Associate Director, Strategic Procurement & Engagement

University of Toronto • Toronto, ON

2d • CA$132,351 - CA$220,587 • Hybrid

About The Position

Procurement Services (St. George) is responsible for procurement governance at the University of Toronto, setting the standards, policies, and processes that guide purchasing and procurement across all campuses. The Programs & Operations team supports university-wide processes such as P-Cards, the vendor master, and uSOURCE, while the Acquisitions & Sourcing team manages public procurement for the St. George campus. Working closely with other procurement professionals across the University, we provide a coordinated, transparent, and accountable approach that enables departments, researchers, and staff to procure effectively and responsibly, grounded in a culture of teamwork, collaboration, diversity, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

This is an opportunity to help shape the future of procurement at one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities.

Reporting to the Executive Director, University Procurement, the Associate Director, Strategic Procurement and Engagement provides strategic leadership to advance procurement as a trusted strategic partner and steward of the University's resources. You will lead strategic sourcing initiatives, oversee complex procurement activities, and work collaboratively with leaders across the University to identify opportunities to bring people together, leverage the institution's collective purchasing power, and create procurement solutions that deliver value across the University.

You will play a key role in building engagement across a decentralized procurement community by developing partnerships, fostering collaboration, sharing leading practices, and supporting the adoption of enterprise procurement strategies. You will also lead initiatives that improve procurement performance, modernize processes, leverage technology, and strengthen the University's procurement capability.

As a member of the Procurement Services leadership team, you will provide leadership to experienced procurement professionals and managers, contribute to strategic planning, policy development, and organizational change initiatives, and ensure procurement activities are conducted in accordance with public procurement legislation, trade agreements, University policy, and leading public sector practices.

This role is ideal for a collaborative leader who enjoys building relationships, influencing without direct authority, developing people, and creating the conditions for long-term organizational success. You are equally comfortable working with senior leaders on strategic initiatives as you are coaching a team, facilitating collaboration, and helping others navigate complexity. If you are energized by strategic thinking, continuous improvement, and helping a complex organization realize greater value through procurement, we encourage you to apply.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related discipline.
• A recognized professional procurement designation (e.g., CSCMP, CPPO or equivalent) is required.
• 8+ years of public sector procurement experience in progressively senior leadership roles with an emphasis on strategic procurement planning enterprise sourcing, contract management, negotiations and the implementation of institutional procurement strategies, including value optimization, enterprise sourcing and procurement transformation.
• Demonstrated comprehensive knowledge of procurement laws and best practices including demonstrated critical thinking to drive innovation.
• Demonstrated several years’ management experience with an emphasis on continuous improvement, and staff development.
• A minimum of 5 years of supervision of staff within a unionized environment.
• Demonstrated experience to motivate and lead high performing teams.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and delivering presentations to a variety of audiences.
• Proven project management experience.
• Superior organizational skill including planning, developing, and implementing process and change management.
• Exceptional negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong verbal and written communication and interpretation skills, professionalism and tactful assertiveness.
• Excellent people skills to lead a senior team of procurement professionals and provide strategic advice to senior leaders including sound judgment, strong business acumen, active listening, strong analytical, problem solving, and leadership skills at a management level.
• Demonstrated ability to influence without direct authority and build collaborative relationships across a complex, decentralized organization.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret complex information and translate it into practical recommendations for diverse stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrated presentation, reporting and project management skills.
• Advanced level Microsoft Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• The incumbent must advocate and ensure that the highest degree of ethics is applied and maintained in all business relationships.
• Significant attention to controls, transparency and customer needs.
• Must be an initiative-taker with demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities in a stressful environment subject to frequent re-prioritization.
• Must have current knowledge in the field of procurement and related industry best practices.
• Must be conversant with federal and provincial government regulations affecting public procurement and with the rules and obligations of applicable trade agreements, the BPS Procurement Directive and funding agency requirements as they apply to a research-intensive University.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive and client-focused culture while advancing strategic procurement objectives across the University.

Nice To Haves

• Fundamental understanding of public sector policies and procedures is highly desirable.
• Experience with leading stakeholder collaboration and consultations.
• Experience with computerized purchasing, materials management and financial systems (SAP preferred).
• Active participation in relevant professional procurement associations and ongoing professional development is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership to advance procurement as a trusted strategic partner and steward of the University's resources.
• Leads strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Oversees complex procurement activities.
• Works collaboratively with leaders across the University to identify opportunities to bring people together, leverage the institution's collective purchasing power, and create procurement solutions that deliver value across the University.
• Plays a key role in building engagement across a decentralized procurement community by developing partnerships, fostering collaboration, sharing leading practices, and supporting the adoption of enterprise procurement strategies.
• Leads initiatives that improve procurement performance, modernize processes, leverage technology, and strengthen the University's procurement capability.
• Provides leadership to experienced procurement professionals and managers.
• Contributes to strategic planning, policy development, and organizational change initiatives.
• Ensures procurement activities are conducted in accordance with public procurement legislation, trade agreements, University policy, and leading public sector practices.

Benefits

• The successful candidate will be required to work on the St. George campus four (4) days one week and three (3) days the following week, on a rotating biweekly schedule.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager