Trans Mountain Corporation operates Canada’s only pipeline system transporting oil products to the West Coast. We deliver approximately 890,000 barrels of petroleum products each day through a dual pipeline system of more than 1,150 kilometres of pipeline in Alberta, British Columbia and Washington state.
Trans Mountain also operates a state-of-the-art loading facility, Westridge Marine Terminal, with three berths providing tidewater access to global markets.
As a federal Crown corporation, Trans Mountain continues to build on more than 70 years of experience delivering operational and safety excellence through our crude oil pipeline system.
With our expanded pipeline system now in place, Trans Mountain provides enhanced direct access for Canadian crude oil to world markets. The expansion realizes a world-class system for oil transport, developed to Canada’s high standards within one of the most stringent regulatory regimes in the world, creating long-term economic benefits, enhanced marine protection, enhanced safety and emergency management capabilities, and enhanced skilled-worker capacity building in communities and Indigenous groups.
Our Core Values
Trans Mountain’s core values – Safety, Integrity, Respect and Excellence – guide our every step. Each obstacle we’ve overcome or success we’ve experienced has been the result of a shared commitment to living these values every day. Together, we’re focused on doing the right thing for each other and our communities. If you are looking for an opportunity to apply your strengths in an environment that encourages Safety, Integrity, Respect, and Excellence, we invite you to explore this opportunity with us!
Location: Calgary, AB
Department: Pacific Link
Reports to: Manager, Supply Chain Management Purchasing
Worker Type: Contract
Schedule Type: Full-time
Work Setting: In-office
Trans Mountain is seeking a collaborative, motivated, and values driven individual to join our dynamic team as a Senior Purchasing Specialist, Pacific Link (Contract). In this position, you will play a key role in developing and executing sourcing and procurement strategies for critical project materials and equipment, while ensuring compliance with supply chain policies, governance requirements, and industry best practices.
The successful candidate will demonstrate expertise in strategic procurement, contract and purchase order management, supplier performance, stakeholder collaboration, and managing commercial risks related to market conditions and regulatory requirements. This position offers the opportunity to help establish foundational supply chain processes for a major project, influence procurement outcomes, and contribute to the successful delivery of Pacific Link objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Purchasing Strategy and Planning
- Develop and execute purchasing strategies and plans for assigned equipment, materials, fabrication and assembly packages.
- Assess supplier capacity, lead times, market conditions, tariffs, trade requirements and sourcing constraints.
- Align purchasing requirements with technical specifications, project schedules, logistics and handling needs and recommend mitigation for supply and schedule risks.
Solicitation, Evaluation and Award
- Prepare and issue sourcing and prequalification documents, maintain approved supplier information, and develop bidder lists and evaluation criteria.
- Coordinate bidder communications and technical, quality, schedule and commercial evaluations.
- Lead commercial negotiations, manage exceptions, and prepare clear recommendations for award and approval.
Purchase Order Formation and Execution
- Draft, negotiate and finalize purchase orders, amendments and related commercial documentation.
- Ensure purchase orders clearly address scope, pricing, delivery, quality, reporting, logistics, risk allocation, remedies and close-out requirements.
- Coordinate required reviews and approvals, maintain complete auditable records, and support accurate supplier master data.
Supplier Performance, Expediting and Delivery
- Manage supplier relationships and monitor production, documentation, quality and delivery commitments through reporting and expediting.
- Coordinate Engineering, Quality, Logistics, Construction and Materials Management inputs to resolve fabrication, inspection, customs, transportation and delivery issues.
- Identify delays, non-performance, changes and claims, and advance timely corrective action, escalation and resolution.
Stakeholder Integration and Advisory Support
- Collaborate across project and business functions to align purchasing activities, secure inputs and approvals, and communicate package status and required decisions.
- Advise stakeholders on sourcing options, market conditions, commercial terms, supplier performance and risk.
- Provide subject-matter guidance on purchasing processes, controls, documentation standards and purchase order mechanisms.
Indigenous, Local and Domestic Participation
- Integrate applicable Indigenous participation, local community and domestic sourcing commitments into purchasing strategies and solicitations.
- Coordinate with Indigenous Supply Chain, Indigenous Relations and project teams to identify qualified, competitive participation opportunities.
