Partner, Strategic Procurement

Being part of Air Canada is to become part of an iconic Canadian symbol, recently ranked the best Airline in North America. Let your career take flight by joining our diverse and vibrant team at the leading edge of passenger aviation.Air Canada, recognized as one of Canada's top diversity employers and one of Montreal's top employers, is seeking a Partner, Strategic Procurement to support its Information Technology, Data and Digital (IDD) branch, who will be based at our Montreal Headquarters.Strategic Procurement (SP) is comprised of several Category Management teams and a Knowledge Management (KM) team. The successful candidate will play a key role as a procurement category manager and as a supplier relationship manager for IDD. Given the cross-functional nature of IDD procurement at Air Canada, this opportunity will provide interaction with key stakeholders in many parts of the organization.The successful candidate will apply a passion for leadership and collaboration in order to obtain the best value for the airline and to develop mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers.Responsibilities:The Partner, Strategic Procurement (IDD) will acquire essential IT services, systems, and infrastructure and manage strategic agreements and relationships with key suppliers.In this role, responsibilities will include activities such as partnering with internal business units and the IDD department to manage the entire supplier lifecycle such as establishing sourcing strategies, seeking proposals, conducting commercial and contractual negotiations, interpreting and enforcing agreements, elevating supplier relationships to a partnership level, actively monitoring the IT supplier landscape, and contributing to the overall improvement of procurement and supplier relationship management practices at Air Canada.In greater detail, key areas of responsibility include the following:Establish IT category management strategiesDevelop and maintain an understanding of emerging industry and supply market trends to strengthen Air Canada's negotiating positionsAnalyze and monitor category spend to uncover strategic sourcing and potential supplier consolidation opportunitiesWork with the KM team to conduct research and analysisStay abreast of the Air Canada IT strategy through collaboration with the IDD department and other business unitsLead and manage procurement eventsConduct supply market research and baseline spend analysisWork with cross functional teams to determine business requirements and establish sourcing strategiesPrepare and issue RFPsDevise models to evaluate supplier proposals using quantitative and qualitative criteriaNegotiate and coordinate the execution of contractsEnsure that supplier relationship management is in place at the conclusion of an eventPerform Contract Management activitiesTrack contract deliverables & obligationsManage contract dispute and interpretation proceduresMaintain commercial provision summaryOversee Performance ManagementContinuously monitor, assess and report performance metricsAlign SLAs, KPI's and KRI's with business strategy and operational executionMonitor partner suppl and delivery risksReview achievement of performance goals and objectives against supplier contractsUse contract knowledge and expertise to support enhanced deliveryConduct Spend ManagementDefine parameters for invoice validation against contractTrack service level credits, earn backs, risk/reward models and any other commercial agreementsCalculate and validate cost of living adjustments (COLA) provisionsDevelop analysis providing spend insight trends and opportunitiesCoordinate Relationship ManagementDevelop IT supplier strategy based on supplier segmentation, performance outcomes, relationship, and cost objectivesLead core governance meetingsSchedule and conduct internal & external annual contract reviews, and develop improvement action plansRecommend performance improvement opportunities with suppliers and internal service ownersMonitor internal customer satisfactionCreate a collaborative environment to identify capabilities and synergiesMaintain effective relationships across the client and supplier organizations and facilitate issue resolutionProvide insights into procurement strategy based on performanceContribute to the improvement of internal procurement practicesParticipate in the establishment of best-in-class procurement and supplier relationship management methodsProvide input for the development of standard templates and reusable methods of clear communicationAct as an ambassador for Strategic Procurement and Air CanadaFurther develop relationships with IDD and business unitsEffectively communicate and promote the successes of Strategic ProcurementStay abreast of Air Canada's vision and strategic priorities and ensure our suppliers are well informed and aligned to theseQualificationsIn addition to a University degree in a relevant field of study (commerce, law, finance, information technology, engineering), the successful candidate will demonstrate excellent analytical, communication, negotiation, and project management skills plus the ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and accommodate changing priorities. A strong entrepreneurial spirit and desire to learn will also be essential. Strong organizational skills are essential and an MBA or procurement designation is desirable.Due to the confidential nature of the work, a high degree of professionalism and discretion is required. Flexibility with work hours and occasional travel may also be necessary.Demonstrate punctuality and dependability to support overall team success in a fast-paced environment.Conditions of Employment:Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest at the time any offer of employment is made and are responsible for obtaining any required work permits, visas, or other authorizations necessary for employment. Prior to their start date, candidates will also need to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the country of interest.Linguistic RequirementsBased on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.Diversity and InclusionAir Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees' unique contributions to our company's success.As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.