Inventory and Purchasing Specialist Maternity/Parental Leave Contract (19 months)

Job summary

Manage procurement, receiving, storage, shipping, tracking, inspection, and distribution of materials, equipment, and supplies across the District’s storage yards. Maintain inventory records and stock levels, supervise ordering and storage activities, coordinate project material needs, and provide reports and invoice approvals.

Job details

Job Title: Inventory and Purchasing Specialist Reports to: Operations Manager Scope: To provide efficient management for procurement, receiving, storing, shipping, tracking, inspection, and issuing of the necessary materials, equipment and supplies associated with the operation and maintenance of the Irrigation District. This position requires both manual and digital control and tracking of materials and supplies throughout the District working with Operations and Maintenance, Technical Services, Finance, Contractors, and Consultants. Working closely with staff and project teams to store, coordinate and ship from yards located at Bow Island, Taber and Broxburn locations. This role will handle diverse materials, supplies, parts and tools under the direction and supervision of the Operations Manager and in conjunction with the accepted safety and operation/maintenance policies and procedures of the St. Mary River Irrigation District. Qualifications and Requirements: A. Education and Experience · 3-5 years' experience in the Supply Chain Industry with emphasis on warehousing and/or inventory management in agriculture related industry is preferred. · Undergraduate Degree or Diploma in Supply Chain Management. · 3-5 years’ experience in a supervisory or leadership capacity. · Possess the ability to work independently and think critically to produce solution-based processes, procedures and plans to efficiently manage District inventory. · Exceptional writing and editing skills, with a keen eye for detail and the ability to produce clean, creative and accurate content quickly and efficiently. · Possess a passion for the Lethbridge and Southern Alberta Irrigation Industry. · Confidence in executing tasks within all areas of the supply chain logistics process. · The ability to read and interpret engineering drawings and develop take-off lists for ordering materials would be an asset. · The ability to develop cost estimates for materials and installation would be an asset. · Knowledge of basic accounting principles and budgetary processes is preferred. · Demonstrate proficiency in MS Office suite, including Intermediate Excel skills for spreadsheet creation, Word and Outlook 365. · Valid class 5 Operators license. B. Job Requirements · Verification, receiving & distribution of all incoming orders for inventory & non-inventory parts, including raw materials. Creating notice of arrivals, completing all procurement responsibilities in the receiving process. · Perform the establishment of stock balance minimums, the preparation of requisitions and emergency orders for stock, to meet minimum requirements or to fill order requests. · Maintain digital records of inventory & non-inventory items and assist in the establishment of minimum stock requirements. · Maintain control over all stock items, conduct spot checks of various stock items to ensure adequate inventory control and assist in taking annual inventory counts. · Perform and supervise the placing of orders with commercial and industrial supply firms for parts, materials and supplies as required and approve invoices for payment by the Finance department. · Supervise the loading, unloading, and transferring of items at storage locations coordinating with staff to organize, clean and maintain the storerooms and storage yards in orderly condition. · Receive, create, and process purchase orders as requested by other supervisory & management staff of the strict. · Present monthly (quarterly) reports to the accounting department on stock or materials used on in-house, IRP and AIM projects. · When needed, the Purchaser may be required to lead or assist in the procurement of materials for maintenance and repair of the maintenance buildings or the equipment fleet. · Work with staff to review project drawings and determine the necessary materials to order for various projects. · Perform other related work as required. This posting will remain open until October 30, 2026. Please submit resume and cover letter to hr@smrid.com or apply directly on the website under the careers tab.

What you’ll do

Manage procurement, receiving, storage, shipping, tracking, inspection, and distribution of materials, equipment, and supplies across the District’s storage yards. Maintain inventory records and stock levels, supervise ordering and storage activities, coordinate project material needs, and provide reports and invoice approvals.

Requirements

The role prefers 3–5 years of supply chain experience, particularly in warehousing or inventory management, and 3–5 years in a supervisory or leadership capacity, along with a degree or diploma in Supply Chain Management. Candidates should have strong written communication, independent problem-solving, Microsoft Office and intermediate Excel skills, a valid Class 5 operator’s licence, and preferably knowledge of accounting and budgeting; engineering drawing interpretation and cost estimation are assets.

Listed skills

• Supply chain management · Preferred
• Microsoft Excel · Preferred
• Microsoft Office · Preferred
• Inventory management · Preferred
• Procurement · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Supply Chain Management
• Warehouse Management
• Inventory Management
• Procurement
• Receiving and Distribution
• Stock Control
• Purchase Order Processing
• Supplier Coordination
• Supervision and Leadership
• Inventory Reporting
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft Office
• Engineering Drawing Interpretation
• Material Take-Offs
• Cost Estimation
• Basic Accounting

Job areas

• Logistics
• Management & Leadership
• Agriculture
• Administrative