Occupations and Terms of Reference › Procurement officer / buyer
Universal terms of reference · POS-172 · version 1.0 · status: draft · next review 2027-10-27
Procurement officer / buyer
To buy the day-to-day supplies and services the organisation needs, so that orders are placed correctly, on time and at fair prices.
Each part of this page links to the related trainings, competencies and policies. The links are the same for every facility, so an organisation can see at a glance what a role requires and what it is trained in.
Job description
Job summary. You place orders for supplies and services. You check quotes, raise purchase orders within limits, follow up deliveries, and keep records for audit.
Reports to: Procurement manager.
Leads or supervises: No direct reports.
What you do on a typical day
- Raise purchase orders within delegated limits.
- Obtain quotes for purchases.
- Follow up late deliveries with suppliers.
- Keep purchasing records complete.
- Report spend and supplier issues.
Working conditions and demands
- Urgent shortages create pressure.
- Handles supplier and contract information carefully.
- Must follow the purchasing rules even under pressure.
What good looks like
- Orders are placed correctly and on time.
- Supplies arrive when needed.
- Records are audit ready.
Place in the organogram
Reporting line, from the top: see the organogram on the Occupations page. The lines above and below this role are listed in section 3.
1. Golden rules
These rules apply in every setting.
- Services are provided safely, on time and with no shortcuts that put patients or staff at risk.
- Supplies, equipment and systems are fit for purpose before use and are checked regularly.
- Money, stock and data are handled with integrity and recorded fully.
- Every incident or near miss is reported, and learning is shared.
- Staff are trained for their task before they work alone.
- Contractors and suppliers meet the same standards as staff.
- Concerns are raised and investigated without reprisal.
- Support functions are judged by how well they help clinical services deliver safe care.
2. Identification
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position code | POS-172 |
| ISCO-08 | 3323 (skill level 4) |
| ESCO | to map |
| Department | Supply and logistics |
| Facility types | Hospital, Ambulatory, Transport, Medevac, Fitness, Aesthetic |
3. Reporting line and working relationships
Reports to: POS-171. Supervises: .
| Works with | Nature of the relationship |
|---|---|
| Procurement manager | Purchasing rules and approvals. |
| Warehouse manager | Stock levels and deliveries. |
| Accounts payable clerk | Matching orders to invoices. |
4. Key accountabilities
| Domain | Accountability | Evidence of delivery | Checked | Linked competencies | Linked trainings | Linked policies | Standards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase orders | Raises purchase orders correctly and within limits. | Orders approved before sending | Weekly | C-01 | T-06 | POL-EQUAL | 1 |
| Deliveries | Follows up late and incorrect deliveries. | Issues resolved within 5 working days | Weekly | C-02 | T-06 | – | 1 |
| Records | Keeps purchasing records complete for audit. | Records audit passed | Quarterly | C-01 | T-06 | POL-DATA | 1 |
5. Decision rights
| The post holder decides | Consults or escalates |
|---|---|
| Choice between approved suppliers for routine items | Purchases above delegated limits (procurement manager) |
| Order timing within the agreed calendar | Supplier problems that affect patient safety (procurement manager and CQO) |
6. Qualifications and experience
| ID | Qualification | Mandatory | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q-01 | Procurement, supply or business administration qualification | No | Lifetime |
| ID | Experience | Minimum years | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-01 | Purchasing or supply administration experience | 2 | Yes |
7. Training requirements
Recommended common practice. Each facility adapts the list to its national law. Essential items apply in every setting; recommended items apply where resources allow.
