Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide contract development services, strategic advice and expertise in developing and implementing major procurement initiatives for the Ontario Clean Water Agency (OCWA), and to monitor procurement/service arrangements to ensure that they are completed according to terms and conditions of agreement.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Corporate procurement and supply services
- Build and enhance client relationships to provide effective procurement and supply services and advice.
- Works with OCWA management to define ongoing and anticipated procurement needs and priorities.
- Provides timely information and analysis to facilitate implementation of the client's operational and business plans for procurement, including: analysis of major supply needs, sourcing strategies, price forecasts, cost- benefit analyses, service delivery alternatives and pros and cons of specific services or products.
- Advises clients on the interpretation and application of corporate procurement policies, procedures and guidelines.
- Provides advice in the competitive tender process to clients to ensure RFP's comply with procurement rules and legal requirements to ensure that vendors have access to a fair and transparent procurement opportunity, within timelines, budget and deliverables; leads the development of RFP's, contracts, invitational tenders and sourcing plans/methods.
- Initiates and negotiates alliances and contracts with the main suppliers to OCWA

2. Vendor contract performance management
- Develops and maintain good working relationships with vendor community to help prevent and/or resolve vendor and contract performance issues.
- Provides information about the vendor and the agreement to clients to enable them to monitor the deliverables, vendor performance and resolve issues.
- Develops benchmarks for approval by management for application in vendor performance monitoring.
- Performs formal evaluations of vendors' performance to assess contract compliance and ensure service and value for money.
- Coordinates the resolution of disputes with vendors, and undertakes appropriate remedial action to address supplier non-compliance with contractual obligations and fair business practices.

3. Analysis of market, products and services:
- Reviews existing and potential goods, services and suppliers by conducting analyses of market, products and services, and consulting with clients to ensure that procurement arrangements are aligned with clients' needs.
- Conducts monitoring of the supplier base, evaluates supplier strengths and weaknesses to identify potential partnership opportunities.
- Coordinates the conducting of technical assessments of products with operational and technical specialists to facilitate the development of specification recommendations to ensure compliance with OCWA quality standards and cost savings objectives.

4. Logistics Coordination and Procurement Administration
- Checks the accuracy and completeness of procurement arrangements according to established and agreed schedules and ensure that assets are recorded and mechanisms are in place to monitor procurement activity.
- Coordinates aggregation, classification and recording of current and historical procurement information.

5. Procedures/guidelines/systems development and implementation
- Revise and/or develop procurement administrative policies, best practices, procedures, guidelines and systems to support procurement/supply operations and improve administration of procurement of goods and services and management, monitoring and control of contracts, assets and expenditures
- Coordinates and participates with OCWA staff to ensure the development of detailed specifications and services standards for goods and services.
- Develops and implements operational policies, procedures and controls for goods transportation and logistics to ensure consistency with environmental regulations.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Public/private sector procurement practices, supply and asset management principles and practices, procurement policies, directives and standing agreements to provide expert advice and guidance to clients in choice of vendors/contractors and in developing the appropriate RFP specifications.
- Provincial water and wastewater treatment industry processes to determine specific chemical, testing and service procurement requirements.
- Applicable legislation to ensure adherence to provincial standards when coordinating procurement activities and transportation logistics.
- Administration to sustain continuous improvements in effectiveness of procurement policy and procedures for management and monitoring of contracts, assets and expenditures, agency's business/programs objectives and related markets to identify products/services that meet with requirements,.
- Financial, economic, and relevant scientific analytical/evaluative techniques to assess market products and advise clients in choice of products.
- Practices related to contract agreements such as contract law and competitive bidding case law to advise clients on risks in business decisions for procurement through the tendering process and the implications of the terms and conditions of contracts.
- Communication to provide advisory services to management and liaise with external vendors.
- Operation of common office software (including word processing, spreadsheet, database, project management and presentation capabilities) to create analytical reporting on vendor usage, distribution of expenditure, buying trends, and tracking of work in progress,

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Communication and persuasion skills to advise and inform management on procurement services, processes, policies and best practices, and to work with clients, industry and management/staff to develop alternate solutions to technical processes.
- Advisory skills to provide information to clients on procurement options and to maintain good working relationships with vendors to encourage delivery of services as agreed in contract arrangement; and to promote fair and transparent process for procurement of contracts/services.
- Negotiation skills to negotiate contracts and resolve procurement problems with vendors/suppliers.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analyzing and problem-solving skills to:
- Evaluate and assess the agency's procurement needs and priorities, evaluate multiple sources of required goods/services, and develop/recommend sourcing strategies;
- Perform formal evaluations of vendors' performance to assess contract compliance;
- Evaluate tenders for such commodities as chemicals, water testing services and biosolids management;
- Examine information from different sources to develop and recommend improvements in business practices in the area of procurement;
- Review administrative procedures, guidelines and systems related to management, monitoring and control of contracts, assets and expenditures to recommend new initiatives and/or revisions.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Responsible for:
- Assessing and identifying client needs to advise on RFP development, vendor selection, and contract negotiations.
- Evaluating vendor's performance and advising Senior Management and client of performance issues.
- Researching, identifying and establishing procurement opportunities to achieve cost savings for procurement requirements.
Has latitude to
- complete comprehensive reviews of existing practices to develop and recommend new policies/guidelines for implementation.
- approve purchase orders and negotiate/approve contracts within approval authority limit.
- Resolve vendor and client disputes.
- Establish standing agreement for regulated commodities/services.

Decision making is guided by private/public sector procurement practices, supply and asset management principles and practices, relevant legislation, legal practices related to contract agreements, the provisions of OPS/ministry corporate policies, directives/guidelines and client mandates. Position consults with the manager on specific and/or contentious issues.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- OCWA management to provide advice and services related to procurement requirements.
- OCWA senior management to provide recommendations on procurement strategies and policy.
- Legal counsel to resolve contractual matters.
- Private sector vendors to provide information, explain policy, resolve problems and conduct negotiations leading to successful business transactions.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides technical guidance and expertise to client management in the form of explanations and briefings on procurement matters to assure compliance with procurement processes and through providing recommendations on approving business cases, RFP development, vendor selection, contract negotiations, business case review and corporate policy.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

Frequent unexpected work demands; tight time pressures, and limited control over pace of work.

Mental / Sensory :

Frequent periods of concentration to a normal degree of intensity to review contracts for accuracy; listening in meetings with clients/vendors.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.