Senior Procurement Advisor

Vancouver, BC

Join an organization that plays a critical role in Canada’s economy. At the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, we focus on doing the incredible work it takes to become the world’s most sustainable port.


The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is responsible for the stewardship of the Port of Vancouver, Canada’s largest and most diversified port. Our mandate as a Canada Port Authority, as set out by the Canada Marine Act, is to enable Canada’s trade objectives, ensuring goods are moved safely and responsibly through the Port of Vancouver. That means providing infrastructure and ensuring the safe and efficient movement of marine traffic and cargo within the port. It also means we carry out reviews of proposed activities and developments on federal port lands and waters to determine whether a project can go ahead without impacts to the environment and community that cannot be mitigated.


We are committed to diversity, inclusion, and sustainability. We believe in creating a workplace that reflects the richness of our community and empowers all employees to reach their full potential.


The Senior Procurement Advisor works collaboratively with VFPA departments as a business partner to conduct informed decisions on expenditures. This partnership model extends to suppliers who become strategic partners in the department’s objective to deliver the best value, minimize risks, introduce innovation, and achieve the best results. The Senior Procurement Advisor’s responsibilities include developing and maintaining key supplier relationships, driving value for money and monitoring ongoing supplier performance, as well as coordinating efforts between internal stakeholders and suppliers’ account teams to achieve procurement objectives and maximize commercial outcomes. The Senior Procurement Advisor will also develop and deploy effective approaches to strategic spend management while utilizing procurement tools to maximize cost reduction, reduce risk, and ensure fairness and transparency. This includes implementing sourcing strategy, leading competitive procurements, negotiating, drafting, issuing and administering commercial contracts.


What You Do

  • Develop negotiation strategies and plans. Communicates, facilitates and leads the negotiation process on behalf of departments, as appropriate
  • Consistently deliver value for money and proactively identifies incremental savings opportunities across multiple departments
  • Utilize analytical tools and techniques to analyze and interpret a wide range of supplier and organizational information and options to support procurement planning and decision making
  • Utilize subject matter expertise to apply risk and compliance checks when analyzing supply contracts
  • Identify appropriate suppliers to fit departments’ business objectives, and also identifies opportunities to optimize the supply base for incremental benefits
  • Work closely with Legal on key contracts, including negotiation of contract terms and conditions, contract execution, deliverables measurement and monitoring, deficiency reporting and resolution, change controls, payment approvals, and other tasks as required
  • Recommends, develops, coordinates, implements and maintains related processes and procedures, policies and directives to maximize procurement efficiency and effectiveness across the organization


What You Bring

  • University degree in business administration or another acceptable degree
  • Must have a minimum 5 years of senior level experience recommending, leading and problem solving all aspects of the competitive procurement process for complex multi-million dollar acquisitions including
  • bargaining complicated business terms that mitigate contractual risk and generate appropriate cost savings
  • improving stakeholder relationships; creating solutions to challenging supplier/contract issue
  • improving supplier performance outcomes
  • Significant multi-category experience including developing procurement strategy using data insights, improving business processes, communicating procurement policy, and working knowledge of relevant contract terms and conditions
  • Considerable consulting and construction category experience
  • Completion of the Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designation, or equivalent, are strong assets
  • Proficiency interpreting spend analytics, including proficiency in MS Office Suite
  • Working knowledge of procurement related software or ERP systems


What We Offer

We offer a robust total rewards package including:

  • Market-competitive base salaries and variable incentive plan
  • Generous and inclusive benefits offering including retirement benefits plan
  • Earned time off program
  • Paid vacation and personal care leave
  • Learning, development, and advancement opportunities
  • Onsite gym with towel service in a national landmark in the heart of Vancouver’s waterfront
  • Friendly, unique, and respectful workplace


Location: Vancouver, Canada

Job type: Bargaining Unit, Full-Time, Permanent, Hybrid

Working environment: Normal office conditions



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