Category Specialist - Vendor Management Inventory Job Listing at City of Edmonton in Edmonton, AB (Job ID 55327)

Description

As a strategic supply chain professional, you will serve as a key architect of the City's material supply chain, ensuring our frontline teams have exactly what they need to keep Edmonton moving. Reporting to the Manager, Category Management & Logistics, you will take the reins of our Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) program, balancing daily contract administration with proactive coordination across our internal customer groups.

You are a collaborative problem-solver who balances analytical rigour with the City's commitment to financial stewardship. By performing the full cycle of category management activities and building strong partnerships with internal customer teams, you will play a critical part in identifying operational gaps across a multi-site footprint to meet business objectives, increase customer service, and maximize value delivered.

What will you do?

• Conduct regular on-site operational reviews, facility visits, and face-to-face consultations with maintenance teams across our 22+ locations to observe inventory workflows and identify service gaps first-hand
• Coordinate the day-to-day administrative activities of the VMI program, serving as the central point of contact for the various customer groups, and monitoring ongoing supplier adherence to the contract
• Review relationships with internal collaborators and interested or affected parties to define clear roles, responsibilities, and decision-making authority for the various aspects of the program moving forward
• Document and standardize end-to-end workflows, establishing clear rules for how items are evaluated, approved, and managed within the program with existing resources
• Set up structured communication channels and centralized information repositories to ensure information and program documentation are easily accessible for users
• Use insights gained from daily operations, market research, and data analysis to provide recommendations to streamline, optimize, and improve service levels of the VMI program
• Identify opportunities, seeking potential cost savings/avoidance, value increase, customer service improvement, operational efficiencies, optimizations, and additional value to be created across the organization
• Establish the category objectives, strategies, KPI targets and supplier management strategies
• Collaborate with internal customer teams and interested or affected parties to define business requirements, assessing priorities, demand and forecasting
• Support the development and maintenance of databases, analytical tools, techniques and systems to analyze and interpret information in support of procurement and sourcing planning as well as decision-making
• Perform market research and cost modelling analysis to inform sourcing and negotiation strategies
• Develop and provide reports to support effective management of supplier performance and to track and report on program improvements
• Work with internal customer teams to compose RFx documents, develop evaluation criteria, weightings, process, strategies, submission and contractual requirements for the RFx process
• Manage and maintain internal customer relationships and supplier relationships and contracts
• Liaise and consult with internal customer teams to proactively plan ahead for anticipated procurement activities
• Consult with and work in conjunction with other subject matter experts such as Law, Information Technology, Finance
• Provide advice to internal customer teams on procurement procedures, methods, and approaches
• Advise internal customer teams on procurement principles and practices, trade agreements, and contract/tender law
• Serve as initial escalation point
• Identify improvement opportunities and actively participate in change and improvement initiatives
• Perform other related duties as required

Qualifications

• Completion of a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Management, Commerce, or Supply Chain Management and four (4) years of relevant full-time work experience, which include a minimum of three (3) years in a procurement environment performing end to end procurement responsibilities OR
• Completion of a two-year post-secondary diploma or associate degree in a related discipline such as public administration, public policy, supply chain management, business, or project management and six (6) years of relevant full-time work experience, which include a minimum of three (3) years in a procurement environment performing end to end procurement responsibilities

Assets:

• Completion of a Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designation from the Supply Chain Management Association (SCMA) or a Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) certification from the Universal Public Procurement Certification Council (UPPCC) or equivalent designation is considered an asset
• Experience in public sector procurement, tender/contract law, and trade agreement compliance
• Experience working with ERP systems (specifically SAP and SAP Ariba) and data analytics tools

Skills required for success:

• Excellent business and strategic goal setting, critical thinking, decision-making, problem solving, and analytical skills
• Excellent listening, verbal, and written communication skills to deliver presentations, facilitate meetings, and build strong professional relationships
• Excellent organization and time management skills to work under tight timeframes and balance competing priorities
• Ability to perform work with a high degree of accuracy and completeness of documentation
• Ability to adapt to rapidly changing situations and conflicting priorities while maintaining a high degree of professionalism
• Ability to work highly independently, take initiative, and be resourceful
• Strong ability to identify risks and mitigation strategies in procurement processes
• Comprehensive knowledge and understanding of procurement practices, policies, procedures, tender and contract law, trade agreements, and sourcing strategies
• Comprehensive knowledge of category management methodology, contract management, and supplier relationship management
• Knowledgeable in data analytics methodologies and techniques
• Strong leadership skills required to provide coaching, oversight, and guidance to team members
• Ability to plan and lead contract negotiation processes
• Ability to determine appropriate procurement strategies and identify where non-standard processes should apply
• Ability to develop and maintain effective and professional working relationships with City Administrators, colleagues, internal collaborators, and suppliers
• Commitment to ensuring all strategies, frameworks, and decisions support the City vision and consider the impact to other organizations and business units
• Alignment to our Cultural Commitments and Leadership Competencies (https://bit.ly/4brRrXm)
• Embracing a culture of equity, diversity, reconciliation, and inclusion
• Applicants may be tested

Conditions of Employment:

• Due to the nature of this work, this position is not eligible for a hybrid work arrangement
• This position is eligible for the EDO program (Earned Day Off)
• Candidates are required to hold a valid Alberta Class 5 driver's licence (or provincial equivalent)
• Note: this position involves travel to various locations that are not all accessible via public transit across the City of Edmonton. Management of this multi-site footprint requires the use of your personal vehicle (mileage and travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with City policy)
• Compliance with the City of Edmonton's safety standards for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is a requirement for this position
• Hire is dependent on a Criminal Records Check (CRC) security clearance that is satisfactory to the City of Edmonton and is a requirement of this position. There may be a cost associated with this requirement

The City of Edmonton values applicants with a diverse range of skills, experiences and competencies, and encourages you to apply. We strive to provide reasonable access and accommodations throughout the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact employment@edmonton.ca. Learn more about our benefits https://bit.ly/COEbenefits.

Up to 1 temporary full-time position up to 11 months

Hours of Work: 40 hours per week

Salary Range: $47.172- $59.281(Hourly)

Recruitment Consultant: KE/SB

Edmonton rests in the heart of Treaty Six territory in Alberta and the homelands of the Métis Nation.
 

Classification Title: Senior Buyer 8h
Posting Date: Jun 02, 2026
Closing Date: June 16, 2026 11:59:00 PM (MDT)
Number of Openings (up to): 1 - Temporary Full-time
Union: CSU 52
Department: Financial and Corporate Services
Work Location(s): Richard Paterson Garage, 5710 - 86 St Edmonton T6E 2X3

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