Supervisor, Procurement

Mohawk College • Hamilton, ON

11d • Hybrid

About The Position

Under the direction of the Manager, Strategic Procurement, the Supervisor, Procurement will be responsible for the effective management and training of the Purchasing staff for the College. The incumbent will also manage competitive purchasing activities, negotiating contracts and contract disputes, sustainable procurement activities and vendor performance management. The position will act as a “project manager” for competitive procurement activities. The position will respond and act on behalf of the College on competitive procurement inquiries and issues and must exercise discretion and confidentially for all procurement and staffing related activities. Additionally, the role involves occasionally acting on behalf of the Manager, Procurement Services, and managing sensitive and confidential projects involving the College’s unionized staff, Senior Executives, and Human Resources. The position ensures the College’s procurement activities adhere to the College policies and legislative requirements, including the Broader Public Sector Directive (BPS), the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) and the Canada-European Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA). The incumbent acts as the College resource person in dealing with internal and external contacts on purchasing-related matters and the has the responsibility and accountability for establishing goods and services contracts. This position will require previous supervisory experience, knowledge and experience with contract law, contract development and procurement law as well as the ability to communicate using legal and industry terminology.

Requirements

• Minimum three-year post-secondary education degree/diploma, preferably with a business, operations or supply chain management concentration (or equivalent).
• One of the following professional designation is required at the time of hire: Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Supply Chain Management Professional (CSCMP).
• A minimum of 3 years of related work experience.
• Leadership experience, managing a team of buyers, purchasing agents, and or specialists in a public procurement setting.
• Demonstrated experience in the management of public purchasing department activities in a unionized environment.
• Experience in preparing competitive tender documents.
• Experience in sustainable procurement activities.
• Experience in negotiation and professional business interaction with outside vendors and agencies.
• Experience in negotiation and problem-solving to resolve supplier disputes and develop contracts with successful suppliers.
• Demonstrated commitment to customer service and conflict resolution skills, using the ability to simultaneously manage competitive priorities.
• Strong analytical and computer skills to plan, develop objectives and determine goals of the department, including administrative, technical, operational and financial components.
• Strong communication skills, excellent interpersonal, organizational and planning skills.
• Exceptional negotiations and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong project management skills and experience.
• Highly accountable and have high integrity and honesty.
• Strong analytical and financial system and software skills, (i.e. MS Excel, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Teams).
• Knowledge of applicable legislations/regulatory and policy frameworks related to sourcing and procurement include public sector contract and competitive bidding laws.
• Ability to organize, prioritize and schedule a high volume of tasks in a demanding environment, typically under strict time constraints.
• Demonstrated commitment and understanding of human rights, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
• The ability to communicate and work effectively with diverse students, employees, and communities.

