Senior Purchaser

KF Aerospace; Kelowna; On-site; CAD 68,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health & Dental

Disability Insurance

Health Spending Account

Vacation & PTO

Overtime banking

Pension matching

Employee Assistance Program

Financial planning advice

Bonus program

Job summary

KF Aerospace, based in Kelowna, BC, is seeking a Senior Purchaser to lead procurement across bases, ensuring cost-effective sourcing and timely delivery. You will work with cross-functional teams to optimize supplier performance and drive continuous improvements.

You will mentor entry-level staff, leverage market intelligence, and manage complex purchasing activities to support aviation services for corporate, commercial, and military customers.

Qualifications

• Grade 12 graduation required.
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Purchaser.
• Must hold or be working towards a Purchasing accreditation.
• Experience in aviation purchasing is considered an asset.
• Proactive problem solving and advanced trouble shooting skills.
• Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills.
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office, especially Excel.
• Proficient in an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Strong verbal and written communication; active listening.
• Planning, organizing, multitasking and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Sourcing and procuring goods and services for all bases in a cost effective and timely manner.
• Develop and implement SCM strategies with market intelligence and supplier alliances.
• Cultivate strong relationships with suppliers and cross-functional teams.
• Develop KPIs aligned with corporate objectives and drive continuous improvement.
• Lead and train entry-level purchasing staff and foster team growth.
• Manage purchase orders, expedites, and delivery date tracking in ERP system.
• Provide proactive customer service and problem resolution within tight timelines.
• Collaborate with bases and departments to meet customer requirements.
• Optimize supplier selection, pricing, and delivery consolidation.

Skills

Sourcing & Procurement

Supplier Relationship Management

Market Intelligence

KPI Implementation

Team Leadership

Problem Solving

Communications

Education

Grade 12

Purchasing accreditation

Tools

M3 system

MS Excel

ERP systems

Job description

Salary Range: $68,000.00 To $86,000.00 Annually

We’re all about the craft.

KF Aerospace is proud to deliver innovative aircraft services for corporate, commercial, and military customers worldwide. Launched in 1970 out of British Columbia’s beautiful city of Kelowna, KF has grown to specialize in a wide range of aviation services including maintenance and modifications, cargo operations, military pilot training and aircraft leasing. With facilities across Canada, KF is home to over 1,200 highly skilled individuals. Our passion for our craft fuels every project we touch.

JOB OVERVIEW

The Senior Purchaser position reports to the Procurement Lead and is responsible for delivering a high level of customer service in the procurement of goods and services for our customers at the lowest total cost of ownership. Doing so requires independent decision making, non-standard problem solving, trouble shooting and development/training of entry level Purchasing employees. This will be achieved by:

• Through the expertise and effectiveness of our people in Supply Chain Management (SCM) by incorporating SCM strategies and best practices in conjunction with market intelligence and effective supplier alliances and CI initiatives
• Through the development of stronger relationships with team members and cross-functional groups
• Through the development of strategies to achieve established Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) that are consistent with corporate objectives
• Through on-going development of your team for future growth opportunities to ensure both functionality and effectiveness

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Purchaser position is responsible for the following key areas:

Sourcing of materials, parts, and services

Sourcing and procuring required goods and services to fulfill customer and company requirements for all bases in a cost effective and timely manner by:

• Possessing a solid working knowledge of aviation parts and materials and comprehension of the differences between rotables and consumables
• Adhering to the customer financial approval limits and cooperatively resolving any issues arising in this area when approval limits are exceeded
• Recommending continuous improvement initiatives to reduce costs
• Communicating/collaborating effectively with all bases and departments
• Answering non-standard requests by independently using advanced searching and problem solving and possessing a thorough understanding of internal systems
• Providing recommendations on alternative approved parts or finding a higher assembly to help complete the purchase order to meet customer timelines
• Conducting market research and ensuring market intelligence is utilized fully to offer supply chain strategies and best practices to our customers
• Effectively dealing with part exchanges and warranty claims

Documentation and Administration

Solid understanding of company paper flow, systems and requirements of other departments and the ability to collaborate as required with a high degree of accuracy, including:

• Timely processing and distribution of purchase orders in the M3 system
• Expediting and updating of purchase orders in the M3 system with confirmed delivery dates and air waybill numbers
• Monitoring parts status reports to ensure all parts are purchased and delivered within the required dock dates for maintenance projects
• Familiarity with Purchasing manual and policies and adhering to them

Customer Service

Takes the initiative to provide a high level of customer service by:

• Setting a positive and professional example in all situations
• Making recommendations and generating alternatives to improve customer service along with challenging the status quo
• Ensuring proactive follow-up within 48 hours (non AOG) to customers and coaching other team members to do the same
• Collaborating with internal and external customers to meet customer requirements
• Exercising collaborative decision-making and resolution of issues with key areas
• Instilling a sense of personal ownership and accountability in interpersonal interactions with other employees, customers, and suppliers

Cultivating effective working relationships with Suppliers by:

• Having a working knowledge of all approved vendors and an understanding of their core product lines
• Having the ability to complete an analysis of commodity team strategic supplier base with the Procurement and Inventory Supervisor to develop business cases, where appropriate, to rationalize supply base and leverage spend to properly negotiate on behalf of KF
• Managing Supplier performance through established KPI’s
• Developing strategic alliances with suppliers based on risk and spend such as VMI initiatives
• Optimizing choice of Supplier in terms of price, timing of delivery and consolidation of orders as well as any strategic rebate programs
• Acting as a liaison between Suppliers and other bases as required
• Cultivating industry contacts and sharing with team to assist in customer service

REQUIREMENTS

• Grade 12 graduate
• Minimum 5 years of experience as a Purchaser with proven ability to competently perform all job functions
• Must hold or be working towards a Purchasing accreditation
• Experience in Aviation purchasing is considered an asset
• Proactive problem solving and advanced trouble shooting skills
• Demonstrated interpersonal communication skills
• Advanced computer skills in MS Office programs, specifically Excel
• Competent in the use of an Enterprise Resource Planning system
• Proven verbal and written communication skills. Demonstrated active listening skills – seek first to understand then be understood
• Planning, organizing, multitasking skills and attention to detail are required; and
• Able to work productively in a fast-paced environment and independently as required

BENEFITS

Full-Time staff benefits include (but are not limited to):

• Health and Dental
• Short & Long-Term Disability
• Health Spending Account
• Paid vacation and Personal time off
• The opportunity to bank overtime
• Pension matching plan and voluntary RRSP
• Employee & Family Assistance Program
• Free financial advice
• A bonus program based on organizational performance

SALARY

The wage band is KF level 8, $68,000 - $86,000 annually. The expertise and technical skill level of the candidate is assessed during the selection process for placement within the band. Note: The salary range maximum signifies full job knowledge