Manager, Procurement & Vendor Management

THE CANADIAN REAL ESTATE ASSOCIATION•Ottawa, ON

6h•CA$96,000 - CA$120,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Manager, Procurement & Vendor Management is responsible for building and leading the organization's procurement governance, vendor management, contract lifecycle oversight, and supplier performance programs. This role establishes and enforces procurement standards, drives vendor accountability, improves cost control and efficiency, and reduces risk. This is a hands-on role that acts as a strategic partner to the leadership team, including IT, Product, Technology, Sales, Marketing, Finance, and Legal, ensuring that procurement and vendor management decisions align with organizational goals while maintaining appropriate governance and compliance standards. Initially, the role will not have direct reports. The role will initially provide leadership across: Procurement strategy, governance, and policy development Vendor lifecycle management and supplier performance oversight Strategic sourcing, contract management, and commercial negotiations Third-party risk, compliance, and due diligence programs Vendor spend visibility, invoice validation, processing, and tracking. Vendor services utilization and efficiency, cost optimization, and value realization. Management of procurement, contract and vendor management systems. Procurement reporting, analytics, and executive decision support Cross-functional partnership with all business units and leaders on procurement and vendor-related initiatives The Manager, Procurement & Vendor Management is expected to establish governance, processes, tools, and reporting while directly managing strategic sourcing activities, vendor relationships, contract negotiations, and procurement oversight.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management, procurement, finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
Minimum five (5) years of progressive experience in procurement, vendor management, strategic sourcing, or contract management.
Experience managing the vendor and contract lifecycle, including negotiations, supplier performance, renewals, risk, and issue resolution.
Experience developing or improving procurement governance, policies, processes, or transformation initiatives.
Experience with SaaS and technology procurement and vendor governance.
Strong commercial and financial acumen, including budgeting, spend analysis, cost management, and cost optimization.
Strong negotiation, communication, and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to influence decisions and present recommendations to executive leadership.
Experience using procurement, contract lifecycle, or vendor management systems.
Sound judgment and a hands-on approach, with the ability to create structure and practical processes in an evolving environment.

Nice To Haves

Professional procurement or supply chain designation, such as SCMP, CPSM, or MCIPS, is preferred.
Additional certification in project management, vendor or contract management, IT service management, or supplier risk management is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain enterprise procurement policies, processes, and standards.
Establish procurement governance frameworks, approval workflows, and spending controls that support consistent practices across departments.
Lead sourcing and vendor selection processes for strategic purchases.
Drive procurement planning aligned with organizational priorities and budgets.
Develop procurement and vendor management KPIs, dashboards, and executive reporting covering spend, savings, performance, and key risks.
Own the enterprise vendor management program, including the centralized vendor inventory and vendor ownership framework.
Oversee vendor onboarding, performance evaluation, and offboarding.
Monitor vendor performance against contractual obligations, service levels, and business expectations.
Conduct regular business reviews with key suppliers and address performance concerns.
Lead contract lifecycle management processes and maintain the centralized contract repository.
Coordinate contract reviews with Legal, Security, and relevant business stakeholders.
Proactively manage contract renewals, renegotiations, commitments, and expiration risks.
Ensure contractual terms align with business requirements and organizational risk tolerance.
Escalate significant contractual issues and risks to leadership as required.
Partner with Finance to support spending visibility, budget alignment, and annual planning and forecasting for procurement and vendor-related costs.
Monitor vendor spending, financial commitments, and contract obligations.
Identify and lead cost-saving and operational efficiency opportunities, including vendor rationalization and consolidation.
Coordinate invoice validation, processing, and tracking with Finance and relevant business owners.
Ensure vendor due diligence processes are applied consistently.
Coordinate vendor security, privacy, compliance, and third-party risk assessments with Risk and Security.
Monitor vendor compliance with internal policies, regulatory requirements, and contractual commitments.
Identify and support the mitigation of supplier concentration, contractual, financial, and operational risks.
Establish governance for software subscriptions and cloud services, including licensing commitments and renewals.
Monitor software utilization and licensing effectiveness to reduce unused or redundant technologies.
Partner with business teams to develop and support technology vendor strategies.
Build and lead the procurement and vendor management function, establishing functional goals, processes, and improvement priorities.
Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and business partners on procurement, vendor, and supplier matters.