Procurement Specialist

The Procurement Specialist plays a critical role in leading and advising on complex procurement initiatives across goods services and collaboration with the Manager Strategic Procurement the role is responsible for managing the full procurement lifecycle from early planning and strategy development through competitive sourcing evaluation and award ensuring compliance with the Nova Scotia Public Procurement Act trade agreements and NSLC policies. The role applies a high degree of independence judgment and subject matter expertise to deliver fair transparent and defensible procurement outcomes. Acting as a trusted advisor to business units the Procurement Specialist translates operational requirements into effective market-informed sourcing strategies while identifying and mitigating procurement commercial and reputational risks. The role contributes to strengthening procurement governance enhancing vendor engagement and supporting organizational objectives through effective sourcing practices.

Reports to: Manager Strategic Procurement

Procurement Strategy & Execution

• Lead and manage the full RFx lifecycle (RFP RFQ RFSO etc.) including planning drafting posting addenda evaluation coordination and award.
• Partner with Business Units and Manager Strategic Procurement to define procurement strategies sourcing approaches and evaluation methodologies aligned to risk complexity and market conditions.
• Provide expert advice on procurement pathways (e.g. open competition standing offers direct awards within policy limits) ensuring compliance and defensibility.
• Ensure all procurement activities align with the Nova Scotia Public Procurement Act trade treaty obligations and NSLC policies.

Evaluation & Governance

• Design and facilitate fair transparent and auditable evaluation processes.
• Support the development and provide guidance to evaluation teams on evaluation frameworks scoring methodologies and documentation standards.
• Provide recommendations on procurement outcomes including vendor selection and award decisions for leadership review and approval.
• Ensure complete and auditable documentation of procurement decisions to support internal and external scrutiny.

Strategic Advisory & Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a trusted advisor to internal stakeholders providing guidance on requirements development evaluation criteria and vendor selection processes.
• Translate business needs into clear outcome-based specifications and evaluation frameworks.
• Support business units in understanding procurement requirements timelines and roles to enable successful project delivery.
• Influence procurement approaches to achieve competitive compliant and value-driven outcomes

Contract Development & Transition

• Support the development of procurement documentation and contribute to contract structuring in collaboration with the Contract Management Advisor and/or Legal for complex and high-risk agreements.
• Ensure seamless transition from procurement to contract management including clear documentation of obligations deliverables and performance measures.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Identify and assess procurement commercial and reputational risks and apply mitigation strategies.
• Ensure all procurement processes are defensible under audit legal compliance or public information requests.
• Maintain complete and accurate procurement documentation in line with audit policy and records management requirements.
• Support responses to audits complaints vendor debriefs and FOIPOP requests as required.

Vendor & Market Engagement

• Engage with the vendor community in a fair and transparent manner to support competitive outcomes.
• Manage vendor communications throughout the procurement process including inquiries addenda and debriefs.
• Monitor vendor markets pricing trends and supplier capabilities to inform sourcing strategies and support value-driven procurement decisions.

Systems Reporting & Continuous Improvement

• Maintain procurement data and documentation within procurement systems (e.g. Bonfire SharePoint).
• Prepare reports and analytics on procurement activity and contract status
• Identify opportunities to enhance procurement processes templates and tools to improve efficiency and compliance.
• Contribute to the development of procurement policies procedures and best practices

• Support procurement planning and pipeline management across the organization.
• Provide training coaching and guidance to business units on procurement processes and best practices.
• Contribute to cross-functional initiatives that improve procurement governance and vendor management.
• Stay current with public procurement legislation trade agreements and industry best practices.
• Provide support and backup within the Procurement team as required.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

As a qualified candidate you will have:

• Bachelors degree in Business Administration Commerce Supply Chain Management or related field.
• Minimum 5 years progressive experience in procurement sourcing or supply chain roles preferably within a public-sector or regulated environment.
• Demonstrated experience leading RFx processes and managing complex procurement initiatives.
• Strong knowledge of public procurement legislation trade agreements and competitive bidding processes.

As the ideal candidate you will also have:

• Professional procurement designation (e.g. SCMP PSPP) or commitment to obtaining certification.
• Experience with procurement and contract lifecycle systems (e.g. Bonfire CLM platforms ERP systems).
• Experience supporting procurement across multiple categories (e.g. construction technology goods services)
• Strong analytical negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills

An alternate combination of education and experience may be considered equivalent.

If you are interested in being considered for this opportunity please apply online no later than 11:59pm on Jun 23 2026.

Our people are the heart of what we do why we do it and are the key to our ongoing success. Since 1930 we have come together for the good of this beautiful province we call home. The NSLC manages the safe and responsible sale of beverage alcohol and cannabis in Nova Scotia. We contribute to the good of our province with responsible sales the impact we have on the communities we serve and by the financial contribution we make that helps create a stronger Nova Scotia. We are WCB Safety Certified and committed to improving the well-being of our customers employees and communities across the province. For more information about the NSLC please visit our website.

A diverse team equals success. When our team members bring their true selves to work we celebrate. We know that diversity of thought identity culture and background makes for an innovative and successful team. If you require accommodations for an interview or need support in applying please contact us at emailprotected

Internal Candidates please log into SuccessFactors and apply via the internal careers site.