Category Lead

Rogers Communications•Toronto, ON

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Category Manager of CPE, Network Materials, the Category Lead position is a role within the Procurement and Supply Chain department. The successful candidate will have strong knowledge of CPE, network and associated Supply Chains within the Rogers network and will be an expert on this spend category. The candidate will be quickly recognized by the Rogers’ business partner as a valued contributor in helping manage the strategic direction, total cost of ownership and risk. This individual must be an excellent communicator with proven ability to influence at all levels within the organization. The successful candidate will be responsible for setting savings targets for the spend category and be accountable to working collaboratively with other groups within Procurement and with our business partners in Connected Home, Network, and Supply Chain and Finance to realize those savings through market tenders and negotiations. The individual will need to work across different pillars within the organization to corral and drive the overarching procurement point-of-view and to realize the desired outcomes. The Category Lead will cultivate a strong rapport with key senior technical, business and finance stakeholders / partners based on foundational trust, respect, collaboration, cooperation and help in achieving their business objectives. The Category Lead will coach and support other team members and work closely with senior leaders within the vendor marketplace.

Requirements

Deep knowledge of procuring Hardware and Services within the CPE and Network landscape including the following: CPE, CPE Accessories, Network Materials, Supply Chain services
2+ years of relevant work experience in telecom industry preferably in a procurement setting
Knowledge of category’s market trends and impacts to cost structures
University/post-secondary degree required in engineering, computer science, business, commerce or economics.
Strong relationship building and business acumen are required. Needs to be able to quickly establish credibility and influence with business stakeholders
Excellent interpersonal and communication (verbal and written) skills. Ability to communicate / present complex topics to executive leaders and to “sell” by influencing their thinking and decisions
Ability to deal effectively with ambiguity and resolve multi-party conflicts to get to the “right answer”
Ability to be resilient when faced with opposition with a solutionist mentality
Works collaboratively with members of their team and stakeholders across the business and seeks input as needed
Understands the power dynamic within the spend category and will create his/her own network for success
Must be a motivated self-starter and quick study of complicated technical topics
Experience leading high level negotiations for technical products and services
Proven analytical and problem-solving skills are required, as well as excellent attention to accuracy and detail
Proven ability to be adaptable in a fast paced, consistently changing environment
Must be able to create comprehensive project plans and execute with discipline
Requires proficiency in Microsoft products including PowerPoint, Word, Excel and Project

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated mastery of Strategic Sourcing practices is preferred but not mandatory

Responsibilities

Create and maintain comprehensive category strategies based on category historic spend, top suppliers, marketplace intelligence, new entrants, disruptors, issues, gaps, opportunities, innovations, new products, industry trends, competitive intelligence, commercial models, delivery models, best practices, business direction, budget requirements and other factors
Take full end-to-end ownership of the overarching and integrated spend category strategy to drive category transformation and short / medium / long term saving targets
Act as the primary interface to key category business stakeholders
Provide category leadership and direction to business partners and the Supply Chain Management team
Influence the business with respect to gaining buy-in and alignment on the category strategy
Drive relationships with key suppliers
Identify cost savings objectives for the category and drive the total cost of ownership reductions
Aggregate demand to leverage Rogers’ scale and scope to drive standardization and cost savings
Ensure procurement cost saving challenges are built into the capital and operating budgets and Procurement’s projects and efforts are aligned to meet budget expectations
Ensure procurement projects and savings are tracked against the budget and targets
Manage the analysis of spend data to assist with the identification of sourcing and cost take-out opportunities
Assist in additional analytical related activities including but not limited to compliance, catalogue adoption rates, procurement metrics and dashboards, etc.

Benefits

Competitive salary & annual bonus
Competitive & flexible health and dental benefits, pension plan, RRSP, TFSA, and Stock matching programs.
Discounts: Enjoy up to 50% off Rogers Services and Blue Jays Tickets, 25% off TSC items, and a 20% discount on all wireless accessories sold in Rogers stores.
Paid time off for volunteering
Company matching contributions to charities you support
My Path: self-driven career development program
Rogers First: priority in applying to internal roles of interest
Homewood employee & family assistance program
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) & Virtual therapy sessions
Low or no-cost fitness membership.
Work for an organization committed to environmental protection
Strong commitment to diversity and inclusion with employee resource groups supporting equity-deserving groups including groups representing People of Colour, 2SLGBTQIA+, Indigenous Peoples, Persons with Disabilities and Women.