Assistant Procurement Manager

Job Title: Assistant Procurement Manager
Location: Cork
Contract Type: Full-Time | Permanent
Salary: €60,000 – €70,000 per year
Days and Hours of Work: Monday – Friiday 8:30 Am – 5:00 PM (Flexibility requiered)
Reporting to: Procurement Manager

About the Opportunity

Our client is a leading Irish wholesale and distribution business with a long-established reputation for supplying a diverse range of products to customers across multiple sectors. Due to continued growth and investment in its procurement function, they are seeking an ambitious and commercially focused Assistant Procurement Manager to join their team.

This role offers an excellent opportunity for an experienced procurement professional looking to develop their career within a dynamic and fast-paced environment. Working closely with senior leadership, the successful candidate will contribute to sourcing, supplier management, inventory optimisation, pricing strategy, and overall procurement performance.

The ideal candidate will be self-motivated, commercially minded, analytical, and eager to progress into a more strategic procurement role in the future.

The Role

The Assistant Procurement Manager will support the development and execution of procurement strategies that align with business objectives while helping to drive profitability, service levels, product availability, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

Procurement Strategy

• Support the Procurement Manager in developing and implementing procurement strategies aligned with business objectives.
• Assist in identifying opportunities to improve procurement processes and commercial performance.

Market Analysis & Commercial Insight

• Monitor market trends, supplier activity, pricing movements, and industry developments.
• Analyse market intelligence to support informed purchasing decisions.
• Identify potential risks and opportunities within supply markets.

Product & Range Management

• Support the management and development of product portfolios.
• Help maintain competitive and commercially attractive product ranges.
• Monitor product performance and identify opportunities for improvement or expansion.

Supply Chain & Procurement Operations

• Assist in managing procurement activities including demand planning, forecasting, purchase orders, stock transfers, and inventory replenishment.
• Work closely with suppliers to ensure product availability and service requirements are achieved.
• Monitor supplier lead times, capacity constraints, and delivery schedules.

Inventory Management

• Support inventory planning and stock management activities.
• Assist in implementing inventory optimisation initiatives.

Cost & Supplier Management

• Support supplier negotiations relating to pricing, terms, service levels, and commercial agreements.
• Assist with tender processes, RFQs, RFPs, and supplier evaluations.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships focused on value, quality, availability, and innovation.
• Drive supplier performance improvements through effective collaboration.

Pricing & Margin Management

• Analyse pricing trends, competitor activity, and market conditions.
• Support pricing strategies that improve profitability while maintaining competitiveness.
• Collaborate with sales teams to ensure commercial objectives are achieved.

Performance Analysis & Reporting

• Track key procurement and category performance metrics including sales, margins, inventory levels, service levels, and supplier performance.
• Produce analytical reports and recommendations to support business decisions.
• Contribute to continuous improvement initiatives through data-driven insights.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with sales, operations, logistics, finance, and supplier partners.
• Build effective relationships across internal and external stakeholder groups.

Procurement Administration & Systems

• Ensure procurement administration activities are completed accurately and efficiently.
• Manage purchase requisitions, purchase orders, stock transfers, supplier invoices, credit notes, and related documentation.
• Support the effective use of ERP and purchasing systems to streamline procurement processes.

Essential Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Procurement, Supply Chain, Business, Economics, Commerce, or a related discipline.
• 3-5 years’ experience within procurement, purchasing, category management, supply chain, or a similar commercial role.
• Strong commercial awareness and business acumen.
• Demonstrated experience in supplier negotiations and cost management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and market trends.
• Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and projects simultaneously.
• Experience working with ERP systems and procurement platforms.

Desirable Experience

• Experience within wholesale, distribution, manufacturing, construction products, industrial supplies, hardware, or related sectors.
• Exposure to category management and product portfolio management.
• Experience supporting strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Professional procurement qualifications (CIPS or equivalent).
• Experience managing supplier performance and service improvement programmes.