Procurement & Contract Specialist

Career Opportunity

• This requirement is to fill the current 6 vacancies as well as create a talent pool to be used to fill full-time or contract/temp positions within the Design Engineering & Technical Services, in the Procurement and Category Management Department that may arise within the next 6 months.

• Reporting to the Category Manager, the incumbent is responsible for coordinating and administering the day-to-day activities associated with procurement/contract award and subsequent contract administration activities relating to complex, high value contracts. These include revenue vehicles (i.e. for subway trains, light rail vehicles, buses) and non-revenue vehicles (i.e. automobiles, service trucks, tractors and forklifts), construction, design/build requirements, engineering/architectural professional services, technical services, information technology (i.e. purchase of IT and support services, hardware equipment and licensing), and engineered equipment consistent with the TTC's Procurement Policy, departmental procedures, guidelines and Construction Law principles.

What You Will Do

Procurement Pre-award Activities:

• Prepares commercial documentation for Request for Proposals (RFPs) / Request for Bids (RFBs), Negotiated Request for Proposals (NRFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), Advance Contract Award Notices (ACAN), Pre-qualification processes
• Prepares and processes non-competitive procurement justifications
• Liaises and provides guidance to end user customers and staff to co-ordinate procurement efforts and maintain schedule requirements
• Develops appropriate procurement methods and prepares commercial documentation for bids/proposals, pre-qualifications and contracts including development of special commercial conditions;
• Review, comment and recommend revisions as appropriate on statements of work/scope of services/terms of reference/technical specifications
• Assists in the selection process of bidders, develops evaluation criteria, weighting and submission requirements for use in evaluating technical proposals
• Performs market research through outreach to other public entities to ensure continued competitiveness for procurement calls utilizing best practices and process improvements
• Conducts the prequalification of contractors, consultants and vendors for certain projects as required
• Coordinates the bidding process to solicit competitive bids/proposals including preparation of public advertisements, determining the necessity for and coordinating and preparing the issuance of addenda
• Ensures that procurement processes are conducted in compliance with applicable laws and corporate policies and procedures
• Coordinates and chairs procurement negotiation meetings for single/sole source and other negotiated contracts
• Acts as liaison with bidders and manages communications and information flow between clients and vendors, ensuring responses to bidders’ enquiries are provided prior to bid closing
• Responds to complaints from vendors and defends corporate position
• Coordinates and chairs pre-bid meetings or site tours for bidders/proponents, kick-off meetings, debriefing meetings with unsuccessful bidders, and prepares and issues minutes of meetings
• Schedules, plans, organizes and conducts site tours at track level outside of subway operating hours
• Utilizes the TTC”s electronic bidding portal to facilitate the submission of bid/proposal documentation and develops the various stages of evaluation within the portal to assist in the release of proposal documentation, tracking of progress and consensus meeting scores.
• Examines in detail, the contents of all Request for Proposals/Bids (RFPs)/(RFBs) to assess their compliance with tender/proposal requirements, (commercial compliancy), facilitates consensus meetings with evaluators, before proceeding to evaluate pricing component of RFPs/RFBs
• Facilitates consensus evaluation meetings with internal customer stakeholders, reads all proposals and documents the discussion and rationale for categories outlined as evaluation criteria for all submissions received in response to RFPs
• Conducts reference checks outlined in the RFP/RFB submissions of the recommended bidder
• Authors commercial analysis and recommendation for award reports
• Reviews and provides input in development of Board Reports for awards and other procurement matters
• Participates as required at Board Meetings to provide information regarding complex procurements to senior management

What You Will Do continued

Contract Administration Post-award Activities:

