Procurement Specialist x 1 at Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)

About the job:

• The CSIR has a vacancy for a 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 qualification in supply chain management with at least five years’ experience in a supply chain / procurement management environment;
• Attention to detail and the ability to meet demanding deadlines;
• Good understanding of designated sector procurement;
• Working experience in managing laboratory equipment, consumables, chemicals, and other laboratory supplies tenders.
• Good understanding of public sector procurement.
• Good understanding and experience of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO);
• Problem solving, negotiation and communication skills;
• E-procurement knowledge, sourcing and buying skills;
• Thorough understanding of the business processes;
• Teamwork, flexibility, and adaptability skills;
• Self-management and assertiveness skills;
• Financial knowledge and numerical skills;
• Customer service and quality orientation.   

Closing date: 22 October 2025