August 2026 · 7 minute read
Start with the problem, not the duties
A list of responsibilities tells a candidate what they will be busy with. It does not tell them why the role exists or what will be different in a year if they do it well. Open with that: "Our four sites run separate item masters and we lose roughly a day a week reconciling them; this role owns the consolidation and the governance that stops it happening again." A strategic sourcing specialist or ERP analyst reading that sentence knows immediately whether it is their kind of problem.
Name the systems and the rules
In healthcare supply chain, the tools and the regulatory context are the job. Say which ERP or materials module you run (Oracle Cloud SCM, SAP, Meditech, Infor, Cerner), which planning or analytics tools are in use, and whether the role works under Broader Public Sector procurement directives, a vendor-of-record arrangement, or a GPO contract. For distributors and manufacturers, mention MDEL, GDP, cold chain, or lot traceability where relevant. Candidates self-select accurately when the brief is specific, which saves everyone's time.
Be explicit about decision rights
The difference between a manager and a director role is often not the title but what the person can decide alone. Can they award a contract under a threshold? Approve a product conversion? Change par levels without sign-off? State it. Senior candidates in particular will not move for a title with less authority than they have now.
Describe the team and the manager
Who does the role report to, how long have they been there, and what is their style? Who are the peers in finance, clinical, and IT? A short, honest paragraph here does more to attract the right person than any amount of language about being dynamic or fast-paced.
Put the salary range in the brief
Ontario and British Columbia already require salary ranges in many public postings, and candidates expect them everywhere. A range that is honest and defensible wins trust; one that is deliberately wide reads as evasive. If you are unsure where the market sits, ask us before you post. We benchmark every brief against live placements and will tell you if the number is likely to stall the search.
Say which parts are hard
Every role has them: a legacy system, an unpopular standardization project, a site that resists change, a hybrid policy that is stricter than the market. Candidates find out in the first interview anyway. Naming the hard parts in the brief filters for people who want that challenge and removes the surprise that causes early departures.
Keep the must-haves short
Three to five genuine requirements, clearly separated from nice-to-haves. Every additional must-have removes good candidates, especially those returning to work or moving from adjacent sectors. If a designation such as SCMP or CSCP is truly required, say so; if it is preferred, say that instead.
Set the process and the timeline
How many interview stages, who is involved, whether there is a case study or presentation, and when you intend to decide. Then hold to it. In our experience the most common reason a strong candidate withdraws is not salary but a process that drifts by weeks with no feedback.
A brief template you can adapt
| Section | What to include |
|---|---|
| Purpose | The problem this role solves and what success looks like at 12 months |
| Context | Organization type, sites, spend under management, systems, regulatory framework |
| Accountabilities | Five to seven outcomes the role owns, with decision rights made explicit |
| Team | Reporting line, direct reports, key partners |
| Requirements | Three to five must-haves; separate nice-to-haves |
| Terms | Salary range, bonus, benefits, pension, vacation, work model, location |
| Process | Stages, participants, assessments, timeline |
| The honest parts | What is hard, what is changing, what the last person found difficult |
If you would like us to draft the brief with you, that is part of every search we run. Submit a vacancy or get in touch and a practice consultant will set up a briefing call.