Director, Vendor Strategy & Portfolio Management

Scotiabank•Toronto, ON

1d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a strategic and results-driven leader to join the GRM Vendor Strategy Office as Director, Vendor Strategy & Portfolio Management. This role is accountable for defining and executing the vendor strategy for critical risk management technologies, data services, and strategic partnerships that support Retail and Small Business Risk Management. The Director will lead vendor portfolio optimization, financial stewardship, supplier risk oversight, and strategic investment decisions to drive business value, innovation, and alignment with GRM's technology and transformation priorities. As a trusted advisor to senior leadership, the successful candidate will influence enterprise-wide decisions, foster strategic partnerships, and collaborate across GRM, Technology, Finance, Procurement, Legal, Privacy, Compliance, and Business Lines to deliver long-term value and support evolving risk management capabilities.

Requirements

10 years of proven experience in risk management, internal and external data management, credit lending system knowledge, and budget management.
Experience in vendor management within a large organization; financial services experience preferred.
Advanced proficiency in SAS, SQL, Microsoft Excel for analysis.
Sound risk policy and strategy knowledge.
Experience with complicated data structure via multiple credit lending systems.
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy.
Effective communication and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute the long-term vendor strategy and roadmap for retail and small business risk management, ensuring alignment with GRM priorities and technology transformation objectives.
Act as the senior relationship owner for critical vendor partnerships, influencing vendor investment priorities, innovation opportunities, and strategic outcomes.
Serve as a trusted advisor to GRM executives and business leaders on vendor-related decisions, emerging capabilities, commercial strategies, and market trends.
Lead executive-level stakeholder engagement across GRM, Technology, Finance, Legal, Privacy, Compliance, and Procurement to support strategic initiatives and enterprise objectives.
Accountable for the overall vendor portfolio strategy, including vendor rationalization, optimization opportunities, innovation assessments, and value realization.
Lead the evaluation of new vendor solutions, technologies, and strategic partnerships to support evolving risk management capabilities and business needs.
Champion vendor-related transformation initiatives, ensuring alignment with GRM's technology roadmap, cloud strategy, and data modernization objectives.
Identify, negotiate, and drive cost optimization and value realization opportunities across the vendor portfolio.
Provide strategic leadership on vendor-supported data, analytics, and risk management technologies, ensuring alignment with enterprise architecture and business objectives.
Partner with technology and data leaders to shape vendor integration strategies, modernization initiatives, and future-state operating models.
Guide the assessment of emerging technologies and vendor capabilities to enhance risk decisioning, analytics, and operational effectiveness.
Accountable for the financial management of vendor programs, including annual budget planning, forecasting, investment prioritization, and business case approvals.
Lead executive discussions on vendor investments, funding strategies, and financial optimization opportunities across business lines.
Provide strategic oversight and reporting on vendor spend, financial performance, and value realization to senior leadership.
Act as the designated supplier risk owner for critical vendor relationships, ensuring appropriate oversight, risk awareness, escalation, and alignment with enterprise risk management requirements.
Provide effective challenge and strategic oversight of vendor-related risks, dependencies, and issues that may impact GRM objectives.
Provide executive reporting to support informed decision-making.