| ID | Training | Tier | When | Validity | Linked policies | Linked competencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T-01 | Facility induction | essential | at_entry | Once | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL · POL-DATA | – |
| T-02 | Safeguarding adults | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-03 | Safeguarding children | essential | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | POL-SAFEG | – |
| T-04 | Data protection and confidentiality | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-DATA | – |
| T-05 | Incident reporting and open disclosure | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-06 | Governance, accountability and assurance | recommended | periodic | Every 3 year(s) | – | C-01 · C-02 |
| T-07 | Emergency and major incident command | essential | annual | Every 1 year(s) | POL-INC | – |
| T-08 | Speaking up, inclusion and equality leadership | essential | periodic | Every 2 year(s) | POL-WHISTLE · POL-EQUAL | – |
8. Health, fitness and language
| ID | Requirement | Frequency | Tier | Minimum in low-resource settings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H-03 | Fitness-to-work assessment at entry and after serious illness or injury | Every 12 months | recommended | Fitness check at entry |
| Language | Level | Mandatory |
|---|---|---|
| Official language of the country of practice | professional | Yes |
| English | working | Yes |
9. Competencies by level
| ID | Competency | Foundation | Practitioner | Expert | Assessed by | Revalidate | Linked trainings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C-01 | Purchase ordering and quotes | Raises simple orders | Obtains and compares quotes | Designs purchasing steps | Purchasing audit | Every 12 months | T-06 |
| C-02 | Delivery follow-up | Tracks deliveries | Resolves delivery problems | Designs delivery performance checks | Delivery review | Every 12 months | T-06 |
10. Performance evaluation
- Probation: 6 months, with a sign-off review (recommended value).
- Appraisal: every 12 months against the competencies and indicators below.
| ID | Indicator | Target | Data source | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PI-01 | Orders approved before sending | 100% | order log | Monthly |
| PI-02 | Late deliveries followed up | 100% | delivery log | Weekly |
| PI-03 | Purchasing records audit | 100% | records audit | Quarterly |
11. Career ladder and promotion
| Level | Role | Minimum experience to move on | Qualifications | Competency minimums | Trainings required | Assessment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Executive | Procurement officer / buyer | 2 years (recommended) | Q-01 | C-01 practitioner, C-02 practitioner | T-06 | Executive appointment and performance review |
12. Policies the post holder follows
Each policy is a standard template that the facility adopts and adapts. Templates are maintained centrally, so every facility works from the same version.
POL-SAFEG · Safeguarding adults and children
Purpose: Protect patients from abuse, neglect and harm, and make sure every concern is recognised and acted on.
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff, volunteers and contractors.
Key rules:
- Recognise signs of abuse and neglect and record them factually.
- Report every concern to the designated safeguarding lead the same shift.
- Do not investigate alone.
- Share information only as the safeguarding procedure allows.
POL-DATA · Data protection and confidentiality
Purpose: Keep patient and staff information private, secure and used only for care and legal purposes.
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff who access records or systems.
Key rules:
- Access only the records needed for your work.
- Keep records secure; do not leave screens or paper unattended.
- Do not share information without a lawful basis.
- Report any breach to the data protection officer within 24 hours.
Linked trainings: T-10 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-WHISTLE · Speaking up (whistleblowing)
Purpose: Let staff raise patient safety or conduct concerns without fear of reprisal.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Raise a concern with your line manager or the named speaking-up officer.
- If that route fails, escalate to the board or the national regulator.
- Retaliation against anyone who speaks up is a disciplinary offence.
- Concerns are recorded, investigated and the outcome given to the person raising them.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 12 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-EQUAL · Equality, diversity and inclusion
Purpose: Give every patient and colleague fair access, respectful treatment and reasonable adjustments.
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff and patients.
Key rules:
- Treat every person with dignity regardless of background.
- Make reasonable adjustments, including interpreters, for language and disability.
- Report discrimination through the speaking-up route.
- Monitor access and outcomes by group.
Linked trainings: T-01 · Review every 24 months · Template 0.1 (draft)
POL-INC · Incident reporting and open disclosure
Purpose: Report and learn from incidents and near misses, and tell patients honestly when things go wrong.
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
Scope: All staff.
Key rules:
- Report every incident and near miss the same shift.
- Give the patient and family an honest account and an apology where appropriate (open disclosure).
- Take immediate action to protect others.
- Learn: contribute to the review and follow the agreed actions.
13. Standards that name this role
14. Record history
| Date | Change | Approved by |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-27 | Draft record, batch 1 of the position build | Awaiting approval |