Procurement Specialist

About Alberta Blue Cross

Alberta Blue Cross is a community-oriented Alberta organization devoted to delivering outstanding customer service and leadership in wellness promotion. Serving over 1.8 million members with top health coverage, the company values its employees' contributions and promotes diversity, healthy work-life balance, and career advancement opportunities.

Role Overview

Reporting to the Manager of Strategic Sourcing and Procurement, the Procurement Specialist is responsible for supporting designated spend categories by managing contract renewals, handling sourcing of low to medium complexity and value procurements, and finalizing agreements with low risk. Collaborating closely with Category Specialists and internal teams, the role ensures procurement processes are timely, compliant, and aligned with business needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage assigned contract renewals in partnership with internal stakeholders to confirm business needs and ensure timely completion.
• Conduct sourcing activities for low to medium dollar and complexity purchases, including spot buys and requests for information, quotations, or proposals.
• Analyze vendor quotations, perform market research, and evaluate cost trends to support competitive pricing recommendations.
• Negotiate and finalize agreements such as non-disclosure agreements, contractor agreements, statements of work, and routine contract renewals involving low to medium risk.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal teams and suppliers, advising on procurement policies, pricing, and contract terms.
• Coordinate necessary internal reviews with Legal, Risk, Privacy, and other departments.
• Monitor procurement systems to track contract expiries, renewals, and sourcing tasks; follow up to maintain schedules.
• Operate within established procurement and contract policies, escalating major issues related to scope, cost, risk, or stakeholder alignment as needed.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree, relevant supply chain management certification (such as SCMP, CCMP, or CIPS), or equivalent education combined with pertinent procurement experience.
• At least two years in procurement, purchasing, sourcing specialist, or related functions.
• Fundamental understanding of sourcing procedures, contract renewal processes, quotation analysis, and essential commercial contract terms and conditions.
• Capability to analyze financial and contractual data, including year-over-year pricing comparisons and proposed price changes.
• Research proficiency for evaluating market pricing and supporting cost-effective purchasing decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills suitable for engaging internal stakeholders and suppliers.
• Strong organizational and time management skills to juggle multiple contracts and sourcing projects, meeting deadlines.
• Sound professional judgment and awareness of when to escalate issues or require additional review.
• Competence in Microsoft Office products and aptitude to learn procurement software; experience with Coupa or similar procure-to-pay systems is advantageous.
• A collaborative, service-driven mindset with dedication to fairness, integrity, openness, and transparency in procurement activities.

Additional Information

This vacancy will stay open until an appropriate candidate is found. Alberta Blue Cross fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace reflecting its community values, welcoming unique perspectives and backgrounds. Employment is subject to a satisfactory criminal record check following a conditional job offer.