Procurement & Contracts Specialist

Role Purpose / Summary: HEAnet is Ireland’s National Education & Research Network, providing cutting edge Internet and e-Infrastructure services to Educational and Research organisations throughout Ireland. We are seeking to appoint a Procurement & Contracts Specialist to oversee compliance of internal procurements with both Irish and European Union procurement law. This role will also attend to the management of client and supplier contracts. This newly created role will advise across all levels of the organisation and foster close work relationships with Corporate Services and our in-house Legal Counsel to become the guardian of good procurement. The successful candidate will develop and proactively promote efficient procurement practices, consistent with the most economically advantageous tender criterion practiced by the company. Contract management responsibility will involve centralisation and archiving of company contracts in a manner compliant with GDPR. This role will sit within the Corporate Services Team reporting to the Corporate Services Director. Key Responsibility Areas: The successful candidate will undertake the following: ·To be the primary point of contact for all in-house public procurements. ·To provide a support and advisory function to all HEAnet staff. ·To interpret public procurement guidelines and provide guidance to internal stakeholders. ·To advise and support HEAnet business functions in relation to public procurement, guidelines, HEAnet procurement processes, document repositories and templates. ·To work with business functions in running procurement processes. ·Work with the Corporate Services Director and HEAnet Legal Counsel to ensure procurement processes and guidelines remain up to date and compliant with the latest public procurement guidelines. ·Liaise with external legal advisors/procurement consultants in relation to procurement advice as appropriate. ·Provide input and assistance to the Brokerage Services Team in managing procurement projects. ·Liaise with HEAnet Legal Counsel to ensure that contracts with both clients and suppliers are created using the latest contract templates. ·To maintain an electronic repository of key contracts and in-house procurement records - tender evaluation outputs. ·To oversee data retention policies as they relate to procurement records and contracts; ·Interpret contracts and provide guidance to internal stakeholders regarding the terms of supplier contracts and contractual responsibilities; ·To offer business supports to the Corporate Services function generally. Any other duties within the general requirement of the role which may be required from time to time. Required Experience, Skills & Aptitudes:   Essential ·Minimum of three (3) years’ relevant experience in a procurement and/or contracts role.·Experience of public procurement processes. ·Enjoy building strong collaborative working partnerships with your colleagues. ·Have a non-silo working mentality and encourage collaborative ways of working with HEAnet teams and functions. ·Have excellent communication skills and an open, approachable manner. ·Experience of the full procurement lifecycle. ·Experience of interpreting legal documents, directives, contracts, and procurement guidelines. ·Excellent presentation skills to senior management level. ·A flexible attitude to the evolving needs of the post and its environment. ·Trustworthy, open and transparent, with a high degree of personal integrity. ·A high level of motivation and enthusiasm for the job. ·Ability to multi-task and handle multiple projects at one time while meeting deadlines. ·An organised approach to work and an ability to prioritise effectively in a busy and changing environment. Qualifications:   Essential A degree or equivalent academic or professional 3rd level qualification or equivalent relevant experience in procurement and/or contract management.  Other Relevant Information: Desirable : ·Experience of managing ICT procurements and contracts in the Higher Education or Research sector. ·Experience of managing contracts and contract repositories.  ·Experience in contract management in a public sector or not-for-profit entity. ·Experience of managing Information Systems related to procurements, contracts or legal agreements.   ·A strong understanding of the education sector and its ICT environment. Location:   The successful candidate will be based at HEAnet’s office location at 5 George’s Dock, IFSC, Dublin 1. Closing Date:   We aim to fill this vacancy as quickly as possible and will close adverts as soon as we have found the right candidate. We would therefore advise interested applicants to submit an application as early as possible.   How to Apply: Interested applicants should send their CV with cover letter and include your salary expectations. Equal Opportunity: HEAnet CLG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.