Senior Procurement Specialist

Job Description

We are currently seeking Senior Procurement Specialist for our client, an organization apart of the Ontario Government Agency.

This is a one year contract with the chance of permanency and a hybrid working model (2-3 days a week on site) located in North York.

The Senior Procurement Specialist, reporting to the Category Management Lead, manages the procurement of complex and high-value / high-risk categories, mainly in Corporate and Professional services.

This role involves implementing best practices, sourcing and selecting suppliers, fostering relationships, supporting contract management, and collaborating with internal stakeholders, external vendors, and the Legal department. Roles and Responsibilities

• Assists in reviewing and redesigning category procurement strategies as needed.
• Leads or contributes to key negotiations with vendors.
• Proposes and helps implement cost reduction strategies.
• Recommends sourcing opportunities for both short-term and long-term needs.
• Analyzes current vendor expenditures and market landscape for assigned categories / sub-categories.
• Enhances service, quality, cost, lead time, value, and risk through strategic supplier selection.
• Develops effective relationships with end-user departments and suppliers, continuously improving the supply base to leverage the organization's spend and ensure timely availability of goods / services.
• Monitors and improves metrics to drive supplier performance, risk assessment savings, and develop initiatives for overall spend categories.
• Pursues improved service levels and total cost of ownership savings by maintaining lists of qualified bidders for goods and services.
• Provides guidance to various end-user departments on commercial, financial, and contractual matters.
• Reviews the validity of procurement requirements, considering professional knowledge, trades, markets, and the organization's policies and procedures.
• Obtains formal and informal tenders / proposals for goods / services, evaluates bid responses, and prepares commercial analysis.
• Conducts meetings with vendors regarding performance and develops alternate sources of supply for goods / services.
• Negotiates or chairs negotiations to establish pricing and terms for contracts, resolves claims or issues with vendors, and prepares commercial analysis and purchase order amendments.
• Reviews Board Reports and ensures procurement conformance for approval by senior procurement officials.
• Prepares and issues tender / proposal documentation, commercial analysis, Board Reports, award letters, purchase orders, and related documents.
• Conducts debriefing meetings with unsuccessful bidders as required.
• Issues award letters / purchase orders to successful tenderers / proponents.
• Coordinates all communication with bidders from tender issue to contract award, providing responses as required.
• Manages the tendering process, including preparing public advertisements and issuing addenda.
• Monitors local and worldwide demand for commodities and associated pricing for strategic purchasing decisions.
• Keeps up-to-date with market conditions, advancing technology, new sources of supply, new products, price trends, and relevant procurement issues.
• Reviews clients’ scope of work / specifications to ensure prerequisites are met and specifications / terms are clear and commercially acceptable.
• Maintains familiarity with other categories managed by Senior Procurement Specialists to handle purchases in their absence.
• Negotiates pricing under applicable RFx’s and with sole / single source vendors to reduce costs.
• Prepares and processes sole / single source justifications for approval.
• Prepares award letters for successful tenderers / proponents when appropriate.
• Writes special letters / correspondence to enforce vendor compliance with contracts.
• Performs initial assessments of sole / single source requirements before management approval.
• Develops evaluation criteria and appropriate weighting with user departments for proposal evaluations.
• Creates specific / unique contract documents for complex goods and services procurement.
• Travels to vendor facilities to observe operations and discuss practices.
• Collaborates with other transit organizations or municipalities, participating in joint procurement initiatives.
• Conducts contractor operational compliance audits, including visits during non-regular business hours.
• Reviews and / or writes Staff Summary Sheets for approval as required.
• Arranges contractor training and transit / property permits.
• Reports weekly on diesel pricing adjustments for diesel supply.
• Liaises with the City of Toronto and relevant departments for pricing of diesel fuel financial futures, natural gas, and electricity.
• Prepares responses to inquiries from Commissioners / Board Members or senior management.
• Adheres to the organization's Procurement Policy and procedures, monitoring and enforcing compliance by end-user departments.

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum 3 years' procurement experience working in the public sector
• Strong knowledge of the broader public sector procurement directives
• Demonstrated end to end procurement experience developing RFx
30+ days ago