Procurement Officer

• Aug 2022 - Present

Procurement Officer at HIQA

• Jun 2020 - Aug 2022

As a Procurement Officer, my main activities are: - Manage all financial activity for and by HIQA's Information Division;- Procurement in bands 1-3, purchasing, contract management, fixed asset management and vendor management; - Record and submit accruals, project expenditure and project staff hours monthly and in a timely manner to meet the Authority's financial reporting requirements; - Demonstrate excellent ability to collaborate and communicate my stakeholder's technical needs and requirements to vendors, even if outside my own expertise; - Develop quotation requests (RFQs) and tender notifications as part of the procurement process; - Facilitate dialogue between vendors and stakeholders in order to procure the required solutions;- Frequently liaise with the PMO and ICT on a need-to-know basis; - Maintain a high level of organisation and quality to manage the volume of competitions and contracts at their varying stages according to external legislation and internal policy;- Use of and full proficiency in MS Office applications, financial management systems and SharePoint.Some of my achievements in the role include but are not limited to: - Collaboratively wrote multiple SOPs and process improvements for ICT support request fulfilment, contract tracking and vendor management;- Successfully improved vendor performance as part of the internal vendor management process by clearly communication failure, suggesting constructive improvements and implementing monitoring;- Gained many professional qualifications with support from HIQA, such as Prince2 Project Management to Practitioner Level, Quadra Quality Improvement, Gaelcultúr Lower Intermediate Irish and Occupational First Aid. Show less

Information Governance Executive Officer

• May 2018 - May 2020

As an Executive Officer for HIQA, some of my activities were: - Originally taken on as an integral part of a large, multi-month project to archive and cleanse sensitive information produced and retained by the HIQA inspectorate for GDPR compliance;- A key resource in efforts to cleanse out-of-retention data on drives and on SharePoint using disk space analyser software Treesize; - Advised departments on retention periods, record destruction and best practice;- One of a handful of points of contact in the event of data breaches; - Managed documentation for procurement and fixed assets generated by ICT, improving the quality of the work and input and carving out a new role in a period of rapid expansion for the organisation;- Conducted the financial administration part-time for the ICT department, in line with internal and external policy; - Managed procurement and purchases for and by a variety of departments, liaising with colleagues from ICT (Information Communication Technology), PMO (Project Management Office) and Finance both in my capacity as a member of the Information Governance team and as a financial administrator. Some of my achievements in the role include but are not limited to: - Collaborated with my team to write new policy and work instructions. I visually mapped processes and delivered training as a key member of new projects under the GDPR Programme; - Created, wrote and drew a monthly comic for HIQA's internal e-zine (Kirk the DPO Comic) for the purposes of educating staff on GDPR and internal data protection policies, distributed via internal comms to approximately 300 employees. Show less

Admissions & Exams Executive Officer

• Jun 2017 - Feb 2018

Working for the Academic Registry in Trinity College Dublin was an incredibly rewarding experience. It allowed me to be a part of this highly respected institution and administrate key moments of the student experience. As an Executive Officer in the Academic Registry, I provided support to both the Admissions and Exams team. My primary responsibilities were: - Processed non-EU undergraduate and Erasmus inbound applications; - Managed Garda vetting for medical and social work courses, conferrals and examinations; - Coordinated annual, supplemental and accommodative examinations by scheduling and directing invigilators and providing assistance should it be needed; - Printed exams and official degree manuscripts and prepared past exam papers for publication; - Wrote and edited training documentation for invigilators. Show less

Administrator of Repairs

• Aug 2016 - Feb 2017

As Administrator of Repairs in Goldsmith's Torquay branch, my primary role was to manage the repair of customer jewellery and watches. I often worked on a consultancy basis, using my knowledge of our repair partners and in-house specialists to find the best option for a customer. I oversaw each stage of a repair: I generated repair orders and processed invoices; I was often required to liaise between the repairer and customer, all while maintaining detailed records of the repair from start to finish. I also assisted on the shop floor as a sales representative, providing professional customer service and detailed information on our various brands, watch models and jewellery. Additionally I conducted minor work on watches, such as the removing links and replacing batteries. Show less

Manager

• Jun 2016 - Jan 2017

In 2016, I was given the amazing opportunity of renting, living in and managing a bed and breakfast in the seaside town of Paignton, Devon. During my time in Beaches, I employed casual staff members, taking sole responsibility for their rotas and wage. I managed various booking engines and avenues such as Xotelia, Booking.com and Airbnb, as well as Beaches' online marketing and presence. The most enjoyable aspect of running the B&B was being an integral part of the guest experience and getting to know our guests, who represented many differing walks of life. Taking from my guests' feedback and constructive criticism, as well as maintaining the high standard of hospitality which Beaches' owners had put in place before I took it over, Beaches reached a 9.6 star rating on booking.com. This star rating and its excellent reviews meant that Beaches competed well with other businesses of its kind in the area that is highly attractive for both domestic and foreign holidaymakers. Show less

Supervisor

• Nov 2015 - Jun 2016

I began working in Holland & Barrett in order to further my interest in health and to work more closely with the public. I became a trusted key holder and product advisor. I also maintained records of our stock, operated the till and conducted banking. I found my work in Holland & Barrett in this relatively small community to be highly rewarding; as our customer pool was small, I witnessed tangible evidence of customer satisfaction when said customers repurchased items or reported to me directly that there had been an improvement to their health and/or fitness. In-house attainments and career advancements also encouraged me to further my knowledge of the products and industry, for this reason I found the environment of Holland & Barrett to be highly motivating. I would most certainly seek a position that provides a similar scheme of learning and rewards again. Show less

Receptionist

• Jun 2015 - Jan 2016

As a receptionist at Rew Hotels, a family run company comprising of three hotels in a area of Devon that sees a very high volume of tourists, I was called upon to rely heavily on my interpersonal and organisational skills. I received requests for bookings from multiple sources, managing them with a mixture of hotel software and paper based records; I conducted regular bookkeeping and settled guest accounts; I was the point of contact for arrivals, departures and many aspects of a guest's stay and I was often required to support and coordinate the work of other departments. Peak periods demanded not only that I managed my usual tasks, but that I did so in a highly busy environment with constant interruption. Show less

Apprentice Silversmith and Retail Assistant

• Jun 2009 - Jan 2013

Artists by Night is an independent jewellery studio specializing in unique, handmade pieces. It is one of a handful of businesses situated in the Estate Yard, an art-retailing area of the Castlecomer Discovery Park in Kilkenny. From 2009, I was an apprentice silversmith, repairer, on-site artist and customer service provider. My apprenticeship allowed me to hone my artistic abilities and technical skills in metalworking. I became a trusted key holder, salesperson and an integral part of the studio’s daily administration. Show less