Lead Purchasing Officer

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Posting Reason:

Replacement of a temporary position

Job Type:

Employee

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments):

5

Job Family:

Procurement

# of Open Positions:

1

Faculty/Service - Department:

Purchasing, Financial Resources

Campus:

Main Campus

Union Affiliation:

SSUO

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD):

2026/11/12

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD):

2026/11/23

Hours per week:

35

Salary Grade:

SSUO Grade 09

Salary Range:

$76,104.00 - $96,135.00

Position Purpose

Reporting to the Manager of Purchasing, support all purchasing requests of goods and services for business units, in compliance with all relevant policies in order to support academic and research activities. Act as a resource person for members of the faculty or service regarding procurement processes. Responsible for the timely purchasing of goods and services of the business unit, up to $139K. Oversee cost effectiveness, quality, expenses eligibility and compliance with policies and procedures. Facilitate all contracts and supplier relations management in collaboration with Finance and Procurement Services.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Administer and manage all the steps to approve requisitions and purchase orders up to $139K for their unit, validating the sourcing process, the financial information, the shipping, and payment terms, determining the best use of public funds. Make final recommendations on the vendor, pricing, conditions, warranties, deliveries in compliance with Policy 36 approval authority schedule and granting agencies rules and regulations.
• Control, analyze and approve derogations up to $139K for their unit to proactively ensure fair, responsible, and transparent procurement process.  Accountable to monitor, review and approve requests for transgressions up to $139K. Collaborate with Procurement and Finance as required to develop proactive processes to prevent deviations from the procurement process.
• Engage with clients to plan and understand business requirements, Develop, recommend and implement strategic procurement plans in collaboration with Supply Chain and Procurement sectors, offering consistent and optimal service level.
• Participate in the acquisition process for large projects involving planning, coordination, capital investments in collaboration with Procurement Services, Facilities and Financial Resources, as appropriate.
• Manage the logistics for the delivery of large equipment with the supplier and all other relevant parties such as directors, professors, or researchers, receiving and facilities sectors.
• Verify, reconcile, and approve supplier invoices in accordance with established policies and procedures. Follows up with purchasing irregularities, such as items or deliverable missing when products are received upon delivery, damaged merchandise, and incorrectly applied taxes.  
• Assist identifying and authorizing custom clearance of foreign goods through customs.

What you will bring:

• Supply Chain Management Diploma, Certification, or minimum of three (3) years of demonstrated experience in a similar role.
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience in customer service.
• Knowledge of procurement principles and practices 
• Knowledge of University procurement policies and procedures, and of procurement legislation 
• Knowledge of tax and customs legislation and regulations 
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to shifting priorities 
• Experience purchasing supplies and scientific equipment an asset 
• Knowledge of rules and practices in the safe transportation and handling of dangerous goods an asset 
• Knowledge of federal and provincial legislation on occupational health and safety, environmental protection and the transportation of dangerous goods an asset 
• Experience interpreting, explaining, and applying policies and regulations
• Excellent communication, interpersonal and customer service skills
• Experience using computer systems and software
• Bilingualism – English and French (oral and written) 

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Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa: 

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact [email protected] to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.