AVP, Procurement & Supply Management

Canadian National Railway Company•Montréal-Est, QC

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The incumbent is responsible for setting the strategic direction and leading the transformation of procurement and supply management across CN. The role provides executive leadership for enterprise category management, strategic sourcing, supplier relationship management, procurement operations, and governance, ensuring procurement strategies are aligned to business priorities, operational requirements, risk mitigation, and long-term value creation. The incumbent positions Procurement as a strategic business partner by advancing category management excellence, digital capabilities, analytics, artificial intelligence, and innovation across the function. A key aspect of the role is developing a robust talent strategy and building a high-performing, future-ready procurement organization. The incumbent is accountable for overall procurement performance, supply chain resilience, and comprehensive risk management, including the active monitoring of macroeconomic trends, commodity exposure, and geopolitical impacts on railroad operations, while championing sustainability and ensuring alignment with corporate objectives and enterprise growth strategies.

Requirements

Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in procurement, supply chain, strategic sourcing or related leadership functions
Experience leading large teams, senior leaders, major spend portfolios and enterprise-wide transformation initiatives
Experience developing and implementing category management, sourcing governance, supplier relationship management and procurement operating models
Experience managing risk, supplier performance, market volatility, business continuity and supply chain resilience in a complex operational environment
Experience advancing digital procurement, analytics, artificial intelligence, process modernization or enterprise transformation initiatives
Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain, Engineering, Finance or a related field
Master of Business Administration, recognized procurement designation or supply chain designation

Nice To Haves

Any requirement above marked with () would be considered as an asset (not mandatory)

Responsibilities

Set the strategic direction and governance framework for category management and sourcing activities across enterprise spend portfolios.
Provide executive oversight of category strategies, major sourcing initiatives and supplier relationship programs led by procurement teams.
Ensure procurement strategies support business priorities, operational requirements, growth objectives and long-term value creation.
Sponsor major commercial negotiations and participate in critical executive-level supplier discussions when required.
Monitor macroeconomic trends, commodity exposure, supply chain disruptions and geopolitical risks impacting railroad operations.
Proactively identify and highlight critical vulnerabilities, collaborating directly with category teams to design and implement strategic mitigation plans that protect operational continuity.
Establish performance expectations, operating models and service standards for procurement operations and enablement functions.
Oversee the effectiveness of procurement processes, policies and support services through leadership of functional teams.
Monitor organizational performance through key metrics, analytics and governance reviews, ensuring continuous improvement and accountability.
Define the vision and roadmap for procurement technology, digital transformation and process modernization.
Lead and orchestrate enterprise procurement transformation initiatives, establishing the vision, operating model, capabilities, technologies and organizational changes required to achieve world-class performance.
Champion the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and emerging digital capabilities that enhance decision quality, automate transactional activities and improve organizational effectiveness.
Provide executive oversight of procurement governance, compliance, audit protocols, supplier risk management and internal control frameworks.
Champion sustainability, environmental, social and governance and supplier inclusion objectives, ensuring they are embedded within procurement strategies and decision-making.
Ensure appropriate risk mitigation and business continuity strategies are established for critical suppliers and supply chains.
Develop trusted relationships that enable procurement to drive enterprise-wide value creation, risk mitigation, innovation and operational excellence.
Partner closely with Operations, Engineering, Finance, Technology, Legal, Sustainability and Commercial leaders to align procurement strategies with enterprise priorities and operational objectives.
Lead, develop and mentor a team of procurement leaders, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and high performance.
Represent Procurement in enterprise planning, strategic decision-making and cross-functional leadership forums.
Drive succession planning, organizational capability development and workforce strategies for the procurement function.