Buyer (G)

Financial Services

Education Centre

**Applicants will be considered in the following order**:
1) Qualified probationary, temporary and Temporary Hourly Rated (THR) ESS/OSSTF employees.

2) Qualified external applicants (includes employees from other Bargaining Units)

**Hours of Work**: TBD

**Responsibilities**:
Independently oversees, strategizes and assumes responsibility for multiple streams of business activity within the department, the Board and amongst supplier base

Responsible for the effective practice and interpretation of WRDSB Procurement related Policies and Procedures, best practices and guidelines

Builds and maintains a knowledge base that includes generally accepted procurement principles, broader public sector directives, freedom of information, taxation rules, trade agreements and frequently evolving competitive Procurement and Business laws, statutes and Directives

Independently prepares, writes, analyzes and comprehends complex documents such as Request for Proposals, Request for Tenders, Request for Quotes, Addenda, bid forms, contracts, and terms and conditions with attention to detail

Negotiates with suppliers on price, delivery, specification, services and terms to reach an agreement or compromise with the best possible outcome seeking mutual benefit

Influences internal clients in a positive manner through rapport building, strategizing, and decision making to support procurement initiatives, planning and/or implementation of contracts

Represents the department, establishes and maintains positive relationships with colleagues in other government agencies at relevant meetings, committees, presentations, and cooperative meetings

Attends and participates in conferences and seminars to keep current with procurement related topics as required

Identifies priorities in a time sensitive environment, and rearranges projects to meet deadlines

Investigates, strategizes, and implements new opportunities and initiatives to reduce costs or provide efficiencies to the Board

Reviews all requisitions for assigned commodities to ensure completeness, compliance with Board Procurement Policy and Procedures, and appropriateness of vendor bid sections

On behalf of the Manager, administers the Board’s various commodity requirements and liaises with internal and external stakeholders. For example:
Procurement services website must remain up to date

Works with vendors and their IT departments to develop, test and ensure the website features and functions are working properly and are user-friendly

Creates all training documentation for authorized staff

Works with IT on all Google Groups and new technology initiatives

Liaise with Accounting and IT on procure to pay methods

**Qualifications**:
Post-secondary diploma is required;
Attainment of or actively working towards the Completion of Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) designation

Three years experience in a complex procurement environment. Public sector experience would be preferred;
Working experience with public sector collaborate organizations such as OPBA, OECM, and GRCPG

Experience in a leadership role with cooperative contracts

Request for Tender, Request for Proposal and Request for Quotation writing experience

Experience with the principles, practices, and procedures of public procurement and contract administration, contract law, CETA, CFTA, and Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive and other related legislation;
Experience in negotiating price, delivery, specifications, services and contracts

Experience in facilitation and dispute resolution

Ability to maintain confidentiality of a broad range of business information

Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders of varying levels

Leadership experience and presentation skills

Knowledge, confidence and excellent judgment to make difficult decisions in a legally sensitive environment

Ability to work with deadlines and high level of flexibility

Ability to work well in a collaborative environment in a positive manner

Commitment to Customer Service with strong interpersonal skills

Ability to work in a detail oriented environment with mínimal supervision

High degree of technological proficiency, that includes experience with eProcurement tools (i.e. bidsandtenders), financial information systems, Gsuite tools and Microsoft Office

Applicant Self-Identification Questions

The Waterloo Region District School Board is committed to equity in employment. We are committed to fair and equitable hiring practices that allow us to hire qualified staff who reflect the diversity of the community we serve, who will foster the success and well-being of our students and who demonstrate a commitment to equity and inclusion in the classroom.

First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples, and all other Indigenous peoples;
members of groups that commonly experience discrimination due to race, ancestry, colour, religion and/or spiritual belie