Assistant Purchasing Manager

About the role

JJ Rhatigan & Company, a leading building contractor operating across Ireland and the UK, is seeking an Assistant Purchasing Manager to support its procurement function in Galway. You will work closely with the Purchasing Manager to ensure timely, cost‑effective acquisition of materials for multi‑million‑euro construction projects.

Key responsibilities

• Assist the Purchasing Manager with day‑to‑day operations of the purchasing department.
• Support management of key spend categories such as steel, insulation, concrete products and general site materials.
• Review purchase requests from sites for accuracy and completeness.
• Help resolve material delivery issues promptly.
• Identify suitable suppliers, obtain and compare quotations, and highlight cost differences.
• Assist in negotiating pricing and terms where appropriate.
• Support supplier performance monitoring and evaluation.
• Coordinate redistribution of surplus materials between sites.
• Maintain ethical procurement practices and update the materials database and ERP system.
• Contribute to spend analysis, tender enquiries and project cost monitoring.

Required profile

• Good organisational skills with the ability to prioritise tasks.
• Ability to work to deadlines and support timely procurement.
• Developing commercial awareness and basic technical understanding of construction materials.
• Strong communication skills and a team‑oriented attitude.
• Attention to detail when reviewing quotes.
• Willingness to learn negotiation and supplier management.
• Proactive attitude and willingness to support all aspects of procurement.
• Previous experience in a similar purchasing or procurement role.
• Experience collaborating with multidisciplinary teams.

Required skills

• Microsoft Office
• SAP (or similar ERP system)

What we offer

• Attractive terms of employment and a competitive salary for the right candidate.
• Excellent benefits package.
• Opportunities to work on challenging, high‑value construction projects.