Gucci, Dulux, Castle Modular – How a Commitment to Upskilling Brought Sinéad Vaughan to Offsite Construction
With more construction professionals upskilling in Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) than ever, this opens up possibilities for new and diverse skillsets to enter the Irish construction industry. See how the Procurement Manager for Galway based Castle Modular came to work in her position with the backing of the offsite manufacturer and specialised upskilling courses in MMC.
Part of the appeal of working in a company using Modern Methods of Construction is that MMC can open opportunities for people with different backgrounds to join the industry. How? The automation, digitisation, and Lean principles applied to traditional construction processes often means less physical labour, safer and more routine places of work, and a greater range of skills required.
That is certainly self-evident in the case of the Procurement Manager for Castle Modular. The offsite division of Castle Group delivers innovative, high-quality modular solutions, with the specialist team managing every stage of the process end to end, from design to manufacturing through to installation and final project turnover.
A Procurement Manager typically leads on and manages company procurement activities, ensuring the cost-effective, timely, and sustainable sourcing of materials, products, and services. This is to support, in the case of companies such as Castle Modular, manufacturing offsite or more sustainable and Lean activities onsite. Often, individuals in this role would hold qualifications in procurement, supply chain management, business, or engineering. A Procurement Manager may also have years of experience in construction, from onsite operations to back-of-house positions.
Sinéad Vaughan has worked with the Castle Group for nearly five years – yet comes from the world of first luxury fashion retailing and later colour specification for Dulux.
How did she come to her position with the modular manufacturing company, given her lack of experience in construction? Her willingness to learn and her long-term commitment to upskill herself in MMC.
Sinéad started out with Castle Group on the fit-out side of the business, before transferring within a year to the modular division. She was “very self-aware that she didn’t have the same technical background as others on the team”, so was motivated to upskill in MMC, so she could understand her colleagues’ needs and better source materials, products, and contractors to support offsite manufacturing activities.
“ I was already an experienced procurement professional, but it was the world of construction that was new to me. The different materials and components we need to manufacture our modular units often have precise technical specifications to work for our requirements. At the time, Griffith College was running a course in Strategic Supply Management for MMC, which I thought would be a perfect fit.”
Procurement Manager at Castle Modular
The micro-credential, developed with the Construction Professionals Skillnet, covered areas such as MMC process enablers and strategic supply decisions for MMC, as well as supply chain organisation and optimisation. It proved the ideal focus on the relevant procurement expertise Sinéad would need to bring to the role. She completed the course in 2024 and was immediately ready for another step in her upskilling journey.
The course in Strategic Supply Management for MMC proved a vital supplement to her existing knowledge of procurement processes – albeit in entirely different industries.
Sinéad started her career as a buyer for Dunnes Stores, before going into management. Later, she pivoted to high-end fashion, working for some of the world’s most luxurious brands. Tommy Hilfiger. Cartier. Gucci. It’s quite the CV for someone in retail, but for Sinéad it meant time away from the West of Ireland, where her friends and family are.
“I learned a lot about supply chain organisation and procurement, with buyer roles and store management giving you both sides of that coin. But after eight years with Gucci in Dublin, I wanted to be back closer to home, so I took a role with Dulux. I was part of the commercial team responsible for the West and Northwest of Ireland, providing expertise in colour specifications to clients and managing relationships with key decision makers in retail stores and buying groups.”
Procurement Manager at Castle Modular
As Sinéad puts it, the role with Dulux gave her good insight into the ‘soft side of the construction sector, building strong working partnerships with businesses across these regions. When Covid-19 hit, however, Sinéad was taken off the road – and decided it was time for another new challenge. That’s what brought her to Castle Group in 2022.
Returning to Sinéad’s upskilling journey, after completing her course in green procurement for MMC operations, she decided to expand this knowledge of modern construction techniques further. In September 2025 Sinéad enrolled in the Postgraduate Diploma in Construction Innovation through the University of Galway, one of the most in-depth upskilling courses in Ireland for MMC.
The programme helps learners to develop core skills in sustainability, digitalisation, Lean thinking, and MMC. This supports the development of novel technology and services to take advance of opportunities for advancing the construction industry.
“The course has been fantastic; I would recommend it to anyone. It covers a good mix of topics and has really changed my thinking around how a well-run supply chain, optimised with advanced materials, is critical to modern building. It has given me the technical know-how and critical thinking to take on different roles in an MMC setting, which is very useful for the business and my career.”
Procurement Manager at Castle Modular
Sinéad is currently engaged in a module focused on Innovation & Entrepreneurship, ultimately leading to an ‘Innovation Project’ focused on identifying a real-world opportunity for developing a new technology / service solution for the construction sector. From there, learners will devise and implement the solution, demonstrate its commercial viability, and develop pitches for funding to take this solution to market. Sinéad explained how she plans to use this project to support her day-to-day role.
“My focus is on developing a procurement strategy and supply chain structure for accessing new materials for an MMC product. This isn’t just relevant to my role – it will actively support new product development in Castle Modular.”
Procurement Manager at Castle Modular
With this practical insight onboard, Sinéad will be able to improve procurement processes within the modular manufacturing company and ensure Castle Modular is getting the most advanced materials to budget and just in time for complex projects.
“It’s a minefield, learning about new materials and companies in the world of MMC, as it’s changing all the time. It means I am always learning and keeps things interesting.”
Procurement Manager at Castle Modular
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