Procurement Specialist

Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); Pretoria; On-site; ZAR 600,000 - 750,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning and development

Market remuneration

Pension & medical

Job summary

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) invites applications for a Procurement Specialist in the Supply Chain Management portfolio, based in Pretoria. The incumbent will establish and maintain day-to-day procurement activities, ensuring compliance with CSIR policies and efficient purchasing processes.

Key responsibilities include sourcing goods and services, supplier relationship management, contract awareness, and reporting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent three-year purchasing qualification with at least five years’ experience in procurement and sourcing of specialised scientific and technical commodities.
• Experience with standard contracts, including construction contracts, and Supplier Agreements or SLAs, with strong contract management skills.
• Contract management experience including construction contracts and SLAs; knowledge of e-procurement systems.
• Understanding of designated sector procurement; experience in managing construction-related tenders.
• Good understanding and experience of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
• Report writing skills and ability to evaluate suppliers with understanding of business processes.
• Strong sourcing, buying, negotiation, planning and organizing skills.
• High accuracy, attention to detail, and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to meet demanding deadlines and good interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Source goods and services, review and manage existing supplier relationship.
• Document and assess internal stakeholders’ business and sourcing objectives.
• Collect macro- and micro-level market intelligence and analyze spend data.
• Determine the total value of identified commodities and report to management.
• Source suppliers that meet CSIR procurement criteria and ensure B-BBEE compliance.
• Manage procurement transactional services ensuring reduction in PO cycle times and tracking supplier performance.
• Assess and implement automation of processes to improve service delivery.
• Expedite orders to monitor quality, on-time deliveries and savings.
• Ensure effective and timely response to user calls related to orders and deliveries.
• Ensure procurement portfolio compliance with CSIR policies and IT standards.
• Keep abreast with business systems and new developments.
• Manage procurement activities throughout purchasing and supply chain.
• Ensure buying activities are fair, equitable, transparent, cost effective.
• Build strategic, professional relationships with internal clients and CSIR suppliers.
• Ensure buying activities support supplier contracts and CSIR interests.
• Create cost savings opportunities from bulk buying and economies of scale.
• Accurate and timeous reporting of relevant management information.

Skills

Sourcing

Negotiation

Planning

Organizing

Attention to detail

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Report writing

Time management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Purchasing qualification

Tools

e-procurement systems

Job description

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that research, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation's work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state. The CSIR has a vacancy for a Procurement Specialist in the

The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is a leading scientific and technology research organisation that researches, develops, localises and diffuses technologies to accelerate socio-economic prosperity in South Africa. The organisation¿s work contributes to industrial development and supports a capable state.

Position level: Skilled

Procurement Specialist

About The Job

The CSIR has a vacancy for Procurement Specialist in the Supply Chain Management portfolio. The incumbent will establish and maintain procurement activities on a day to day operational and transactional level. The position is in Pretoria.

This position reports to Procurement Manager

Key Responsibilities

• Source goods and services, review and manage existing supplier relationship;
• Document and assess internal stakeholders¿ business and sourcing objectives;
• Collect macro- and micro-level market intelligence and analyze spend data;
• Determine the total value of identified commodities and report accordingly to management;
• Source suppliers that meet the CSIR procurement criteria and ensure compliance to the CSIR¿s B-BBEE policy and programme;
• Manage procurement transactional services ensuring reduction in purchase order cycle times and tracking supplier performance against targets;
• Assess and implement automation of processes to improve service delivery;
• Expedite orders to monitor quality, on time deliveries, preferential procurement and savings;
• Ensure effective and timely response to user calls related to orders and deliveries;
• Ensure the Procurement portfolio¿s compliance with CSIR policies, procedures and IT standards focussing on standardisation of processes;
• Keep abreast with business systems and new developments;
• Manage procurement activities throughout the purchasing and supply chain;
• Ensure that purchasing activities are provided in a fair, equitable, transparent, cost effective, efficient, and effective manner.
• Build strategic, professional, and ethical relationships with internal clients and the CSIR suppliers.
• Ensure buying activities support the CSIR¿s supplier contracts and that the organisation¿s strategic interests are considered in such relationships.
• Create cost savings opportunities from bulk buying, proper contract management, pooling of efforts and economies of scale.
• Accurate and timeous reporting of relevant management information.

Qualifications, Skills And Experience

• A bachelor¿s degree or equivalent three-year purchasing qualification with at least five years¿ experience in the procurement and sourcing of specialised scientific and technical commodities, with relevant exposure to chemicals, biological/life sciences and/or agricultural commodities being highly advantageous.
• Experience in working with a wide range of standard contracts, including construction contracts, and Supplier Agreements or Service-level agreements (SLAs), with strong skills in overall contract management.
• Contract management skills, including experience with construction contracts, Supplier Agreements/ Service Level Agreements and knowledge of e-procurement systems.
• Thorough understanding of designated sector procurement and experience in managing construction-related tenders.
• Good understanding and experience of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
• Report writing skills and ability to evaluate suppliers with a thorough understanding of business processes.
• Strong sourcing, buying, negotiation, planning, and organizing skills.
• High degree of accuracy, attention to detail, and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to meet demanding deadlines and good interpersonal skills.

What¿s in it for you?

The CSIR Offers

• Learning and development opportunities.
• Competitive and market-related remuneration packages.
• Total guaranteed salary packages which encompass contributions to the pension fund, risk insurance and medical scheme.
• We openly acknowledge and reward our employees' contributions and accomplishments through our esteemed CSIR Excellence Awards.

Closing date: 28 October 2026

PLEASE NOTE THAT FEEDBACK WILL BE GIVEN TO SHORTLISTED CANDIDATES ONLY.

For more info, please email us at [e-mail]

The CSIR is an equal opportunity employer. As such, it is committed to the employment Equity Act and will through the filling of this vacancy, give preference to candidates from designated groups in terms of the Employment Equity Act. By applying for this position at the CSIR, the applicant understands, and agrees that the CSIR may solicit a credit and criminal report from registered credit bureau and/or South African Police Services (in relation to positions that requires trust and honesty and/or entail the handling of cash or finances), and may also verify the applicant¿s educational qualification and employment history. The CSIR reserves the right to remove the advertisement at any time before the stated closing date and it further reserves the right not to appoint if a suitable candidate is not identified.