Category Buyer – Procurement | Waterford

Cpl; Waterford; On-site; EUR 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

Cpl is partnering with a well-established food production group in Waterford to recruit a Category Buyer for the Group Procurement function. The role offers responsibility for the Services category with scope to support Production Equipment, Consumables, Packaging and Ingredients as needed.

You will report to the Group Strategic Procurement Manager and collaborate with senior procurement and finance stakeholders across Ireland and the UK, plus regional managers on various priorities.

Qualifications

• Detail-oriented with ability to cleanse large data sets.
• Ability to tackle unstructured problems with minimal supervision.
• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Relevant third-level qualification in procurement or business (desirable).

Responsibilities

• Promote best-in-class procurement practices across the group.
• Develop sourcing and risk mitigation strategies.
• Research, source, and prequalify new suppliers.
• Prepare tender documents and analyse responses.
• Negotiate pricing and terms with suppliers.
• Manage supplier relationships and resolve disputes.
• Review contracts and terms of sale.
• Lead project deployment and change management.
• Report to senior management.

Skills

Attention to detail

Unstructured problem solving

Stakeholder management

Written and verbal communication

Team leadership by example

Supply chain exposure

Project management exposure

Advanced Excel

Education

Procurement/Business degree

Job description

Cpl is currently partnering with a well-established food production group based in Waterford to find a Category Buyer to join their Group Procurement function.

This is a strong opportunity for a procurement professional who enjoys variety — you'll take ownership of the Services category, with scope to also support Production Equipment & Consumables, Packaging, Ingredients and other compliance-driven categories as the business requires.

You'll report to the Group Strategic Procurement Manager and work closely with senior procurement and finance stakeholders across Ireland and the UK, as well as regional managers on their own project priorities.

Key Responsibilities

• Promoting best-in-class procurement practices across the group
• Developing sourcing and risk mitigation strategies
• Researching, sourcing and prequalifying new suppliers
• Preparing tender documentation and analysing responses
• Negotiating pricing and terms with suppliers
• Managing supplier relationships and resolving disputes/claims
• Reviewing and drafting contracts and terms of sale
• Leading project deployment and change management
• Reporting to senior management and executives

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Strong attention to detail — comfortable reviewing, validating and cleansing large volumes of data
• Ability to work through unstructured problems with minimal supervision
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, written and verbal
• A collaborative, team-first approach with the ability to lead by example
• Some exposure to Supply Chain and Project Management
• Advanced Microsoft Excel skills
• A relevant third-level qualification in Procurement, Supply Chain or Business is desirable