Procurement and Materials Specialist

THE OPPORTUNITY

Western Forest Products is hiring a Procurement & Materials Specialist to join our team based on Vancouver Island.

What You’ll Do: The Procurement and Materials Specialist will be responsible for Procurement and Materials support for multiple sites owned by Western Forest Products within Canada and possibly the United States. The Procurement and Materials Specialist will provide Procurement support across the various divisional spend. This role drives system change, works collaboratively with the Purchasing Managers, Capital Project Specialist and Divisional stakeholders to facilitate strategic procurement improvement. 

Who You Are: The individual will come with strong contract negotiation and administrative management skills, a great communicator (written and verbal) and strong pursuance of change and process improvement. The ideal candidate will understand the challenges of multiple site inventories, bring their problem-solving skills, strong supply chain, and inventory management initiatives. 

What We Offer:

• Salary range of $85,000 – $120,000 based on skill level, qualifications, and experience
• Annual incentive plan
• Pension plan contributions - Western contributes 7% towards a pension plan, no matching required
• Extended health and dental benefits – Western pays for 100% of the employee monthly premiums
• 3 weeks’ vacation to start 
• Employee family assistance program
• Financial support for learning and development opportunities 

Work Environment (Flexible): This position is based out of our Campbell River or Nanaimo office and will be a balance of work from home, in office and/or from our Vancouver Island mills, based on the needs of the position.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Materials Management 

• Maintain the Materials Masters (BOM) for the entire company; 
• Recommend solutions to existing processes to reduce waste and increase efficiencies; 
• Record and assess all materials both stock and non-stock, quality and movement; 
• Support in review and disposal of obsolete materials; 
• Prepare and file detailed records on materials; while Maintaining ERP systems used for materials.

Inventory Management 

• Own and administer vendor profiles; 
• Vet completeness of vendor applications, and assist as required with input; 
  • Vendor templating upon vendor creation;
  • Evaluate and recommend inventory parts numbers and listings;
  • Support Mills in cycle count efforts on monthly, quarterly and annual basis; 
  • Collaborate with management to plan forecasting;
  • Coordinate, assist and work collaboratively with IT division on suitable system modification;
  • Propose quarterly archiving of vendor details;
• Continuous process improvement including;
  • Optimize new vendor template;
  • Investigate and propose integrated form and vendor files; 
  • Singular vendor data location, referenced by all required systems (versus dual maintenance); 
  • Assist with material audits as required;
  • Participate in SKU Min-Max, Economic Order Quantity, Critical spares and Obsolescence process development and implementation;
  • Work collaboratively with operations on bill of materials process (creation and maintenance); 
  • Assist operations in identifying non-active bill of materials (asset recovery). 

Procurement Management 

• Reviews and analyzes SOW for goods and services including detailed specifications and confers with the originator to eliminate ambiguities and to effect maximum contracting efficiency in terms of price, delivery, quality and technical suitability of services and equipment;
• Conducts market research on suppliers of goods and services;
• Work on RFPs, RFIs, RFQs, Vendor set ups, pre-qualifications of contractors and contract disputes;
• Executes RFXs documents, leads pre-bid meetings, and responds to contractor queries;
• Evaluates RFXs received, negotiates terms and conditions where appropriate and awards contract;
• Negotiate Purchases on behalf of the manufacturing and timberland groups to achieve cost savings;
• Ensures a clear understanding of the requirements and the deliverables expected and key success factors (KPIs) required for effective contract administration once the contract has been awarded and executed;
• Identify opportunities for vendor consolidation and to leverage the organization’s purchasing power;
• Continuously focus on reducing the total cost of goods within their category, by applying an innovative, experienced approach to category management methodology;
• Work collaboratively with legal team as needed to support contract efforts;
• Work collaboratively with team on change management in processes and cost cutting measures;
• Work in a cross functional team environment (Internally and Externally);
• Participates in the development of procurement control policies, practices, and processes;
• Make sure all Manufacturing and Timberland Contracts records are loaded in the system for reference;
• Manage vendor relationships on behalf of the Manufacturing and Timberland group (source, evaluate and monitor vendor performance);
• Supports and participates in safety programs;
• Train and work collaboratively with Buyers within their Mills;
• Support, lead and promote corporate initiatives;
• Additional duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Minimum 3-5 years of experience in procurement, materials management, inventory control, supply chain, or a related operational environment;
• Experience working within a manufacturing, forestry, industrial, or resource-based industry is preferred; 
• Diploma or Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Procurement, Business Administration, Operations Management, Logistics, or a related field;
• Professional supply chain or procurement designation such as SCMP, CPSM, CPP, PMAC, or equivalent is considered an asset;
• Additional training in inventory management, contract administration, category management, or ERP systems is an asset.

Skills, Knowledge and Required Competencies

Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, sourcing activities, and contract administration. 

Proven experience negotiating pricing, terms, and service agreements with suppliers to achieve cost savings and service improvements. 

Experience maintaining Bills of Materials (BOMs), item masters, vendor databases, and inventory records. 

Hands-on experience using ERP systems and inventory management software, with the ability to maintain data integrity and support system improvements. 

Experience working cross-functionally with operations, finance, IT, legal, and external suppliers.

YOUR CAREER 

At Western Forest Products, we believe our most significant asset is our people. Investing in our people brings value and success to our business, ensuring a safe, engaged, productive and continuously improving workplace. We offer challenging opportunities working alongside the best in the industry to meet your career and professional development goals while providing competitive total rewards and recognition.

We provide a variety of on-the-job training and continuing education in many areas at Western to ensure you have the skills you need to succeed. Our promote-from-within culture recognizes high performance and we offer diverse career paths across the organization for those with the talent and will to advance.

WESTERN OVERVIEW

Western Forest Products is a leading forest products company that sustainably manages forests and manufactures high-quality wood products. Headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia with operations in the coastal region of BC and Washington State, Western meets the needs of customers worldwide with a specialty wood products focus and diverse product offering.

Our commitment to health and safety, environmental stewardship and community engagement is core to how we do business at Western Forest Products.

Our approach to responsible business practices in all aspects of our business is multi-faceted. We adhere to and employ the most stringent environmental practices in the world. The steps we take to ensure the forests in which we operate are renewed and remain healthy and viable for future generations are mirrored in the care we take to make certain our communities continue to grow and prosper. This includes investing in communities where we operate and continuing to forge mutually beneficial relationships with First Nations in respect of their local and cultural interests.