Regional Category Manager

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow's possible.

For decades, Ottawa has been a global technology leader. Today, Canada’s capital holds one of the brightest and most diverse technological ecosystems in North America. Voted as Canada’s best place to live 2017 by Maclean's, Ottawa offers a low cost of living with a high quality of life. The Thales Ottawa office has been a major supplier and long-term trusted partner to DND, enabling the Canadian Armed Forces and the Canadian Coast Guard to achieve mission success.

**Position Summary**

The Regional Category Manager is in charge of one or several procurement categories and/or sub-categories for the entire region in which they operate. This position specifically would lead the procurement of Hardware Engineering (C60), System & Software Engineering (C61), Maintenance & New Services (C73), and Customer Service Engineering (C74) across various market sectors within the region covering the needs/suppliers in the North and Latin Americas region.

In this role, the Category Manager will ensure that the execution of bids and projects in addition to enterprise requirements are in line with the business and corporate objectives, and that timeframes and deliverables are aligned in order to deliver the best overall outcome for Thales in terms of cost, service and quality of products/services from suppliers/subcontractors.

The role covers all the market sectors within Thales, and as such requires an excellent view of the organization as well as a strong ability to interact with senior stakeholders. He/she will be knowledgeable of the Engineering and Customer Support Services and possess the necessary leadership behaviors to develop and drive category strategies.

**Essential Functions**:
**Defining Long Term Procurement Strategy for Engineering and Customer Support Services**:

- Developing category strategies that meet the regional and global business objectives;
- Actively sourcing, assessing and qualifying potential suppliers;
- Understanding the demand for these types of activities across Thales;
- Collating and optimizing the demand;
- Setting up contractual agreements;
- Analyzing and reporting on Spend Management;
- With the support of the Global Category Manager, keeping abreast of industry/ category best practices.

**Leading the tendering process for bids and projects and internal requirements by**:

- Executing the sourcing strategy through a disciplined RFI/ RFQ tendering process;
- Managing the RFQ process, which includes creation of RFQ package, release to market, review supplier responses, provide recommendations;
- Identifying risks and opportunities;
- Influencing the design and/ or specification to generate additional savings;
- Proposing a negotiation strategy and lead the negotiation;
- Coordinating closure on the final decision;
- Executing the procurement contract.

**Supporting the Supply Chain process by**:

- Managing the supplier’s performance (quality, cost and timely delivery), including risks and opportunities;
- Leading the supplier performance review program;
- Managing key Project stakeholders.

**Minimum Requirements: Skills, Experience & Education**
- Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study with a minimum of 8+ years of relevant work experience, or Master’s degree in a related field of study with 6+ years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Solid Procurement experience of Engineering Services (including hardware engineering, system engineering, and software development) and Customer Support Services (including maintenance and repair services) gained within a large blue chip organization within the North & Latin American countries
- 7+ Years Procurement, Contract Management or Commercial experience
- Experience working in a complex Project environment
- Experience working within a large organization and dealing with all levels of management
- Experience in negotiating and managing contract spends of up to $50M per annum
- Strong Communication skills, both written and verbal
- Ability to develop strong relationships with internal stakeholders and influence decisions

**Values & Behavior**:

- Displays passion, energy, drive, agility and resilience in achieving work-related goals under difficult circumstances
- Team player and ability to interface well and influence effectively at all levels with internal customers, partners and suppliers
- Ability to work under their own initiative and within agreed frameworks
- Business aware and customer oriented with organization and commercial awareness
- Manage time effectively and prioritize workload
- Flexible and open to change
- Pro-active an