Procurement Specialist (9-Months Contract)

Start: Target June 8th, 2026; no later than June 15th, 2026
Term: 9 months (possible extension)
Location: Don Mills Area, Toronto; hybrid ~3 days/week onsite
Compensation: $50–$55/hour (T4 or incorporated/umbrella as applicable)
Reports to: Senior Procurement Advisor (and/or Procurement Manager)

About the Role

Our client urgently requires an experienced procurement professional to provide hands-on sourcing and contract support while advising stakeholders on best-practice procurement methods. The ideal candidate is comfortable working in a public-sector or highly regulated environment and can quickly step into an active portfolio, driving compliant procurements from planning through to purchase order and recordkeeping. Experience with Ontario Public Service (OPS) procurements is an asset but not required.

What You’ll Do

Advise & plan

Provide strategic guidance on procurement approach (e.g., invitational quotes, RFQ, RFP, vendor-of-record call-ups, non-competitive/limited tendering where justified).

Consult with program leads to confirm scope, specifications, evaluation criteria, budgets, timelines, and risks.

Recommend appropriate contract types, terms, and pricing structures.

Source & run events

Draft and/or refine solicitation documents (RFI/RFQ/RFP), addenda, evaluation tools, and consensus scoring materials.

Lead competitive processes end-to-end: posting, vendor Q&A, evaluation support, debriefs.

Conduct market scans and vendor outreach consistent with applicable directives.

Negotiate & award

Support/lead negotiation of commercial terms, pricing, and service levels; ensure alignment with legal/finance.

Prepare award recommendations and approval packages aligned to Delegation of Financial Authority (DFA).

Issue purchase orders and facilitate contract execution in accordance with policy.

Compliance & governance

Review documents for compliance with OPS Procurement directives (where applicable) and internal policies; ensure file completeness and audit readiness.

Apply public-sector procurement principles (open, fair, transparent, non-discriminatory) and relevant trade agreements (e.g., CFTA/CETA) as applicable to the client.

Maintain accurate records, including conflict-of-interest and confidentiality documentation.

Reporting & continuous improvement

Assist the Senior Procurement Advisor with process improvements, KPI tracking, corporate reporting, and document archiving.

Support spend analytics, vendor performance monitoring, and lessons-learned.

What You Bring

5–8+ years of progressive procurement/sourcing experience (public sector, broader public sector, crown agency, health/education, or similar regulated environment preferred; complex private-sector experience also welcome).

Demonstrated ability to run end-to-end competitive processes and non-competitive justifications, including drafting RFx packages and evaluation tools.

Strong grasp of procurement policy and compliance (OPS directive exposure a plus) and comfort working with DFA, audit requirements, and defensible files.

Proficiency with PO creation and contract administration in an ERP/eProcurement system (e.g., SAP/Ariba, Oracle, Workday, Jaggaer, Bonfire, Merx/Biddingo portals).

Exceptional stakeholder management, facilitation, and written communication skills; able to coach evaluators and influence non-procurement teams.

Advanced MS Office skills (Word for RFx, Excel for pricing models/evaluations, PowerPoint for recommendations).

Credentials: Post-secondary degree/diploma in Business, Supply Chain, Public Administration or related field. Professional designations such as SCMP, CPPB/CPPO, CIPS (MCIPS) are considered assets.

Nice to Have

Direct experience with OPS procurements and knowledge of OPS Procurement Directive and templates.

Familiarity with Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Directive and trade agreement thresholds.

Category experience in professional services, IT/SAAS, facilities, or capital/IM/CM projects.