Procurement Specialist

Position Title: Procurement specialist

**Position Type: Permanent Full-time**

**Location: Mississauga, ON**

**Job Band: 9**

**Salary Range: $35.98 - $42.99/hour**

**Hours of work: 36.25 hr/week**

**Reporting to: Manager, Procurement**

**This posting is applicable to: Internal/External Applicants**

**Skilled Trades Ontario (STO) is a Crown agency **responsible for skilled trades certification in Ontario, which includes: 
- **Establishing** **apprenticeship programs, **including training standards, curriculum standards and certification exams. 
- **Assessing** **experience** **and qualifications** of individuals who have not completed an apprenticeship program in Ontario.
- **Issuing** **Certificates of Qualification** in all trades with certifying exams. 
- **Renewing** **Certificates of Qualification** in compulsory trades.
- **Maintaining** **a Public Register** of people authorized to work in compulsory trades.
- **Conducting research** in relation to apprenticeship and the trades.

**Responsibilities**:

- Develop and implement procurement and vendor management strategies aligned with the STO’ business goals and objectives.
- Utilize in-depth understanding of organization's strategy and mandate, combined with knowledge of procurement planning principles, to enhance, streamline and drive procurement activities.
- Consolidate and transform data into clear actionable and meaningful reports for audiences at all levels.
- Lead the procurement and vendor management initiatives independently with minimum to no support in achieving high performance, continuous improvement and STO’s growth objectives.
- Collaborate with Senior Leaders across the organization to align procurement and vendor management activities (including long-term and short-term plans) with organizational priorities.
- Update the Senior Leadership Team regularly on the status of organizational procurements, providing strategic advice as needed to ensure business goals and objectives are being met.
- Lead procurement training initiatives across the organization to ensure comprehensive understanding of procurement, compliance requirements, and vendor management policies, procedures and best practices.
- Identify gaps for procurement area to eventually move the function toward a best-in-class procurement function.
- Deliver best in class procurement services to STO in accordance with government OPS directives, policies and procedures.
- Implement best practices in procurement to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and mitigate risks.
- Ensure goods and services are procured only after consideration of both financial and non-financial factors, including government objectives, conflicts of interest, intended outcomes, business requirements, procurement alternatives, timing, supply strategy, and method.
- Negotiate contracts, terms, and conditions to ensure favorable outcomes for the organization.
- Make independent decisions and use judgement, by examining data, policies, trade agreements, procurement directives and current legislative rulings/regulations to draw valid conclusions.
- Monitor vendor performance and develop scorecard tracking and make recommendations to senior leaders as needed.
- Identify and mitigate risks associated with procurement and vendor management activities.
- Analyze procurement data and trends to provide insights and recommendations for cost optimization, etc., to business areas and senior leaders.
- Stay informed about market trends, industry developments and changes to government directives and policies that may impact procurement and/or vendor management.
- As required, present value for money analysis upon expiry/extensions of contracts to demonstrate vendors fulfilled required objectives.

**Qualifications**:

- College or University degree with a specialty in procurement or business administration, finance or process improvement engineering or any other related field.
- Proven years of experience in procurement.
- Experience with procurement systems and processes in the public sector.
- Proven track record of developing and implementing successful procurement strategies.
- Experience in Procurement within Ontario Public Service, Broader Ontario Public Service, Federal or Municipal Public Service, highly regulated industry or similar field/industry is preferred.
- Experience with public tendering websites such as MERX, Biddingo, Bids & Tenders, Bravo, Jaggaer or others is preferred.
- CSCMP (Certified Supply Chain Management Professional Designation) International Accreditation is an asset.
- Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) or Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) is as asset.
- Project management certifications like PMP or Prince2 are an asset.

**Knowledge of**:

- Procurement Process Knowledge: Understanding of the end-to-end procurement lifecycle, including RFx processes.
- Knowledge of relevant best practices in procurement and vendor management in the publ