Procurement Specialist

**Procurement Specialist, Financial Services**
**Permanent Full-Time**
**Effective: Immediately**
**35 Hours/week - 12 Months/years**

**Starting Salary: $31.35 - $32.98/Hour**

**See Yourself in Limestone**

Reporting to the Procurement Supervisor, the Procurement Specialist supports the Board by coordinating procurement projects, including acquiring goods and services, preparing procurement documents, such as tenders, proposals, contracts, change orders and purchase orders as well as recognizing procurement risks and identifying opportunities to minimize these risks.

This position facilitates the acquisition of goods and services in a manner that provides best overall value, while ensuring all purchasing transactions are processed in a manner that supports board objectives and operational timelines while ensuring accuracy and compliance with Board policies, procedures and internal controls. This position also provides support training and guidance to school and board staff in the acquisition of goods and services and responds to queries from vendors concerning procurement opportunities with the Board.

The Limestone District School Board’s strategic vision centres on student and staff _Wellness, Innovation _and _Collaboration_. Situated in historic Kingston, on the shores of scenic Lake Ontario, the Limestone District School Board serves more than 19,000 students in 55 schools and 5 alternative education centres, covering a geographic area of 7,719 square kilometres across the City of Kingston, the Townships of Central Frontenac, North Frontenac, South Frontenac, Addington Highlands, Loyalist, Stone Mills, the Frontenac Islands and the Town of Greater Napanee.

**Qualifications & Required Skills**
- Three or more years related work experience in progressively responsible positions, preferably with a medium to large public sector organization
- Completion of a 2-year College Diploma (minimum), in business
- Willingness and commitment to obtain a designation/ certification with a professionally recognized procurement association.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the principles of procurement, supply management, competitive bidding and contract preparation
- Demonstrated understanding of purchasing, government legislation/ regulations and guidelines for competitive procurement and purchasing processing within a large and complex environment.
- Effective customer service, collaboration, and negotiation skills
- Ability to work successfully in a team environment and independently
- Strong commitment to ensuring deadlines are maintained and achieved
- Demonstrated organizational, project management, analytical and problem-solving skills
- Intermediate to Advanced level skill with MS Word and Excel to produce competitive bid documents and spreadsheets for financial analysis
- Intermediate level of MS Excel, including but not limited to the use of formulas, sorting, filtering, reordering columns and formatting for report preparation
- Excellent written, verbal communication and interpersonal skills
- Demonstrates experience and commitment to EDI (Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion)

**Duties & Responsibilities**
- Coordinate procurement projects and lead staff, including senior managers and principals through the competitive procurement process
- Perform needs analysis to identify procurement specifications
- Develop competitive evaluation criteria and scoring matrices through staff input and sensitivity analysis
- Clearly articulate and advise senior management, principals and staff of the implications and obligations implied by contract terms and suggest alternatives to ensure best value and limit risk
- Work collaboratively with evaluation group members to reach consensus for a recommended vendor for contract award in accordance with procurement laws and prepare written recommendations to senior management
- Review and remedy bidder complaints and disputes regarding competitive bid processes in accordance with procurement law, and Canadian and international trade agreement protocols
- Interpret, write, and negotiate complex construction and service contracts, and work with consultants and legal advisors to establish required terms and conditions that protect the Board from financial and reputational risk
- Meet with unsuccessful bidders to perform debriefings, ensuring debriefings are conducted in compliance with Canadian and international trade agreement protocols
- Perform vendor evaluations to ensure contract obligations are met, deficiencies are remedied, and opportunities for improvement are fostered, all of which are documented and normally done by meeting with the vendor and other means of communication
- Participate as the procurement specialist on inter
- departmental working groups for new school construction and equipping and various technology projects
- Oversee the disposal and sale of surplus board equipment and furniture which may include posting items to a government or public website, and receivi