Strategic Procurement Advisor - IT, Data and Digital Solutions

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Air Canada, recognized among Montreal's Top Employers and proud to be among Canada's most diversity-friendly employers, is seeking a Strategic Procurement Advisor to support the IT, Data and Digital Solutions (IDS) direction at its Montreal headquarters.

Strategic Procurement consists of several category management teams and a knowledge management team. The successful candidate will play a key role as Product Category Lead - Strategic Procurement and Supplier Relations Lead for the IDS direction. Given the cross-functional nature of IDS procurement at Air Canada, the incumbent will have the opportunity to interact with key stakeholders in many sectors of the Company.

This position is aimed at an individual who will play a key role in important supplier selection and relationship projects for Air Canada. The successful candidate will build on their passion for leadership and collaboration to obtain the best value for the Company and build mutually beneficial relationships with suppliers.

Responsibilities

The Strategic Procurement Advisor (IDS) acquires essential IT services, systems, and infrastructure, and manages strategic agreements and relationships with key suppliers.

As part of their duties, the incumbent must notably establish partnerships with the manager responsible for a specific IDS category as well as with internal business units and the IDS service to manage the entire supplier life cycle: establishment of supplier selection strategies, search for supplier submissions, participation in commercial and contractual negotiations, interpretation and execution of agreements, strengthening of supplier relationships to build partnerships, monitoring of IDS supplier activities, and contribution to the overall improvement of procurement and supplier relationship management practices at Air Canada.

Here are the details of the main responsibilities:

• Support the establishment of category management strategies for IDS:
  • Develop and maintain an understanding of emerging trends in the industry and in procurement markets to strengthen Air Canada's negotiating power.
  • Analyze and monitor spending by category to identify opportunities for strategic supplier selection and potential consolidation of them.
  • Collaborate with the Knowledge Management team to conduct research and analysis.
  • Stay abreast of Air Canada's IDS strategy by collaborating with the IDS service and other business units.
• Coordinate and manage procurement activities:
  • Conduct procurement market research and baseline spend analysis.
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to determine business requirements and establish supplier selection strategies.
  • Prepare and issue requests for proposals, evaluate responses, and conduct negotiations.
  • Negotiate contracts and coordinate their execution.
  • Ensure that Supplier Relationship Management is on-site upon completion of activities.
• Support contract management activities:
  • Monitor expected deliverables and contractual obligations.
  • Manage interpretation procedures and contractual disputes.
  • Maintain an up-to-date summary of commercial provisions.
• Participate in performance management:
  • Continuously monitor and evaluate performance metrics and report on them.
  • Support the review of service level agreements, key performance indicators, and key risk indicators with corporate strategy and operational execution.
  • Ensure oversight of partners and implementation risks.
  • Review the achievement of performance goals and objectives against supplier contracts.
• Support expense management:
  • Participate in defining parameters for invoice validation against contracts.
  • Monitor service level credits, discounts, risk and reward models, and other commercial agreements.
  • Calculate and validate cost-of-living adjustments and related provisions.
  • Develop analyses offering insight into spending trends and opportunities.
• Coordinate relationship management:
  • Support the development of an IDS supplier strategy based on supplier segmentation, performance results, and relationship and cost objectives.
  • Participate in key governance meetings.
  • Plan and conduct annual internal and external contract reviews, and develop action plans for improvements.
  • Recommend opportunities to improve supplier and internal service manager performance.
  • Evaluate internal customer satisfaction.
  • Create a collaborative environment to identify capabilities and synergies.
  • Maintain effective relationships with all supplier and customer groups, and facilitate problem solving.
  • Provide advice related to procurement strategy taking performance into account.
• Contribute to the improvement of internal procurement practices:
  • Participate in defining industry best procurement practices.
  • Design models to evaluate supplier proposals using quantitative and qualitative criteria.
  • Contribute to the development of standardized models and reusable methods of clear communication.
• Act as an ambassador for Strategic Procurement and Air Canada:
  • Solidify Strategic Procurement's relationships with internal clients.
  • Communicate effectively and promote Strategic Procurement's successes.
  • Actively engage in learning Air Canada's management methods.
  • Continuously seek opportunities for improvement.

Qualifications

• In addition to holding a university degree in a relevant field of study (commerce, law, information technology, engineering), the incumbent of this position must demonstrate excellent aptitude for analysis, communication, negotiation, and project management, as well as the ability to execute multiple tasks, work under pressure, and adapt to changing priorities. A strong entrepreneurial spirit and a genuine desire to learn are also essential. A strong organizational sense is essential, and a master's degree in business administration or a professional title is an asset.
• Due to the confidential nature of the work, a high sense of professionalism and discretion is required. The position may also require schedule flexibility and occasional travel.
• Proven punctuality and reliability to promote the overall success of the team in a fast-paced environment.

Employment Conditions:

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country concerned at the time a job offer is presented and are responsible for obtaining work permits, visas, or other necessary authorizations. Proof of eligibility must be provided before the start date.

Language Requirements

Equal skills being equal, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is firmly committed to diversity and inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible, and rewarding work environment that highlights the unique contribution of our employees to the success of our business.

As an equal opportunity employer, we encourage the most diverse applications so that we can have a workforce that is varied and representative of our customers and the communities where we live and offer our services.

Air Canada thanks all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.