Project Buyer

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow’s possible.

For decades, Ottawa has been a global technology leader. Today, Canada’s capital holds one of the brightest and most diverse technological ecosystems in North America. Voted as Canada’s best place to live 2017 by Maclean’s, Ottawa offers a low cost of living with a high quality of life. The Thales Ottawa office has been a major supplier and long-term trusted partner to DND, enabling the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard to achieve mission success.

Project Buyer

Ottawa, ON (Chrysalis) or Halifax, NS (Wilkinson) – Hybrid

Position Summary

The Project Buyer is responsible for coordinating and executing procurement activities for assigned projects, ensuring all goods and services are sourced to meet project specifications, timelines, and budgetary requirements. This role manages the full purchase cycle, engages in supplier negotiations, fosters supplier relationships, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to support project goals while adhering to company policies and ethical standards.

Essential Functions

• Manage the end-to-end procurement activities for project-specific goods and services, including sourcing, RFx/RFP administration, local negotiations, order creation, purchase order (PO) management, and invoice resolution.
• Mentor and provide guidance to other buyers and support knowledge sharing across the team.
• Transform purchase requisitions (PR) into accurate and compliant purchase orders (PO), verifying commodity codes, ship-to locations, supplier information, and relevant documentation.
• Proactively expedite, track, and follow up on purchase orders to guarantee timely delivery and adherence to contractual terms and quality standards.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, such as project management, engineering, and senior leadership, to define procurement needs, set priorities, and align sourcing strategies with business and project objectives.
• Engage with suppliers to ensure PO acknowledgment, secure delivery commitments, and maintain strong supplier relationships to drive ongoing performance improvements, cost reductions, and risk mitigation.
• Monitor and report on purchasing activities, including cost analysis, status updates on open orders, and strategic sourcing opportunities.
• Manage and resolve order discrepancies, supplier disputes, and escalate significant procurement issues to Supply Chain Manager, Category Buyers/Managers, or Procurement Project Managers as required.
• Support implementation of best practices, process improvements, and ERP/SAP functionality upgrades to enhance operational efficiency in procurement activities.
• Maintain accurate documentation and records for audit and compliance purposes, ensuring alignment with company policies, ISO quality standards, defense regulatory requirements, and effective part management.
• Collect and prioritize purchase requisitions (PR) in coordination with project planning and industry requirements.
• Monitor performance against key performance indicators (KPIs) in collaboration with the Supply Chain Manager and drive continuous improvement within the function.
• Work proactively within the buying team to support departmental objectives and provide input on process or policy enhancements.
• Uphold ethical standards and compliance in all purchasing activities in accordance with Thales policies.
• Support all additional aspects of the supply chain department as required.

Minimum Requirements

• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience performing similar activities within a supply chain environment;
• Experience and ability to understand contract terms & conditions;
• Previous experience using of SAP or other Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system;
• Able to prioritize tasks while meeting deadlines in high-pressure environment;
• Ability to work individually and as part of a team & cross-functional team;
• Knowledge of Export regulations an asset;
• Open minded and able to listen, share ideas while bringing added value / capturing innovation;
• Proficient in MS Office Suite;
• Excellent communication and people skills;
• Bilingual: English/ French an asset;

This position requires a good knowledge of French to interact, support and/or provide services to international clients, employees and/or partners as well as foreign governmental authorities who do not speak English.

• Knowledge of Industrial Technical Benefits, Canadian Content Value an asset; and

All applicants must be able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance and meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the Canadian Controlled Goods Registration Program and ITAR.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree, Purchasing Certification and/or 5 years of Procurement/Purchasing experience; and
• Previous experience in the Defense Industry.

Special Position Requirements

• Role will require working from both home and office (hybrid)
• Schedule: 40 working hours per week Monday- Friday. Flexible time, however, accommodating core hours of 9am-3pm, project needs and global/international time zones

The reference Total Target Compensation(TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between

Total Target Cash (TTC) 56,340.75 – 93,901.25 CAD Annual

Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following: 

• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.

• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.

• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave. 

• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.

• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian NATO Secret clearance.