SENIOR ENTERPRISE TECHNOLOGY PROCUREMENT & CONTRACT SPECIALIST

City of Toronto • Toronto, ON

11d • CA$96,566 - CA$132,880 • Onsite

About The Position

Leading complex technology procurements end to end, from sourcing strategy through contract administration and close-out. The role sits between client divisions and service delivery within the Technology Services Division (TSD), acting as both a strategic advisor and an escalation point for procurement activities.

Requirements

• Post-secondary education in a professional discipline pertinent to the job functions (e.g., Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, etc.) and relevant management experience, or an equivalent combination of education and/or relevant experience.
• Extensive experience leading technology procurements and related operations in a large-scale public or private sector organization including the preparation of Requests for Proposal, Requests for Supplier Qualifications, Requests for Quotations, Vendor Agreements and Statements of Work.
• Experience negotiating large, complex technology sourcing contracts and managing legal and contractual obligations.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and discretion in dealing with sensitive and confidential matters, managing competing deadlines with multiple tasks/projects.
• Highly developed communication skills, both orally and in writing, including the ability to prepare reports, correspondence, presentation material and Council reports. As well as the ability to confidently deliver presentations, facilitate workshops with an outcomes-based focus.
• Highly developed interpersonal, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills with the ability to build relationships with staff at all levels of the organization, internal partners, and suppliers.
• Effective analytical and decision-making skills, demonstrating innovation, fiscal accountability, results based and customer-oriented leadership.
• Knowledge of the theories, principles, practices, and procedures related to purchasing.

Nice To Haves

• CSCP, SCMP designation is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Implements detailed plans and recommends policies/procedures regarding program specific requirements.
• Supervises, motivates and trains assigned staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, continuous learning and encourages innovation in others.
• Supervises the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff including the scheduling, assigning and reviewing of work. Authorizes and coordinates vacation and overtime requests. Monitors and evaluates staff performance, approves salary increments, hears grievances and recommends disciplinary action when necessary.
• Provides input into and administers assigned budget, ensuring that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Provides a tactical and strategic window into Technology Division services and liaises between client groups and service delivery organizations within the Technology Services Division (TSD).
• Assists in developing and maintaining the Division's Procurement & Contract Administration Framework, enhancing planning, tracking and reporting tools to accommodate technological advancements, automation and data-driven insights.
• Supervises and facilitates the annual client division IT planning process, to identify client IT priorities and timelines as part of the City's annual IT planning and updating of the corporate IT strategic plan.
• Supervises and facilitates the transition of feasible concepts into business cases and continues to support the client in the project inception and delivery stages, through ongoing management and sustainment.
• Monitors schedules proactively to ensure that deadlines are met consistently and anticipates, identifies and influences the resolution of issues.
• Identifies potential cross-division initiatives or similar business needs to facilitate collaboration in solution development or potential service integration across the City.
• Works with the Team Lead to develops and implements innovative procurement strategies to optimize sourcing processes, leverage technology advancements and drive continuous improvement in procurement practices.
• Provides strategic advisory support and expertise to stakeholders by coordinating and chairing procurement kick-off meetings, managing critical milestones on procurement project plans to ensure that timelines are met and that interdependencies are managed. Responds to in-market inquiries related to complex procurement projects, developing and coordinating complex addenda.
• Prepares and processes single/sole source (non-competitive) justifications.
• Leads and oversees complex technology implementations, ensuring alignment with business objectives and adherence to project timelines, budgetary constraints and high-quality standards.
• Supports the coordination and preparation of the City-wide annual Technology Procurement Plan submission, gathering information, analyzing data and aligning procurement strategies with organizational objectives.
• Assesses and recommends appropriate procurement methods by developing, establishing, implementing, negotiating, enforcing vendor guidelines, obligations and service levels agreements to TSD and client divisions.
• Prepares, reviews and administers procurement documents. Prepares, coordinates and administers commercial documentation for Request for Proposals (RFPs)/Request for Bids (RFBs), Negotiated Requests for Proposals (NRFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), Notices of Intent (NOIs), Requests for Expressions of Interest (RFPQs), pre­-qualifications and contracts, incorporating technology-specific requirements and industry best practices.
• Leads the coordination, preparation and management of procurement documents by collaborating with Legal Services to review contracts and address all legal requirements to ensure procurement processes are conducted in a fair and transparent manner. Maintains purchasing records, electronic filing systems/databases and contact lists in a timely manner deposited into the Contract Administration/Management System.
• Supports the reporting of contract expenditures, liaises with divisional managers regarding forecasting and contract adjustments and leverages data analytics for proactive contract management.
• Reviews documentation, such as proposals, communications, reports and legal agreements, providing feedback to ensure adherence to procedures, RFP requirements, cybersecurity considerations and risk mitigation strategies.
• Conducts cost/benefit analysis on products to drive successful procurement outcomes in collaboration with enterprise and divisional stakeholder.
• Develops and maintains relationships with Purchasing & Materials Management Division (PMMD), Legal Services, vendors, contractors, consultants, municipal partners, Provincial/Federal Government and non-government agencies to support a smooth functioning of the technology procurement process, including negotiating favourable terms and conditions.
• Provides expertise in technology procurement and contract administration, working closely with PMMD's Strategic Sourcing & Category Management Team to align objectives and achieve efficiencies.
• Ensures compliance with City and provincial purchasing regulations and requirements, staying up to date on relevant codes, cybersecurity regulations, sustainability considerations and ethical procurement practices.
• Maintains awareness and keeps informed on market trends and industry best practices, incorporating relevant insights into procurement strategies, decision-making and vendor evaluation.
• Fosters positive relationships with internal stakeholders, external vendors and other relevant parties, promoting effective communication, collaborative problem-solving and resolution of procurement-related issues.
• Provides support and guidance on technology procurement processes, ensuring adherence to approved procedures, leveraging automation and integrating emerging technologies into the administration and delivery of contracted services.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of procedures regarding RFP/RFQ life cycle management, leveraging digital platforms, streamlining processes and providing training to staff on IT procurement best practices and emerging trends.
• Develops and implements procurement strategies tailored to digital transformation and cloud computing, aligning procurement practices with City of Toronto goals and objectives.
• Evaluates and enhances cloud procurement practice on a continuous basis, contract models, negotiation and vendor management strategies to adapt to evolving technologies, industry standards and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborates with stakeholders to identify cloud service requirements and determines the optimal cloud solutions that meet business needs, while considering factors such as security, cost-effectiveness and compliance.
• Prepares, reviews and presents reports and documents for senior management and for submission to Council.
• Supervises the selection, negotiates with preferred vendors and documents the selection process for those vendors. Maintains vendor evaluations for preferred vendors.
• Processes contract close-outs and prepares reports on contractors'/consultants'performance and maintains contract files.
• Prepares and processes payment certificates, change requests for contract changes and amendments and work plan releases.
• Coordinates and supervises the reporting of procurement data and information, as well as auditing and quality control associated within TSD's executed procurement for the purposes of a detailed review and examination of procurement and financial data, the City's governance requirements and internal/external audit requirements.
• Interprets contracts and ensures compliance with contract terms and the requirements of the scope of the work including preparing and processing single/sole source (non-competitive) justifications.
• Acts as an escalation point for clients, proactively coordinating the resolution of issues.

Benefits

• The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve.
• The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization.
• We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
• Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs.
• Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request.

What This Job Offers

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