Senior Category Manager, Strategic Procurement

Algonquin College • Ottawa, ON

7d • CA$88,985 - CA$111,230 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Category Manager is responsible and accountable to process, from inception to finalization, large, complicated, and often confidential, Requests for Proposals for the College. The incumbent is responsible for the coordination and negotiation of major contracts for goods and services.

Requirements

• Minimum three (3) year degree/diploma in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance or related fields; "Equivalent combination of relevant education and work experience may be accepted in place of formal education"
• Professional Designation such as SCMP (Supply Chain Management Professional), CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CPPB (Certified Professional Public Buyer) or other related fields
• Minimum seven (7) years experience
• Leadership, motivation and team building skills
• Conflict resolution skills
• Ability to understand and apply internal control standards in a large organization
• Ability to maintain standards for efficiency and effectiveness
• Interpersonal communication skills
• Comfortable working with a PC and mainframe financial packages along with a working knowledge of spreadsheet software
• Strong analytical and co-ordination skills
• Strong ethical and moral values, with the ability to work with candor oftentimes restricted information

Responsibilities

• Contract negotiation and vendor management: Recommending and implementing high quality purchasing solutions, selecting and applying the appropriate tendering and ordering processes to obtain best value for college expenditures. Demonstrating expertise in Strategic Sourcing, RF(x)’s from end-to-end process (including financial analytics and metrics), contract negotiations, strong communications and relationship building skills, ability to manage vendor relationships and understanding of services level agreements. Ability to negotiate time sensitive, confidential contracts during the signing process and at the time of renewal coordinate and conduct all supplier negotiations to obtain better contract terms and conditions. Using analytical skills, work closely with other senior College managers, directors, Vice Presidents and other internal stakeholders and Service Providers to prepare proposals, negotiate and oversee administration requestor and buyer interfaces.
• Project management: Negotiating the resolution of conflicts between vendors and college staff, recommending and implementing college-wide procurement best practices and policies. Monitor vendor’s adherence to contractual terms throughout the relationship and implement corrective action where necessary involving both client and vendor(s). Demonstrate an aptitude for managing multiple projects simultaneously and ensuring proper follow through and completion. Ability to demonstrate excellent judgment and escalate issues as needed.
• Oversight of purchasing activities across departments: Controlling purchasing activity for a variety of college departments, however, major focus of this position is to work in support of the Facility Management department including Facilities Operations, Maintenance, and Engineering. Involvement as a Strategic Procurement Leader in special projects (i.e. Major Campus construction) by representing Procurement as a strategic Procurement resource providing input and recommendations to cross College stakeholders and Steering Committee members. Preparing timelines, confidential Procurement Strategy document co-ownership, preparing Procurement timelines and overseeing the RFP from end to end process.
• Process improvement: Monitoring industry, technological and pricing trends and develop methodologies to obtain savings as well as manage value driven negotiations. Support the renewal of contracts and evaluating the quality and price of products and services while identifying and documenting risks and opportunities to ensure they meet college standards and academic needs. Consistently recommend on-going process improvements and LEAN opportunities. Provide guidance and recommendations to Procurement staff (i.e. support in vendor meetings and day to day processes).
• Training and Staff Development: Provide training to college staff on purchasing policies, procedures and enterprise systems. Provide guidance, mentorship and recommendations to internal Senior Buyer and Buyers; Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and retirement plans
• Access to training, tuition assistance programs (Algonquin College Courses and Degree Completion), certifications, workshops, and professional courses
• Lifetime retirement pension (CAAT Pension Plan)

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Associate degree