Procurement Specialist

Mātanga Whiwhinga | Procurement Specialist

Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Fixed Term Contract until November 2026
• Full-time 37.5 hours per week

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Procurement Specialist? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
Are you an innovative problem solver with a passion for building relationships and driving results? Are you outgoing, solutions-oriented, and thrive on collaboration? Join our team as a Mātanga Whiwhinga | Procurement Specialist and contribute to shaping procurement strategies that deliver real benefits to the University.

 As a Procurement Specialist, you will play a key role in developing and executing procurement strategies that align with the University's goals. You'll lead negotiations, manage supplier relationships, and ensure sustainable, efficient procurement practices. This role is perfect for a people person who excels in stakeholder engagement and thrives in a dynamic, collaborative environment.

 Key Responsibilities include:

• Conduct needs analysis, develop procurement strategies, and execute tender processes.
• Build and maintain strong, ethical relationships with suppliers to drive value and foster partnerships.
• Incorporate sustainability into all procurement processes while ensuring legal and policy compliance.
• Provide expert advice, training, and support to university staff, ensuring smooth procurement operations.
• Maintain and analyse market data to inform strategies and negotiations.
• Lead initiatives to enhance procurement processes and share lessons learned across the team.

Mōu | Who You Are
Bring your outgoing personality and people-focused approach.  You will have proven experience in management of new and on-going supplier relationships. 

• Bachelor's degree in management, science, commerce or similar essential.
• Tertiary study in Supply Chain management desirable.
• At least 5 years in procurement, with proven success in leading change, managing supplier relationships, and negotiating complex contracts.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, excellent interpersonal and communication skills, and advanced planning and organising capabilities.
• A deep understanding of market conditions, legal requirements, and category management.
• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment.

 Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With

The role of Financial Services is to provide central procurement, accounting, business insight, advice, and processing of financial transactions. The unit provides a high-quality service while developing and maintaining excellent collaborative relationships with internal and external customers. The procurement team champions the quality of execution of the end-to-end procurement process - from identifying business need, through to contract management. Everyone is making a difference to the University by helping shape and build a sustainable environment for our students.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC
Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can,and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/our-story/our-values

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

We offer a range of fantastic benefits including flexible work practices, study opportunities and generous superannuation and leave provisions. For more information, please visit us:

https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc

For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: Sunday 9^th February 2025
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the close date.  

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply

Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter and resume.

Please note, we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency to be considered for this role. If you hold a valid work visa and are physically present in New Zealand, then you may also be considered.