Under general supervision and with independent judgement, the Buyer II provides public procurement services to the municipality and its employees for the purchase of products, services, and construction. The Buyer II participates in most aspects of procurement and contract administration activities including, but not limited to contractor relationships, contract negotiations, corporate wide contracts, sourcing strategies, market analysis, cost modeling, and cost/price analysis. The incumbent will follow policies and procedures, assists in implementing systems innovations within procurement services, and support the corporate role of procurement services by working strategically with client departments and providing all necessary information and subject matter expertise relating to public procurement.

responsibilities

• Provides a full range of purchasing and materials management services on intermediate complexity and small to medium sized purchases of capital goods and services.
• Leads procurement activities with respect to client department relationship development and sourcing strategies.
• Composes commercial bids, reviews technical specifications, performs commercial evaluation of submitted bids, and holds the authority to release purchase orders within defined parameters and to recommend the acceptance of awards.
• Interprets and communicates procurement policies, regulations, and procedures to the client departments and provides advisory services regarding the application of those standards.
• Performs vendor administration, conducts research, interviews, negotiates contracts, and monitors vendor performance.
• Serves as a liaison between vendors, contractors, and municipal departments, and resolves disputes and conflicts.
• Researches best practices for contracting and contract development and consults with leadership regarding contractual obligations or potential litigation.
• Provides advice regarding common law, tendering law, and provincial statutes including the relevant trade agreements, municipal government acts, and other legislative requirements.
• Proof and edit documents to ensure consistency, completeness, and accuracy of documentation.
• Oversees the disposal of surplus and salvage goods.
• Shares technical expertise and knowledge with other department staff to encourage information sharing and internal learning opportunities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• In depth knowledge of public procurement practices, related jurisdictional and local legislation, and relevant trade agreements.
• In depth knowledge of the legal ramifications of purchasing decisions, various forms of agreements, FOIP, the relevant trade agreements, as well as knowledge of the Municipal Government Act.
• Actively seeks to understand information communicated by listening and asking for clarification when needed.
• Ability to communicate respectfully with co-workers and client departments.
• High level of diplomacy, political sensitivity, and conflict resolution abilities.
• High standard of ethics, integrity, and discretion.
• Promotes creativity by proposing innovative ideas and new solutions to problems.
• Ability to work independently and to effectively schedule work in order to meet service demands.
• Ability to work under pressure with frequent changes, critical timelines, and frequent interruptions.
• Maintains a good knowledge of the vendor community and commodity needs.
• Pursues learning opportunities and ongoing professional development to remain current with industry best practices.

education and experience:

• Certificate in Supply Chain Management or a related Certificate program with a focus on logistics or purchasing, combined with four (4) years’ related experience corporate centralized procurement environment.

OR

• Diploma in Supply Chain Management, Logistics, or a related Diploma program, combined with three (3) years’ experience corporate centralized procurement environment.
• Direct experience is to include a combination of purchasing and materials management in a computerized accounting environment for a large organization or agency.
• Completion of, or working towards, a professional purchasing designation (i.e. SCMP, CPPB, CPPO) is an asset.

other requirements:

• A valid Class five (5) Operator’s Licence is considered an asset.
• Pre-employment testing may be part of the interview process.
• Submission of a Criminal Record Check is required.

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.