candidate Information Pack - Recruitment Process

Candidates should note that entry will be at the minimum point of the scale and will not be subject to negotiation, and the rate of remuneration may be adjusted from time to time in line with Government pay policy.

Different terms and conditions may apply if the appointee is currently a serving civil or public servant.

Working Week

The standard working week applying to the whole time equivalent of this post is: 35 hours.

Annual Leave

The annual leave associated with the whole time equivalent of this post is 30 days per annum.

Superannuation

This is a pensionable position with Tusla. The successful candidate will upon appointment become a member of the appropriate pension scheme. Pension scheme membership will be notified within the contract of employment.

Probation

A probation period of 39 weeks, or proportion of same for fixed term / specified purpose contracts, where applicable, shall apply from the commencement of employment, during which the contract may be terminated by either party in accordance with this contract. The probationary period may be extended at the discretion of management by a further 9 weeks or proportion of same for fixed term / specified purpose contracts, where applicable.

Confirmation of appointment as a permanent member of staff is subject to the successful completion of the probationary period, for permanent contracts.

Where you have already completed a probationary period with the Child and Family Agency, Health Service Executive, Local Authority, and there is no break in service, no period of probation applies.