Senior Buyer

ODS Engineering; Thurles; On-site; EUR 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

ODS Engineering is seeking a hands-on Senior Buyer to manage day-to-day sourcing and supplier activity for our projects. You will work closely with management, production, engineering and quality to source materials and components, ensuring on-time delivery and alignment with budget.

The role focuses on execution, owning defined categories, building supplier relationships, and embedding procurement best practices as the company grows—including support for new markets and suppliers.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years procurement or buying experience in manufacturing/construction environment.
• Experience running RFQ/RFP processes and comparing supplier quotes.
• Strong Excel/spreadsheets for spend tracking and analysis.
• Ability to manage supplier performance and onboarding.

Responsibilities

• Day-to-Day Procurement Execution – manage sourcing, ordering, and supplier follow-up to support production.
• Sourcing & Tendering – run RFQs/RFPs, compare quotes, support negotiations.
• Procurement Schedules – develop procurement schedules for major projects.
• Purchase Order & Contract Administration – raise and track POs through delivery.
• Supplier Coordination & Performance – maintain supplier list and scorecards.

Skills

Procurement experience

Negotiation

Excel/spreadsheets

RFQ/RFP execution

Supplier management

ERP/Procurement systems

Tools

ERP systems

Job description

We're looking for a hands‑on Senior Buyer to manage day‑to‑day sourcing and supplier activity for ODS Engineering. This is an execution‑focused role: you'll be the primary point of contact for procurement on your projects, working closely with management, production, engineering and quality to source materials and components, flowing on time and on budget. You'll take ownership of a defined set of categories, build strong supplier relationships, and help embed good procurement practice as the business grows — including support for new markets, new products, and new suppliers.

This role suits someone with solid procurement experience who wants to deepen their category and supplier management skills in a fast‑paced manufacturing environment, with a clear path to take on broader scope over time.

Responsibilities

• Day-to-Day Procurement Execution – Manage sourcing, ordering, and supplier follow‑up for assigned material and service categories, ensuring on‑time delivery to support production schedules. Act as the go‑to procurement contact for your projects, escalating risks and issues as they arise.
• Sourcing & Tendering – Run RFQs and, where appropriate, RFPs for assigned categories. Compare supplier quotes on price, lead time, and quality, and make recommendations based on clear commercial reasoning. Support contract negotiations and renewals under guidance from senior management.
• Procurement Schedules: Together with the project team develop detailed procurement schedules for our major projects identifying lead times, specification references, quantities ordered/received and report at weekly project meetings status of the trackers.
• Purchase Order & Contract Administration – Raise, track, and manage purchase orders through to delivery. Maintain accurate contract and pricing records, and ensure terms are correctly reflected in the procurement system. Ensure purchases are made in accordance with ODS procurement policy/procedures, including appropriate supplier selection, competitive quotations, purchase order approval and accurate recording of procurement activity.
• Supplier Coordination & Performance – Maintain regular contact with key suppliers, track performance metrics (lead time, on‑time delivery, quality issues), and follow up on corrective actions where needed. Support supplier onboarding and help maintain an accurate, up‑to‑date supplier list. Contribute to periodic supplier reviews for key accounts and help maintain performance scorecards were in place.
• Cost & Value Support – Contribute to cost reduction efforts through competitive quoting, should‑cost comparisons, and identifying opportunities for consolidation or better terms. Track and report savings against agreed targets.
• Supply Risk Awareness – Help identify single‑source or high‑risk suppliers within your categories and flag these to your manager. Support contingency planning (e.g., alternate suppliers, buffer stock) for critical items.
• Stakeholder Support – Work closely with production, engineering, and quality teams to understand upcoming requirements and flag any procurement constraints early. Attend relevant planning meetings to keep procurement aligned with site needs.
• Project & New Product Support – Support new product or project introductions by helping source components and gather quotes, working under the guidance of management or engineering colleagues rather than owning the process end‑to‑end.
• New Market & Supplier Development – Support the division's expansion into new markets and product lines by researching and identifying potential new suppliers, gathering initial quotes, and carrying out basic supplier vetting (capability, capacity, certifications). Help build out the supplier base for categories the division hasn't previously sourced, escalating more complex qualification or contracting steps to Management. Flag market‑entry risks (e.g., limited local supplier options, lead times, import/logistics considerations) to your manager as they're identified.
• Data, Reporting & Compliance – Keep procurement records (POs, contracts, pricing, supplier data) accurate and up to date. Provide regular, accurate reporting on spend, savings, and supplier performance for your categories. Follow ODS procurement policies, ethical sourcing standards, and relevant regulatory requirements in all supplier dealings.
• Continuous Improvement – Look for opportunities to simplify or improve procurement processes at your site and share ideas that could benefit the wider procurement function as it scales.

Experience

• Minimum 3–5 years of procurement or buying experience, ideally in a manufacturing, construction, or modular/industrial environment, electrical procurement experience preferred.
• Strong understanding of the M&E industry materials.
• Experience working directly with suppliers on pricing, delivery, and performance issues
• Experience running or supporting RFQ/RFP processes and comparing supplier quotes
• Comfortable working with ERP or procurement systems for purchase orders, contracts, and reporting
• Exposure to cost‑saving initiatives or competitive tendering
• Good working knowledge of Excel/spreadsheets for spend tracking and analysis.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the confidence to deal directly with suppliers
• Familiarity with AI tools for procurement or data tasks is a plus