12 months Fixed Term

About Southern Ports

Southern Ports manages the three gateway ports of Albany, Bunbury and Esperance, and facilitates trade through the commercial management of efficient, safe, sustainable, and customer-focused ports. Our three regional ports play a vital role in connecting Western Australia with world markets. It is our belief that strong regional ports lead to strong regions, and that results in economic and social benefits for the communities across the regions we serve. Our people are our greatest asset, and we are committed to supporting our teams and building a diverse and capable workforce that is geared to meet the current and future needs of our customers and the sustainability of our ports.

Our Vision: Strong Regional Ports, Strong Regions.

The Role

Reporting to the Senior Category Specialists Projects, the Category Specialist accountabilities and functions include leading and supporting Southern Ports’ procurement process and function to deliver civil, infrastructure and maintenance projects across all three port sites for a fixed term period of 12 months.

The Category Specialist is a business partner providing contracting and procurement support to key internal stakeholders. All business activities of the Category Specialist are in line with Southern Ports’ mission, vision and corporate values.

Key Responsibilities

Ÿ Support the delivery of Southern Ports capital works program (minor capital, maintenance projects and major capital).

Ÿ Support the projects team to maintain project controls (cost, quality, schedule) reporting on individual projects and on a portfolio level.

Ÿ Develop and engineer “fit for purpose” contracts for scopes of work provided.

Ÿ Lead the sourcing, evaluation, and the award of contracts.

Ÿ Administer contracts post award including management of claims, variations, change requests, milestone payments, and contract securities.

Ÿ Manage assigned procurement categories for all Southern Ports business needs in area of responsibility.

Ÿ Deliver end to end contracting and procurement requirements for assigned category.

Ÿ Utilise procurement systems (FELIX Vendor Management & ERP for P2P).

Ÿ Provide support, advice and ensure that procurement policies and procedures are followed and assist in the ongoing improvement and development of them.

The Expertise

- Degree qualification in Business, commerce, quantity surveying, legal or related background

- Minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar role

- Proven experience in applying category management principles, tools and techniques.

- Experience in using ERP systems and Procure to Pay (P2P) business process

- Track record of successful stakeholder relationship development and management

- Experience in analysis and due diligence of commercial proposals

- Knowledge of category management principles, tools and techniques

- Proven negotiation skills

- Methodical and precise approach to handling commercial and contractual information

- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to convey information in a clear, concise manner

- Ability to travel to other Southern Ports locations (Albany, Bunbury, Esperance and Perth)

- Current WA C Class Driver’s Licence.

To see the PD for this role, please copy and paste the below link into your browser:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hhf9ibi47cpmfysink757/PD-CTCO-Category-Specialist-Projects.pdf?rlkey=d84i6c9u7159u16ondagabkct&st=on2owf6x&dl=0

Requirements

To be eligible for this 12-month fixed term role, applicants must be able to provide proof of Australian citizenship or permanent residency.

The successful applicant must have a current WA driver’s licence, be able to obtain and maintain a Maritime Security Access Card and undergo a pre-employment medical assessment including drug and alcohol testing.

Southern Ports is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against race, gender, age, religion, sexual preference, or disability. We encourage applications from all culturally diverse backgrounds, Indigenous Australians, and Non-Indigenous Australians. Southern Ports is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and impartial workplace with equal opportunities for all employees.

Applications close 28 July 2025. We reserve the right to commence the recruitment process during the application period. Please contact [email protected] for further information.