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Strategic Procurement (SP) is comprised of several Category Management teams and a Centre of Excellence (COE). The successful candidate will report to the Manager, Strategic Procurement, Centre of Excellence who has responsibility over Knowledge Management (KM) and Procurement Transformation, Governance and Supplier Risk Management within SP. Given the cross-functional nature of procurement at Air Canada, this opportunity will also provide visibility to key stakeholders in other parts of the organization. 

The COE team is an exciting and new group within Air Canada. Activities are often project-based, providing variety, exposure to different parts of the business, and an expectation to continually develop the skills necessary to progress to senior sourcing roles. The successful candidate will be expected to translate a passion for learning into meaningful analysis and insight resulting in bottom-line impact.

Responsibilities: 

KM Analysts have two primary focus areas. First, they support sourcing initiatives led by SP Category Managers. Responsibilities include involvement in activities such as market research, strategic sourcing events, preparing baseline, vendor negotiations, supplier risk assessments, contract drafting and execution, and internal marketing of SP initiatives. Over time, KM Analysts may also be given the opportunity to lead smaller sourcing events under the guidance of a Category Manager.

The second focus area is to drive ‘KM-Led’ projects, which focus on process improvement, automation and standardization, tools, and technology. These projects are highly visible ‘enablers’ for SP staff and are often mandated by SP Leadership. Examples from the past two years include: streamlining of the contract process, contributing to the configuration and testing of the SAP Ariba Contract module, developing and calculating departmental Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), conducting the annual refresh of the SP ‘Historic Spend Report’ (HSR), developing and delivering training, etc.

• Support sourcing initiatives and the standard corporate procurement process 
  
  • Assist in formulating procurement strategies by evaluating markets and suppliers through qualitative and quantitative criteria
    
  • Support category teams in the development and release of RFx events in SAP Ariba (e.g., RFI, RFP, and RFQ) and the subsequent contract drafting and execution.
    
  • Develop and use models to consolidate and analyze supplier RFx responses 
    
  • Author project summary documentation, using spreadsheets (Excel) and graphs, tables, etc. (Powerpoint)
    
• Provide analytical support and insight 
  
  • Produce consistently high-quality qualitative and quantitative analysis
    
  • Develop subject-matter expertise in assigned areas of focus
    
  • Establish category knowledge by reviewing historical spend and buying practices 
    
  • Create reports
    
• Strengthen internal knowledge library 
  
  • Perform supply-market intelligence – research suppliers to identify market opportunities
    
  • Develop should-cost analyses – research costs and trends (e.g., commodities) to understand market pricing and ultimately leverage Air Canada’s buying position
    
  • Stay abreast of procurement best practices through benchmarking
    
• Act as an ambassador of, and change agent for, Strategic Procurement 
  
  • Continually develop SP relationships with internal customers through high-quality analysis, effective communication, and a commitment to learning the business
    
  • Develop an understanding of current sourcing practices and identify areas for improvement
    
• Enhance tools and systems and provide support to users within SP 
  
  • Lead improvement initiatives related to SP systems and tools including deployment for SAP Ariba Source-to-pay modules 
    
  • Conduct training and provide assistance on SP systems and tools for all SP 
    
  • Other tasks related to the maintenance of SP systems and tools
    

Qualifications

• In addition to a University degree in a relevant field of study (business, math, engineering) the successful candidate will demonstrate excellent analytical and communication 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 critical. Strong organizational skills and proficiency with technology are essential. Experience with Source-to-Pay Software solutions is an asset (SAP Ariba, Ivalua, BravoSolutions, Coupa, Smart GEP).
• Due to the confidential nature of our work, a high degree of professionalism and discretion is required.
• Flexibility with work hours and occasional travel may also be necessary. 

Conditions of Employment:

• Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest, at the time any offer of employment is made and seeking any required work permits/visas or other authorizations which may be required is the sole responsibility of the candidates applying for this position.