Area Procurement Specialist

Key Responsibilities

Area Procurement Implementation
•    Translate national procurement initiatives into actionable plans for branches across Ontario.
•    Ensure alignment with corporate strategies while tailoring implementation to local operational needs.
•    Identify area or region-specific procurement opportunities not currently covered under national agreements.
•    Analyze spend data to uncover cost-saving opportunities and inefficiencies within the area.
•    Lead RFP processes for applicable goods and services.
•    Provide training and support to branch and field-level staff on procurement standards and practices and RFP processes.
Vendor Relationship Management
•    Establish and maintain strong relationships with vendors, negotiating favorable terms while ensuring service quality.
•    Monitor supplier performance and provide feedback to both regional teams and corporate stakeholders.
•    Balance national/area vendor partnerships while meeting local branch service needs.

Cost Optimization & Risk Mitigation
•    Track procurement performance and drive area-level initiatives that reduce costs and increase value.
•    Mitigate risks by ensuring supplier reliability, compliance, and alignment with contractual terms.
•    Evaluate lease vs. buy and service contract decisions in collaboration with operations and finance teams.
•    Serve as the point of contact for resolving procurement-related issues at the area/regional level.

Cross-Functional Collaboration
•    Act as a bridge between corporate procurement, regional procurement and local branches.
•    Support internal stakeholders with sourcing, vendor onboarding, and procurement-related training.
•    Regularly communicate progress, issues, and successes to the Area Vice President and corporate procurement team.

Qualifications
•    Minimum 5–8 years of experience in procurement, supply chain, or a related field, preferably in a multi-site or regional role.
•    Self-starter with high degree of initiative and grit.
•    Strong negotiation and vendor management skills.
•    Ability to analyze data and develop procurement strategies that deliver tangible cost savings.
•    Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work across multiple stakeholder levels.
•    Familiarity with RFP processes and contract development.
•    Organized, adaptable, and capable of managing competing priorities across a wide geographic area.
•    Excellent at leading through influence and articulating the benefits of decisions to others

Preferred Experience
•    Experience working with vendors in both urban and rural or remote regions.
•    Knowledge of procurement challenges in the market.
•    Understanding of fleet, facilities, or industrial services procurement is an asset.
•    Comfortable working in an entrepreneurial environment with a high degree of autonomy