Procurement Category Manager

Kilsaran Head Office, Piercetown, Dunboyne, Co. Meath, A86 W820

We are seeking an operational, highly analytical Procurement Category Manager to take end-to-end ownership of critical spend portfolios.

Whether your background is in strategic procurement or commercial management with project cost-control expertise, this is a role for a skilled commercial executor. You will execute structured sourcing strategies, lock in price stability, and ensure supply security, while actively supporting the optimisation of our day-to-day workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial execution & Contract management: Manage the full lifecycle of assigned categories. Execute structured RFx processes, mitigate commercial variations, utilise data-driven evaluation models to lock in robust pricing and Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Lead and execute hedging policies.
• Cross-functional leadership & Stakeholder alignment: Act as a strategic commercial partner to the business. Proactively engage with site managers and operational leads to align immediate needs with long-term strategies. Drive internal adoption of new procurement processes through influence, education, and operational value.
• Process optimisation & ERP transition: Act as a functional champion during our transition to an ERP environment. You will manage the current end-to-end P2P workflows for your categories while helping migrate these portfolios into automated systems.
• Continuous improvement: Proactively assess current procurement workflows, identify operational bottlenecks, and design robust process improvements to challenge the status quo and elevate the department's standard of execution.
• Data-led problem solving: Utilise established frameworks and data analytics skills to track spend, manage maverick buying, and proactively mitigate supply chain risks.
• Project & supplier governance (SRM): Apply strong project management discipline to vendor accountability. Track key metrics, conduct data-backed performance reviews, and serve as the primary commercial escalation point for operational supply issues.

Required Experience & Competencies

• Background: 5+ years of experience as a Buyer, Category Manager, or Commercial Manager in an industrial, manufacturing, or construction environment.
• Commercial acumen: A verifiable track record of independently executing complex commercial tenders, managing contract variations, and locking in long-term supply or project agreements, including hedging arrangements.
• Autonomy & Initiative: Ideal for a collaborative self-starter, this position requires an individual who excels at independent problem-solving within a team environment. The ideal candidate is trusted to analyse situations and identify next steps independently, while remaining closely aligned with the broader team.
• Adaptability & Digital fluency: Advanced proficiency in extracting and manipulating data from modern systems (SAP, Oracle, Dynamics) or complex cost-modelling software. A proven ability to thrive in a dynamic, evolving environment, successfully balancing immediate operational deliverables with the implementation of long-term digital frameworks. A solid understanding of AI capabilities, with practical experience leveraging these tools in a professional context.
• Stakeholder influence: Exceptional ability to build rapport, collaborate to achieve objectives and drive process adoption across cross-functional technical and non-technical teams and operational managers without formal authority.
• Education & Certifications: Degree in Business, Procurement, Supply Chain, Quantity Surveying, or a related discipline. Professional certification in Procurement (CIPS/IIIPM) or Project Management (PMP) is highly desirable.

What You Get:

Kilsaran is an organisation that believes that our people are our greatest strength, and our success is down to the dedication and enthusiasm of our team. As such, we have dedicated benefits structures to reward our team. The benefits on offer for this position are as follows:

• Competitive Base Salary
• Annual Bonus
• Defined Contribution Pension Scheme
• VHI Healthcare Contribution
• Laptop, Mobile
• 21 Days Annual Leave

Additional Benefits:

• Further Education/Training Support
• Annual Company Social Events
• Sick Pay
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Paid Maternity/Paternity Leave

Hiring Process Upon Application:

• Telephone Screening
• 2-round interview process (1st Round can be completed via MS Teams where necessary)
• Offer Letter to the successful candidate