- Maintain clear records of outreach, sourcing decisions, commitments and outcomes.
Governance, Reporting and Continuous Improvement
- Apply SCM policies, delegated authorities, governance and records-management requirements throughout the purchasing lifecycle.
- Maintain fair, transparent and auditable sourcing, evaluation, negotiation and award practices.
- Report on package progress, commitments, delivery milestones, risks and required decisions, and support supplier audits and performance reporting.
- Improve purchasing templates, tools, standards and stakeholder resources using lessons learned.
Qualifications and Professional Experience
- Post-secondary degree or diploma in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Commerce, Engineering or a related discipline; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
- Supply Chain Management Professional (SCMP) designation, or progress toward the designation, is considered an asset.
- Minimum of 12 years of experience in supply chain management, purchasing, procurement or a related field, preferably within the energy or pipeline industry.
- Demonstrated experience leading sourcing events and managing purchase orders for long-lead equipment, materials, fabrication, or assemblies.
- Experience with market assessments, supplier prequalification, commercial evaluations, negotiations, award recommendations, purchase order formation, administration, expediting and close-out.
- Strong understanding of procurement strategies, commercial terms, risk allocation, supplier performance management and purchasing governance.
- Experience coordinating technical, quality, inspection, logistics, customs, transportation, materials-management and delivery requirements is considered an asset.
- Knowledge of supplier capacity, fabrication environments, manufacturing processes, market pressures and domestic or international sourcing considerations.
- Proficiency with ERP, procurement, contract-management, document-management and supplier-performance systems.
- Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, organization and stakeholder-management skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex packages, competing priorities and time-sensitive deliverables while maintaining accurate and auditable records.
- Ability to exercise sound commercial judgment, identify material risks and escalate issues with clear recommendations.
- Experience with international purchasing, field fabrication or manufacturing, transportation and logistics, vendor or manufacturer qualification, inspection and expediting is considered a strong asset.
- Knowledge of customs, Incoterms, materials handling, equipment maintenance, vendor quality-control programs and Inspection and Test Plan processes is considered an asset.
Working Conditions
- Valid Class 5 driver’s license. Willingness and ability to travel to supplier facilities, fabrication shops, project offices and sites as required.
- May be required to provide support outside regular business hours to address time-sensitive sourcing, supplier or delivery matters.
We Build Careers and Pipelines That Last
Our story is about determination, resourcefulness and resilience. It’s about charting our own course, finding innovative solutions to challenging problems and doing the right thing. It was true when Trans Mountain became a company in 1951 and it’s just as true today. We welcome new members to our team that embrace the qualities in our story, that thrive on the new path and directions we take. Our culture is one of care and taking our responsibilities seriously. If you would like to contribute to our culture, then join our journey.
A Rewarding Opportunity
We offer:
- Valuable experience providing opportunity for professional development and career advancement;
- An opportunity to engage with and learn from some of the most talented and experienced people in the business;
- Competitive compensation;
- A place to share a sense of purpose and build relationships;
- Meaningful work that makes a difference;
- An opportunity within the Canadian energy industry.
We value:
- The health, safety and wellness of everyone working in our company;
- Meaningful participation from Indigenous and local communities;
- The commitment and resilience of our people;
- Collaboration and achieving success together.
In keeping with Trans Mountain’s commitment to maximize benefits for communities, priority will be given to qualified candidates from Indigenous, local and regional communities along the Trans Mountain pipeline corridor.
In Alberta, the pipeline system spans the traditional territories of Treaty 6, 7 and 8, and the Métis Nation of Alberta (Zone 4).
In British Columbia, the system crosses the traditional territories of numerous First Nations that are affiliated with the Secwepemc, Dakelh (Carrier), Nlaka'pamux, Syilx/Okanagan, Interior and Coast Salish, Stó:lo, as well as the Métis.
Trans Mountain also operates through 15 First Nation Reserves located within the region spanning the BC interior through Fraser Valley.
Our Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA)
Trans Mountain is committed to fostering inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. The diverse viewpoints and cultural knowledge that our employees bring to work enrich our organization’s collective cultural understanding, which is reflected in the work we do every day. We strive to create an environment that is free of barriers to promote full participation in the workplace. Trans Mountain welcomes new team members from traditionally underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities and members of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
