INTRO
The role of the IT Hardware procurement officer is to actively manage hardware and software assets within the organization and for all our customers. This includes planning, monitoring, and recording software licenses and/or hardware assets to ensure compliance with complex vendor contracts. The individual will assist in forming procurement strategies to optimize technology spend across the organization and our customer's. The IT Hardware procurement officer will also develop and make recommendations to improve procedures for tracking IT assets to oversee quality control throughout their lifecycles. This position is only for qualified individuals that reside in Ottawa/Gatineau and surrounding areas.

DUTIES

• Establish (or refresh) policies and procedures for tracking the sign-in and sign-out of mobile assets, such as laptops, cell phones, and other devices
• Explore opportunities for maximizing or exploiting unused or partially used IT assets to achieve full efficiency and ROI from company resources.
• Develop strategies and external relationships to implement plans for auctioning, recycling, or otherwise selling obsolete assets.
• Participate in evaluation of the asset management process.
• Conduct and report software asset reconciliation and audit activities on a timely basis, including financial, licensing, warranty, and maintenance/support contract information.
• Compare warranties, maintenance agreements, and vendor contracts to assist with asset upkeep, upgrades, repair, and replacement.

• Identify opportunities for volume purchasing to obtain price breaks.
• A deep understanding of IT hardware: workstations, servers, peripherals, cabling.
• The willingness to do comparative research on products and their advantages and disadvantages in relation to a specific specific need and or requirement.

• Investigate equipment or software under consideration to determine ROI and total cost of ownership throughout product lifecycle.
• Define purchasing recommendations that support business goals, in collaboration with senior management and stakeholders.
• Monitor and analyze trends in company spending and inventory control in order to make recommendations for the future, and to identify areas for possible savings and/or asset optimization.
• Provide appropriate data for contract negotiations.
• Track and maintain copies of software licenses, warranties, maintenance agreements, and vendor contracts, according to processes and procedures currently in place.
• Recommend process improvements where appropriate.
• Enter all software and hardware serial numbers or identification tags into configuration management system (CMS) and ensure information is up to date, accurate, and auditable.
• Perform inventories and usage monitoring of all IT assets and record all findings, changes, physical location, and incidences of support.
• Research industry best practices and compare against the organization's practices in order to establish benchmarks for managing IT assets.
• Effectively communicate asset management strategies to team members and stakeholders in a timely and clear fashion.
• If possible, standardize equipment to lower total costs.
• Generate, distribute, and review relevant management reports.
• Investigate and resolve exceptions and accuracy issues of the CMS repository.

QUALIFICATIONS
Education

• College diploma or university degree in a field related to Information Technology and/or Asset Management
• Membership in a relevant professional organization is a benefit (Asset Management Certification, APMG IAITAM IT Asset Management Certifications, etc. ) Benefit.

Experience

• Five years experience in a role related to Information Technology, preferably in an Asset Management, IT hardware and or electronics (hardware and/or software)
• Two years direct work experience in Information Technology contract management or purchasing and procurement capacity, including all aspects of strategy development and execution.
• Two years direct work experience in managing software license agreements from vendors such as Microsoft 365, HPE, IBM, ServiceNow, Connectwise, etc.

Abilities & Skills

• Solid working knowledge of software licensing agreements for the following vendors: Microsoft 365, HPE, IBM, ServiceNow, Connectwise, etc.
• Solid working knowledge of hardware asset management practices for a variety of hardware types including laptops, desktops, cell phones, servers, network infrastructure, removable media, etc.
• An excellent communicator, the incumbent will work well in both a team environment and independently, will have a strong attention to detail, as well as superior analytical and problem solving skills and ability to strategically plan and prioritize work.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills to be able to communicate clearly and accurately (and where appropriately diplomatically) with both technical and non-technical personnel, inside and outside CNL.
• Adept at conducting research into product- and service-related issues.
• Must be able to learn, understand, and apply new technologies.
• Customer service skills are critical.
• Ability to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment.
• Ability to comprehend, interpret, and comply with company policies and procedures
• Must have a driver's license.
• Must have a clean police record.

Job/Industry Specific Knowledge

• Strong familiarity and technical competence with asset management software and/or inventory-tracking systems.
• Solid working knowledge of current IT technologies and services (cloud-based services, subscription-based licensing, etc.)
• General knowledge of contract regulations and laws.
• General knowledge of accounting, finance, marketing, and logistics
• Solid working knowledge of software licensing agreements for the following vendors: Microsoft 365, HPE, IBM, ServiceNow, Connectwise, etc.