Procurement Officer

Company Description

We are inviting expressions of interest for the position of Procurement Officer within SGS Ireland. This role offers a significant opportunity to take ownership of end-to-end procurement activities across the business, ensuring effective supplier management, commercial performance, and full compliance with internal governance frameworks. The successful candidate will act as a central point of contact for procurement, partnering closely with stakeholders to support operational delivery, cost optimisation, and strategic sourcing initiatives. Colleagues with experience in procurement or commercial environments, strong analytical and organisational capability, and an interest in driving efficiency and best practice across procurement processes are encouraged to apply.

Job Description

Role Purpose

The Procurement Officer acts as the central point of contact for all procurement-related queries and is responsible for the end-to-end coordination and governance of procurement activities across SGS Ireland. The role combines strategic procurement delivery with hands-on operational management, ensuring full compliance with SGS policies, optimisation of cost and supplier performance, and effective stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Operations & Compliance

• Act as the first point of contact for all procurement queries, providing guidance aligned to SGS policies and procedures.
• Coordinate all procurement activities across the business, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
• Review all purchase orders to ensure compliance with SGS standards, Delegation of Authority, guidelines and best practice.
• Approve or reject purchase orders in line with internal controls and governance requirements.
• Ensure audit-ready documentation is maintained across procurement systems and processes.

Supplier & Contract Management

• Lead end-to-end sourcing activities including tendering, evaluation, negotiation and contract award.
• Negotiate and re-negotiate locally agreed supplier contracts to achieve best value and service delivery.
• Support implementation of global procurement contracts locally, ensuring pricing and commercial terms are adhered to.
• Manage and maintain supplier agreements, ensuring contract compliance and performance monitoring.
• Conduct supplier due diligence, including compliance checks against SGS Code of Conduct prior to onboarding.

Vendor Governance & Master Data Management

• Manage vendor lifecycle processes including:
  • Vendor creation and approval
  • Updates to payment terms, names, addresses and status changes (activations/deactivations)
• Investigate and validate new vendors prior to setup to ensure compliance with internal policies.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date vendor data to support procurement and finance processes.

Commercial & Cost Management

• Identify, track, categorise and report on cost savings and cost avoidance initiatives (CapEx, OpEx and efficiency gains).
• Analyse spend data using tools such as Spend HQ to monitor trends and identify optimisation opportunities.
• Support delivery of procurement KPIs, cost reduction targets and commercial improvements.
• Provide commercial guidance to stakeholders on pricing, supplier selection and contract terms.

Stakeholder Engagement & Planning

• Partner with internal stakeholders as a trusted procurement advisor.
• Facilitate monthly (or as required) stakeholder meetings to review pipeline, planning and upcoming projects.
• Support cross-functional collaboration with Finance, Operations and Technical teams to align procurement solutions to business needs.

Procurement Systems, Tools & Training

• Provide training in iProcurement systems for new users and refresher training for existing employees.
• Deliver ongoing support to procurement requestors and system users.
• Manage procurement platforms and reporting tools, ensuring effective and compliant usage across the organisation.
• Support rollout and optimisation of procurement systems and tools (e.g. Oracle / GEP).

Catalogue & Purchasing Controls

• Manage and monitor procurement catalogues to ensure accuracy and alignment with approved suppliers.
• Create, upload and maintain catalogues and associated contracts within procurement systems.
• Ensure catalogue pricing reflects agreed contractual terms and global agreements.

Facilities, Fleet & Operational Procurement Categories

• Lead procurement activities across key operational categories including:
  • Fleet management: procurement of company vehicles, management of national fleet database
  • Lease management: monthly validation, data entry and approvals within the K-shuttle lease tool
  • Transport & tolling: DCI card management and e-flow tag administration
  • Facilities: negotiation of rent for all company premises
  • Insurance: coordination of insurance for vehicles, buildings and personnel
• Liaise with Payroll to ensure BIK (Benefit in Kind) is correctly applied for company vehicles

Travel & Sustainability Management

• Manage Egencia (travel and accommodation platform) for Ireland, ensuring compliance with company policy
• Monitor travel usage to support sustainability objectives and spend optimisation
• Contribute to sustainability initiatives aligned with SGS procurement strategy.

Governance, Ethics & Continuous Improvement

• Ensure all procurement activity aligns with the SGS Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct
• Support audit requirements and continuous improvement of procurement processes
• Actively contribute to process standardisation, efficiency improvements and best practice adoption across procurement
• Support broader regional/global procurement initiatives as required
• Ensure full compliance with the Company’s Code of Integrity and Professional Conduct, and act in accordance with SGS Ireland’s Equality & Diversity Policy and ensure others do so.
• At all times, adopt a safe behaviour by exercising due regard for the health and safety of yourself, colleagues, and clients, in line with the Company’s policies and procedures

Qualifications

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree or commercial qualification in Business, Supply Chain, Finance or related discipline.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in a procurement or commercial role, preferably within a multinational or regulated environment.
• Strong working knowledge of procurement systems (Oracle and/or GEP preferred).
• Advanced Excel and data analysis capability.
• Fluent English (written and spoken).

Desirable

• Experience supporting regional or global procurement initiatives.
• Exposure to contract management and supplier performance frameworks.
• Procurement or supply chain certification (e.g. CIPS) or working towards same.

Additional Information

Skills & Knowledge

• End-to-end procurement lifecycle management
• Commercial negotiation and contract interpretation
• Financial and cost analysis
• Supplier relationship and performance management
• Data-driven decision making
• Understanding of procurement governance and compliance