Strategic Sourcing Project Lead

Job Title: Sourcing Project Lead (Project Procurement & Strategic Sourcing)

Job Description

The Sourcing Project Lead oversees end-to-end procurement and external supply chain activities for complex water treatment projects. This role defines and executes sourcing strategies, manages the full RFQ and purchasing cycle, and collaborates closely with internal stakeholders and the sourcing team to meet project cost, schedule, and quality objectives. The position requires strong project buying experience, advanced use of SAP and Excel, and the ability to drive savings while maintaining compliance with established procedures and processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end RFQ process, including identifying and sourcing suppliers, analyzing cost and lead time, and issuing purchase orders.
• Define and execute the external supply chain strategy with key stakeholders in line with project requirements and overall planning.
• Prepare comprehensive external supply chain project plans focused on strategy, schedule, budget, and other relevant supply chain information.
• Achieve project savings targets by applying standard sourcing levers while meeting cost, schedule, and quality requirements.
• Coordinate external supply chain activities with category managers for assigned projects.
• Work with category managers to develop new suppliers and alternative sources of materials and raw materials, with a focus on best-cost country sourcing.
• Participate in project planning, scheduling, and production control activities to ensure alignment with supply chain plans.
• Maintain and update the project purchasing dashboard using standard tools and company systems.
• Consolidate and validate internal and external budgets for sourcing, logistics, and quality.
• Track and monitor project costs and time variances, taking corrective actions to avoid deviations from budget and schedule.
• Interface with project management and engineering teams to maintain material targets and sourcing resource requirements.
• Identify critical and strategic suppliers in collaboration with category management.
• Maintain a strong focus on project objectives, including contractual conditions, purchasing budget, planning, and quality standards.
• Anticipate available discounts and ensure adherence to committed budgets.
• Set external supply chain plans for purchasing and delivery teams, ensuring consistency with overall project planning.
• Work within the external supply chain team to achieve project milestones, on-time deliveries, and compliance with internal and external deadlines.
• Summarize and report external supply chain activities for each project to stakeholders and management.
• Review with stakeholders and functional management the external supply chain budget, risk and opportunities matrix, and ensure timely updates and progress tracking.
• Ensure compliance with and enforcement of company procedures and processes in all sourcing and supply chain activities.
• Participate in best-cost country sourcing initiatives to optimize purchasing value.
• Identify underperforming or non-performing suppliers during the project life cycle and support corrective actions.
• Participate in Value Analysis and Kaizen blitz projects to continuously improve sourcing performance and efficiency.
• Use company software applications, including SAP, Pyramid, DMT, Vault Document Storage, and Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, to manage sourcing and supply chain tasks.
• Collaborate closely with internal teams, including sourcing quality, expediters, engineering, and marketing, to support standard product lines and project-specific needs.
• Track and record variances in costs, schedules, and supply chain performance and provide clear reporting to management.
• Perform other related duties as assigned by management to support project and organizational goals.

Essential Skills

• Proven project buying experience, preferably within complex engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) environments.
• Hands-on experience managing the full RFQ process, including supplier sourcing, cost and lead time analysis, and purchase order issuance.
• Experience in procurement and strategic sourcing within a supply chain context.
• Practical knowledge of Incoterms and their application in international purchasing and logistics.
• Proficiency in SAP, including use of relevant purchasing and supply chain modules.
• Intermediate or higher proficiency in Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and data analysis for reporting and tracking.
• Ability to work extensively with purchase orders, supply chain documentation, and project dashboards.
• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams such as quality, expediting, engineering, and marketing.
• Strong analytical skills to track, record, and interpret cost and time variances and develop corrective actions.
• Capability to define, plan, and execute external supply chain strategies aligned with project objectives.
• Solid understanding of budgeting, cost control, and savings initiatives in a sourcing or supply chain role.
• Comfort using multiple software tools, including SAP, Pyramid, DMT, Vault Document Storage, and Microsoft Office applications.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Experience working as a project buyer, sourcing specialist, or in a similar supply chain role within industrial or capital project environments.
• Experience in EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) projects or related industries.
• Familiarity with best-cost country sourcing strategies and supplier development.
• Experience participating in Value Analysis and Kaizen or continuous improvement initiatives related to sourcing and supply chain.
• Ability to prepare and maintain external supply chain project plans, risk and opportunity matrices, and purchasing dashboards.
• Strong communication skills to effectively interface with internal stakeholders and external suppliers.
• Organizational skills to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Comfort working in a leading, technically driven industry focused on water treatment and related systems.

Work Environment

This role operates within a structured project and supply chain environment supporting the design and delivery of water treatment facilities. The Sourcing Project Lead works closely with sourcing quality, expediters, engineering, marketing, and other internal partners on a regular basis. The position follows a hybrid schedule, with standard hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM and a 30-minute unpaid lunch break. There is some flexibility in working hours, with in-office presence required on Tuesdays and Wednesdays and remote work on the remaining days of the week. Daily work involves extensive use of SAP, Pyramid, DMT, Vault Document Storage, and Microsoft Office applications, especially Excel. The environment is collaborative, project-driven, and focused on achieving challenging sourcing and supply chain objectives in a leading water industry organization.

This is a Contract position based out of Oakville, ON.

The pay range for this position is $38.46 - $43.33/hr.

This is a hybrid position in Oakville,ON.

Aston Carter fournit des solutions de talent de classe mondiale à des milliers de clients à travers le monde. Spécialisés dans la comptabilité, la finance, les ressources humaines, l'acquisition de talents, les achats, la chaine d'approvisionnement, et certaines professions administratives, nous étendons les capacités des entreprises à la pointe de l'industrie. Nous nous appuyons sur notre profonde expertise en matière de recrutement et sur notre vaste réseau pour répondre aux besoins évolutifs de nos clients et de notre communauté de talents avec agilité et excellence. Avec des bureaux aux États-Unis, au Canada, en Asie et en Europe, Aston Carter est au service d'un grand nombre d'entreprises du classement Fortune 500. Nous sommes fiers d'avoir remporté la désignation « Prix Platine » dans le cadre des prix Best of Staffing® Client et Talent décernés par ClearlyRated.

Aston Carter est un employeur souscrivant au principe de l'égalité des chances et accepte toutes les candidatures sans tenir compte de la race, du sexe, de l'âge, de la couleur, de la religion, des origines nationales, du statut d'ancien combattant, d'un handicap, de l'orientation sexuelle, de l'identité sexuelle, des renseignements génétiques ou de toute autre caractéristique protégée par la loi.

Si vous souhaitez faire une demande d'accommodement raisonnable, tel que la modification ou l'ajustement du processus de demande d'emploi ou d'entrevue à cause d'un handicap, veuillez envoyer un courriel à [email protected] pour connaître d'autres options d'accommodement.

Ordonnance sur l'égalité des chances de San Francisco: Conformément à l'Ordonnance sur l'égalité des chances de San Francisco, pour tous les postes situés dans la ville et le comté de San Francisco, nous examinerons les candidatures des personnes qualifiées ayant un casier judiciaire ou des antécédents criminels.

Utilisation de l'intelligence artificielle (IA): Nous pouvons utiliser l'intelligence artificielle (IA) pour soutenir certaines étapes de notre processus d'embauche, notamment la recherche, la présélection et l'évaluation des candidatures. L'IA aide à analyser les candidatures et les qualifications, mais les décisions finales sont prises par notre équipe de recrutement. En soumettant votre candidature, vous reconnaissez et acceptez que celle-ci puisse être examinée à l'aide d'outils d'IA.

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.