Procurement Specialist

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The Opportunity

The Procurement Specialist plays a critical role in leading and advising on complex procurement initiatives across goods, services, and construction. In 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:

• Bachelor's 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 [email protected]

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

A little bit about us

Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation (NSLC)

Be part of something good. We're building a diverse, inclusive, and purpose-driven team that supports our communities and shoppers. Does this sound like you? We could have something special.

Apply today or visit careers.mynslc.com for more information.