Nice To Haves

• Courses in purchasing would be preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as a Sourcing Specialist to internal departments on competitive procurement matters, ensuring effectively, efficiently and in compliance with the Approval Authority Schedule and Procurement Policy of the college.
• Research, develop, and manage formal competitive procurements (RFx) in support of institutional and operational requirements.
• Act as a subject matter expert to internal departments on competitive procurement related tasks in alignment with Delegation of Authority Approval Matrix, Procurement Policy as well as provincial legislative requirements.
• Counsel and train the evaluation team, clarify roles and expectations, manage the procurement process and timelines.
• Provide coaching on expected outcomes and advise/manage complex analysis to assist with the evaluation and supplier selection process.
• Define procurement requirements (sometimes confidential) and advise internal departments on appropriate sourcing strategies and scoring components.
• Coordinate and prepare RFx/Tender, distribute to proponents, manage supplier communication, and handle related questions and addendums.
• Offer guidance on selection, financial analysis, and the RFx evaluation process.
• Negotiate confidential and complex contracts with high dollar values (>$1M) and critical contracts with suppliers.
• Negotiate and manage contracts that include the development and monitoring of SLAs, KPIs, supplier evaluation sessions, governance frameworks, and strategic business partnerships.
• Assist in defining scope requirements, specifications, and/or services to be purchased, providing consultation, advice, guidance, and support to employees related to the procurement of goods and services.
• Monitor and utilize group purchasing organizations that meet the BPS Procurement Directives to leverage consolidated purchasing opportunities with the Ministry, Colleges, OECM, and other group purchasing organizations.
• Participate in supplier debriefs with unsuccessful suppliers, mitigating challenges to the procurement process while maintaining positive supplier relationships.
• Ensure that the College’s legal team has reviewed agreements to ensure a sound legal position when entering into contracts related to the purchase of goods and services, when necessary.
• Manage the procurement contract management database and contracts so that procurement contracts are centrally managed through Procurement Services.
• Develop a procurement strategy in collaboration with College stakeholders to ensure the timely renewal of contracts and the successful execution of the capital purchase plan.
• Establish clear goals and metrics within contract documentation to ensure mutually beneficial partnerships for College stakeholders and vendors.
• Deliver guidance and leadership along with Counsel to resolve conflicts pertaining to procurement and contract disputes.
• Remain current with case law and changes in the contractual environment that may impact the College’s business arrangements.
• Support College stakeholders in achieving key deliverables and addressing compliance concerns.
• Work with internal departments to establish Vendor of Records/Supplier Rosters and committed contracts that provide value to internal stakeholders.
• Support the Manager, Strategic Procurement in setting strategic direction on sustainable procurement.
• Be an internal champion for sustainable procurement and encourage/remind client departments to consider this in alignment with the College’s corporate and sustainable objectives.
• Assist client departments with incorporating sustainable considerations into sourcing strategies, specifications, and procurement processes.
• Educate client departments on the use of relevant tools.
• Where relevant, engage suppliers on sustainability and innovative solutions at supplier events and/or performance reviews.
• Collaborate with sustainability staff or other internal stakeholders on sustainable procurement initiatives.
• Assist in the collection of data to support the measurement of sustainable procurement KPIs.
• Assess supplier capabilities by evaluating potential suppliers’ ability to meet quality, delivery, quantity, and price requirements.
• Establish and maintain a business partnership relationship with key suppliers through regular business reviews and market review opportunities.
• Assist business partners with supplier management and develop Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), supplier evaluations, issue resolution, process improvements, product substitutions, and efficiencies with key suppliers.
• Engage closely with internal business partners to ensure alignment on KPIs.
• Drive cost savings through effective negotiations, value analysis, and process improvements with key commodities and vendors.
• Promote transparency and collaboration through regular feedback mechanisms with suppliers.
• Assist business partners in regularly monitoring supplier performance against defined benchmarks and KPIs to ensure contractual obligations are met.
• Manage and train on the College’s Contract Management systems and Purchasing modules on an ongoing basis.
• Review and approve purchase order requisitions to ensure they are properly set up with the correct documentation, related to RFx projects and contracts.
• Assist with reporting on PAR, procurement activities, and other requirements as needed.
• Lead in the development, monitoring, and training of Procurement Policies and Procedures.
• Oversee the training, documentation, support, implementation, and maintenance of the Procurement systems, including the Purchasing module.
• Act as a functional expert (Subject Matter Expert, SME) on purchasing and contract systems; troubleshoot issues.
• Evaluate all purchasing business processes to establish new efficiencies and implement best practices.
• Assist in providing College-wide training and support on procedures related to the College purchasing system.
• Report and assist in resolving issues when Procurement Policies and Procedures are not adhered to.
• Champion reporting requirements, including the development of vendor driven reports for key product and service contracts.
• Provide leadership and direction to the Purchasing Services team and all other staff across the College conducting purchasing requisitions.
• Lead in establishing departmental goals, performance objectives and performance assessments for the Purchasing Services team.
• Acknowledge workload and/or resourcing issues, makes recommendations, and implements resolutions in order to ensure continuity of service.
• Provide procurement process training for team members; identifies functional training and development opportunities to enhance the skills and knowledge of team members.
• Act on behalf of the Manager, Procurement Services, and manage sensitive and confidential projects involving the College’s unionized staff, Senior Executives, and Human Resources.
• Provides backup to other team members in their absence.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Progressive vacation plan starting with 22 vacation days per year plus holiday closure.
• Defined Benefit pension plan (CAAT) with contributions matched by Mohawk College.
• 93% top up of maternity and parental leave pay for 52 weeks.
• Annual employee performance incentive program.
• Comprehensive benefits package including health, dental, vision, paramedical services (massage therapy, acupuncture, naturopath, psychotherapy and psychology), short-term and long-term disability.
• Ability to take courses at a reduced rate for employees and dependents.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager