Procurement Lead

• Act as the Procurement Lead for your portfolio, owning strategy, governance, systems, delivery and risk management
• Support the Head of Procurement in shaping and implementing the overall procurement operating model, strategy, roadmap and risk framework
• Lead, manage and develop procurement professionals within your portfolio, building capability and setting standards
• Partner with Directors, Heads and Leads to shape procurement and commercial strategy, investment priorities and delivery plans
• Act as a trusted advisor and critical friend, providing constructive challenge to ensure robust, defensible and outcome-focused decisions
• Build and maintain a robust portfolio risk framework, identifying, assessing and actively managing commercial, legal, delivery and supply chain risks
• Design and implement commercial, contract and risk management frameworks that ensure suppliers deliver outcomes, manage risk and maximise value
• Embed risk management into category strategies, sourcing decisions, contract models and contract management
• Lead the development and use of procurement, contract and risk management systems, including contract registers, performance dashboards and assurance reporting
• Lead complex stakeholder environments, balancing delivery urgency, value for money and regulatory compliance
• Influence, challenge and support senior stakeholders to ensure the right procurement and commercial outcomes are achieved
• Provide senior-level commercial and procurement leadership across the portfolio
• Lead complex, high-value and high-risk procurements under Irish and EU public procurement law
• Apply deep, practical knowledge of public procurement law to design compliant, commercially effective sourcing strategies
• Navigate and manage oversight and assurance requirements (C&AG, Department, DPER, OGP, internal and external audit)
• Ensure procurement strategies stand up to legal, audit and assurance scrutiny
• Lead end-to-end strategic competitions including market engagement, governance approvals, tendering, evaluation, award, Regulation 84 reporting, contract negotiation, mobilisation and transition
• Ensure robust contract management frameworks are in place to deliver outcomes, manage risk and drive supplier performance
• Contribute to the development of procurement policy, commercial governance and assurance frameworks
• Maintain robust procurement records to support audit, C&AG and Public Spending Code compliance
• Build commercial and procurement capability across the organisation through coaching, mentoring and knowledge sharing

• Operate as Procurement Leads / Portfolio Managers, not just tender managers
• Have a strong track record of leading complex, high-value procurements under Irish and EU public procurement law is essential. EU Member state or UK experience is considered equivalent
• Have substantive knowledge and practical experience of risk and risk management frameworks, and can apply them across commercial strategy, sourcing and contract management
• Have demonstrable experience designing and operating commercial, contract management and procurement systems
• Are commercially minded, outcome-focused and able to design strategies that deliver value, manage risk and enable delivery
• Have excellent senior stakeholder management skills, including acting as a trusted advisor and critical friend
• Have a strong understanding of public procurement governance, assurance and oversight frameworks
• Are comfortable working in ambiguity and complexity, shaping new categories and building structure where none previously existed
• Strong commercial judgement and negotiation capability
• Strategic thinking and analytical rigour
• Confidence operating in complex, sensitive environments
• A pragmatic, solution-focused approach to compliance
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Good faith character with customers and suppliers

A professional procurement qualification (e.g. CIPS or equivalent) is advantageous but not essential