Purchasing Manager Full-time

Company Description

Recognized as the #1 Best Canadian Hotel in Travel + Leisure's 2024 World's Best Awards, Fairmont Empress is located in Victoria, BC, overlooking the city's sparkling Inner Harbour. A Forbes recommended and MICHELIN key hotel that offers 431 beautifully appointed guest rooms and suites, Fairmont Spa with signature West Coast experiences, and Q at the Empress featuring Pacific Northwest cuisine, an award-winning wine list, and regionally focused cocktail culture. World-famous Tea at the Empress is served in the Lobby Lounge with stunning harbour views.

The magnificent property completed a $60+ million restoration in 2017 that celebrated its proud history while moving the hotel into a new era of modern luxury and transforming the iconic property into a must-visit destination. In 2023, the property introduced a revamped Fairmont Gold Experience, including a major renovation to the Fairmont Gold floor. 88 Fairmont Gold rooms and a newly renovated lounge are ready to accommodate guests. Located on Vancouver Island, Canada's Castle on the Coast is the ideal starting point to explore British Columbia's stunning natural and expansive beauty. Historic Hotels Worldwide recognizes the property's prestigious grounds as the Top 25 Most Magnificent Gardens in the World.

Job Description

What is in it for you:

• Employee benefit card offering discounted rates in Accor worldwide
• Discounted food & beverage offerings at our Vancouver sister properties
• Opportunity to develop your talent and grow within your property and across the world! 
• Complimentary meals through our colleague dining program (taxes apply)
• Complimentary dry cleaning of business attire
• Access to our comprehensive benefits and wellness programs, including extended healthcare benefits and RMT, dental, vision, and complimentary counseling, wellness sessions, financial and family planning through GreenShield
• Access to our company-matched Defined Contribution Pension Plan (DCPP)
• Opportunity to develop your talent through coaching and our Leadership Mentoring Programs
• Competitive annual salary commensurate with experience, starting at $83,200. Final compensation will be determined based on skills, relevant experience, and alignment with the role’s core and advanced competencies. Candidates with deeper expertise or specialized knowledge may be placed toward the upper portion of the range

What you will be doing:

• Oversee and participate in the procurement of materials, equipment, supplies, and services required to support hotel operations.
• Lead, coach, and develop Purchasing team.
• Supervise procurement activities and approve purchase orders to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures.
• Drive cost savings through strategic sourcing, supplier management, standardization, value analysis, and adherence to corporate purchasing agreements.
• Oversee the receipt of incoming products and monitor quality, quantity, and specification compliance.
• Negotiate and manage contracts for materials and services through the RFP process to maximize value and mitigate risk.
• Identify, evaluate, and qualify suppliers, including conducting supplier site inspections as required.
• Serve as the primary liaison with the Entegra representative to ensure contracts are effectively communicated, implemented, and maintained.
• Resolve vendor issues through effective negotiation and professional communication to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Partner with Accounts Payable to ensure accurate processing and timely payment of vendor invoices.
• Collaborate with Receiving and Accounts Payable teams to maintain accurate purchasing, receiving, and inventory records.
• Coordinate, supervise and/or participate month-end inventory counts reconciliations and work closely with the Finance team to ensure accuracy.
• Partner with the Culinary team to forecast requirements, communicate price changes, maintain product specifications, and ensure timely ordering and delivery of goods.
• Maintain accurate pricing records for food, beverage, and inventory items.
• Oversee supply storage areas and maintain a strong working knowledge of inventory management systems.
• Manage departmental productivity and labor costs in line with established targets.
• Support Employee Engagement objectives by developing and implementing department action plans focused on communication, coaching, mentoring, and performance improvement.
• Ensure all company standards, product specifications, and quality expectations are consistently maintained.
• Comply with Environmental Health Centre standards and ensure adequate and timely preparation of audit documentation. 
• Comply with all Fairmont standards, policies, and procedures to promote safe, efficient, and effective hotel operations.
• Ensure compliance with all corporate policies and applicable municipal, provincial, and federal laws and regulations.

Qualifications

Your experience and skills include:

• 3-5 years of leadership experience in purchasing, with at least 2 years in a food related industry
• Graduate of a Hotel Management or related degree
• Familiar with all Local, Provincial, and Federal laws and government regulations – not limited to import regulations, brokers and customs, food and liquor, Health, and employment/workplace safety.
• General knowledge of equipment and supplies used in a hotel environment including food and beverage products
• Experience working in a union environment
• Experience with BirchStreet eProcurement and inventory system
• Understanding of basic accounting practices
• Experience with Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, Outlook, as well as purchasing/accounting software, and labor control software (i.e. Watson, Dayforce)
• Demonstrate excellent interpersonal, organizational and administrative skills
• Possess excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

Additional Information

Physical Aspects of Position (include but are not limited to): 

• Frequent standing and walking
• Occasional bending and kneeling
• Occasional carrying and lifting up to 20lbs

Visa Requirements: Must be legally eligible to work in Canada. The hotel is unable to assist candidates in obtaining Canadian work authorization.

Your team and working environment:  Welcome to Canada’s Castle on the Coast. The Empress Hotel sits proudly at the centre of culture and history in Victoria, British Columbia. This is the best of all worlds – where contrast meets distinction, opulence blends harmoniously with the understated and fabled history meshes with contemporary affairs. This award-winning Victoria hotel and National Historic Site is an alluring blend of classic and contemporary, vintage and cutting-edge: Where Modern meets Iconic. Come join our wonderful team of hospitality experts!

Our commitment to Diversity & Inclusion:
We are an inclusive company and our ambition is to attract, recruit and promote diverse talent.

Why work for Accor?
We are far more than a worldwide leader. We welcome you as you are and you can find a job and brand that matches your personality. We support you to grow and learn every day, making sure that work brings purpose to your life, so that during your journey with us, you can continue to explore Accor’s limitless possibilities.
By joining Accor, every chapter of your story is yours to write and together we can imagine tomorrow's hospitality. Discover the life that awaits you at Accor, visit

Do what you love, care for the world, dare to challenge the status quo! #BELIMITLESS