• Reviews, interprets and analyses contract requirements, tenders and contract documents, to ensure that the overall contracting strategy and individual clauses/terms are applied appropriately and consistently to reduce the risk and protect the interests of TTC
• Reviews vendors’ submissions such as work plans, tasks/work assignments, change requests, amendments, invoices, notices and other contractual correspondence to ensure compliance with contracts terms and conditions and the scope of the work
• Evaluates, negotiates and makes recommendations on service provider staff rates for new staff additions and rate increases to the contract to ensure fair market value
• Evaluates, negotiates commercial aspects of work plan submissions and processes work plan/assignment releases
• Identifies and advises on the resolution of a range of critical contract works with the project delivery teams and vendors to resolve contractual inconsistencies, irregularities and other related issues i.e. contractor performance
• Enforces contractual obligations and conditions by engaging internal legal representation and providing assistance in negotiations and resolution of matters, or enforcement of penalty clauses, Liquidated Damages, etc. Escalates complex, high profile issues/matters to the Category Manager
• Responsible for accurate administration of various contract records, such as work plan releases, changes, variations, certificates of payment, amendments, correspondence, notices etc. in the Contract Management System
• Monitors assigned contracts and the respective progress, prepares and provides status reports to management and project teams, as required
• Analyses rationale for contract changes/amendment/claims and implementing claims avoidance and mitigation practices/strategies
• Oversees and administers payment process in accordance with approved contract price breakdowns, verifies vendors’ invoices for compliance with contract payment terms, release of statutory holdbacks (Construction Lien Act), and final payments, assesses back and set-off charges and other payment related matters i.e. off-site inventory payments and liquidated damages
• Prepares price estimates for material, labour, equipment costs, analyses production, construction schedules for evaluating contractor’s contract changes, claims pricing submission and proposed changes/amendments/claims
• Monitors and reports on contract allowances/contingencies and co-ordinates suitable increases as needed
• Negotiates or chairs negotiations to establish acceptable settlement of price and terms for contract changes and claims with contractors and co-ordinates support from other key stakeholders
• Negotiates final settlement of quantities for unit price contracts
• Processes Requests for Quotes, Contract Amendments/Changes and Change Directives and reviews and provides input in development of Purchase Authorization Amendment Board Reports
• Attends progress and engineering review meetings as required
• Prepares Performance Review Reports and participates in meetings regarding “unsatisfactory” performance review reports
• Processes documentation for contract close-out
• Contributes expertise and advice to the design, planning, development of the existing contract management systems, standards and operational procedures, including recommendations to improve/adjust contract management processes/procedures.

What Skills Do You Bring?

What Qualifications Do You Bring?

• Completion of a University Degree or College Diploma, preferably in Business, Commerce, Supply Chain Management, Construction Management, Engineering or a related discipline, or a combination of education, experience and training deemed to be equivalent; combined with directly related work experience in the procurement and administration of complex requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of public procurement and contracting principles and practical experience of procurement processes, methods, practices and contract administration as well as accounting and scheduling principles;
• Sound judgement; detail oriented; effective problem solving, organizational, interpersonal, oral and written communication skills
• Ability to coordinate the efforts of others to accomplish objectives
• Well-developed analytical skills
• Good negotiation skills and the ability to develop strategies, plan schedules and chair complex negotiations regarding commercial, legal and technical issues
• Proficient in the use of a personal computer and related software applications relevant to the work
• Good understanding of technical matters related to engineered products/equipment, construction services and engineering/construction issues including sources for material supplies and services
• Good understanding of Construction Act
• Knowledge of construction practices, codes, and regulations
• Knowledge of union and trade agreements
• Ability to read and understand construction contract documents and specification and contract drawings
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize tasks in an effective manner
• Comprehensive knowledge of current construction principles and construction management practices, and claims management techniques
• Ability to perform quantity take-offs from construction drawings and produce estimates for varying trade disciplines
• Must have or rapidly acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the Ontario Human Rights Code and Related Orders including disability accommodation and accessibility requirements pertaining to passengers and employees.

Assets:

• Accreditation/certification from a professional association such as Supply Chain Management Association Ontario or Ontario Public Buyer’s Association is preferred.
• Significant experience administering the procurement process for complex, high value projects that includes the development of Request for Proposals (RFP) Negotiated Contracts and Negotiated Request for Proposals (NRFP) documentation; specification review and revision; liaising with clients/bidders; detailed analysis of tender bids for compliance; negotiation and final documentation preparation.
• Developing and overseeing the procurement process for both binding and non-binding procurements considered an asset.
• Facilitating and managing Commercial Confidential Meetings (CCM’s) would be considered an asset.
• Previous experience with construction and/or engineering design/ technical services and/or transit vehicles and/or IT projects strongly preferred.

TTC Specific:

• Must have or must acquire a sound knowledge of TTC and departmental policies, procedures, practices applicable to the work performed;
• Ability to read and comprehend technical specifications and drawings and possess a good understanding of technical issues related to revenue and non-revenue vehicles/equipment manufacturing, engineering design and construction as well as a very good understanding of legal and commercial issues and practices related to procurement and contract law;
• Successful completion of the TTC’s Subway Rulebook Training, if required, including annual updates.

What We Offer

• Commitment to creating a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that promotes a sense of belonging and represents and reflects the needs of the communities we serve.
• A flexible, hybrid work approach that allows colleagues to find balance between their professional and personal lives and making the most of the benefits of working remotely and purpose-driven in-person collaboration opportunities.
• One of the great benefits of being a full-time TTC employee is becoming a member of TTC defined pension plan.
• A comprehensive package that covers health, dental, vision and more.
• Support for professional development opportunities for all colleagues through a broad range of learning programs that include in-person and online training, leadership development, and support for colleagues’ well-being.