Senior Procurement Specialist

 Requisition ID: 1790
Affiliation: CUPE Municipal
Position Type: Permanent Full Time
Number of Openings: 1
Bi-weekly Working Hours: 70 hours bi-weekly
Department/ Branch: Supply Chain Management, Procurement
Job Location: Fort McMurray
Pay Level: PL17
Start Rate*: $ 55.72
Permanent Rate*: $ 65.75 (Permanent rate effective after twelve (12) months of employment)
COLA*: Bi-Weekly - $480
Closing Date (dd/mm/yyyy): 26/03/2023
Posting Type: Internal and External

*All CUPE job rates are currently under review and are subject to change.
 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

As a working leader, the Senior Procurement Specialist contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness of the Municipality’s procurement function and contract administration activities. This includes, but is not limited to leading, performing, and providing subject matter expertise regarding contractor relationships, contract negotiations, corporate wide contracts, sourcing strategies, market analysis, cost modeling, and cost/price analysis. This position performs professional procurement work of extraordinary difficulty in the analytical, compliance, and complex bidding functions. The incumbent will implement all policies, procedures, and systems innovations within the procurement function, and support the corporate role of procurement services by working strategically with clients, providing all necessary information and subject matter expertise to internal departments and the vendor community. Coaching and mentoring to junior procurement staff is also a key aspect of this role.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for the full procurement cycle, including solicitation, award, contract creation, and vendor performance monitoring, with a focus on providing customer service to client departments throughout the cycle.
• Coaches, influences, mentors, and guides peers with adherence to established procurement approaches and guidelines.  
• Coaches client departments in their evaluations, selections, and negotiations with the successful bidder.  
• Provides expertise on procurement legislation and processes to ensure risks are identified and addressed with appropriate mitigation strategies to protect the Municipality and the procurement activities from legal challenges or project delays.
• Efficiently assesses client’s needs and requirements, and determines the most appropriate procurement strategies, in consideration of legislative requirements and established protocols. Utilizes procurement and commercial expertise to inform and influence the client’s desires towards the optimal procurement approach. Guides client departments to develop well defined specifications and expertly advises clients on the development of evaluation requirements and criteria that leads to the selection of the most advantageous suppliers and contract terms.
• Creates the broadest opportunity and transparency during the bidding process; instructs and facilitates short-listed suppliers through carefully constructed open dialogue and negotiations in second stage evaluations, debriefings, negotiations, and contract execution with top-ranked suppliers.  
• Delivers advice to clients on bidding risks in real time.   
• Applies institutional governance skills, including knowing how to implement and operate within complex rules that include procurement accountability controls, integrity protocols and treaty compliance practices.
• Drafts and prepares various documents within tight timelines including but not limited to contracts and comprehensive front end RFX documents with a high level of accuracy and liaises with Supply Chain leadership and/or Legal Services when necessary. 
• Facilitates the execution of contracts with suppliers. 
• Facilitates and controls the format of Request for Proposal (“RFP”) templates and negotiations with short-listed and top-ranked proponents.
• Identifies opportunities for operational improvements through ongoing monitoring of procurement processes and results. 
• Participates in and actively promotes change management approaches to procurement.
• Manages workflow within multi-member project teams to ensure consistency and accuracy throughout documents. 
• Ensures transparency on procurement requirements and process rules to avoid legal challenges. 
• Obtains leadership and legal review of any deviations from standard practice and prepares contract for signature according to established signing authorities before releasing the award.  
• Chairs supplier debriefing sessions.  
• Performs other duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Maintains a high level of knowledge of various purchasing methods and practices, legislative/regulatory frameworks governing procurement including the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and New West Partnership Trade Agreement (NWPTA).
• Maintains a thorough knowledge of the vendor community and commodity needs.
• Strong project governance skills, excellent document drafting, and editing skills, with a demonstrated high level of detailed focus to ensure accuracy.
• Ability to work under pressure with frequent changes, providing consistent and professional services with client departments and the supplier community within tight deadlines and public scrutiny.
• High level of diplomacy, political sensitivity, and conflict resolution abilities are required.
• High standard of ethics, integrity, and discretion.
• Ability to facilitate meetings in a clear and concise manner. 
• High level of interpersonal, communication, listening, negotiating, and interpretative skills.
• Ability to understand and analyze project outcomes and adjust the procurement process to best meet the needs of complex and large-scale procurement projects. 
• Ability to influence and gain adherence to established processes to ensure positive results. 
• Actively listens, identifies issues, interprets situations, and provides recommendations; often independently.  
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities and respond to issues based on priority and urgency.  

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Diploma in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or another related Diploma. An unrelated Diploma will be accepted if also combined with a professional procurement designation or certification as listed below.
• Seven (7) years of progressively responsible and related experience in a large corporate or municipal government purchasing environment, with end-to-end responsibility for governing complex and large-scale procurement activities, with preference given to those with experience in Public Procurement.

OR

• Degree in Public or Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or another related Degree. An unrelated Degree will be accepted if also combined with a professional procurement designation or certification as listed below.
• Five (5) years of progressively responsible and related experience in a large corporate or municipal government purchasing environment, with end-to-end responsibility for governing complex and large-scale procurement activities, with preference given to those with experience in Public Procurement.

• Completion of a professional procurement designation or certification (Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) or equivalent) is preferred. 
• Contract administration, supplier management, business analysis, analytics, and/or project management experience are all considered assets. 

OTHER REQUIREMENTS: 

• Ability to provide a Criminal Record Check for review and acceptance.
• A valid Class Five (5) Operator’s License is required as incumbent will be required to operate a personal or municipal vehicle for business use on a regular basis. 

SAFETY: 

As an employee of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, the incumbent is responsible for understanding and actively participating in the RMWB’s health and safety management system, including all policies, practices, procedures, as well as properly utilizing all control measures including the required use of personal protective equipment. All employees must take reasonable care to protect the health and safety of themselves and others, as well as immediately report any concerns, near misses, incidents, and hazardous conditions to their supervisor.
 

To apply:  Please visit our website at jobs.rmwb.ca

Current employees must apply through the internal careers site.

We appreciate the interest of all applicants; however, only those individuals
selected for interviews will be contacted. Late applications will not be accepted.