Category Lead, Procurement

Dalhousie University; Halifax; Hybrid; CAD 72,000 - 97,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Defined benefit pension plan

Health and dental plans

Health spending account

Employee and family assistance program

Tuition assistance program

Job summary

Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, is seeking a Category Lead, Procurement to shape the future of strategic procurement. You will establish category management practices and support modernization efforts during a procurement transformation journey that moves from transactional purchasing to value-driven decisions.

The role reports to the Manager, Strategic Procurement and involves building prioritized category plans, governance across stakeholders, and mentoring procurement teams in a

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, or related discipline, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Procurement designation (SCMP, CIPS, CPPB, CPPO, PSPP, or active progress toward completion).
• 7+ years of progressive procurement experience with increasing strategic responsibility.
• Experience developing sourcing strategies, spend analysis, and leading category planning initiatives.
• Proven success leading complex procurement projects, formal RFx processes, supplier negotiations, and contract management.
• Strong analytical and business acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and influence skills.
• Experience working in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with institutional priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Conduct spend analysis, supplier reviews, and market assessments to identify opportunities for value creation, risk mitigation, standardization, and cost optimization.
• Develop annual category procurement plans informed by demand forecasting, market analysis, and stakeholder priorities, and support long-term sourcing initiatives.
• Build business cases and recommendations that support informed procurement decisions.
• Lead complex and high-value sourcing and competitive procurement initiatives from planning through contract award.
• Develop sourcing strategies, facilitate supplier engagement, oversee evaluations, and negotiate commercial agreements.
• Ensure compliance with University policies, public sector procurement standards, and applicable trade agreements.
• Promote procurement best practices related to fairness, transparency, sustainability, and supplier diversity.
• Build trusted relationships with academic, research, and administrative stakeholders across the University.
• Act as a strategic advisor, helping departments navigate procurement decisions and planning activities.
• Influence purchasing practices and support the University’s transition toward a more centralized procurement model.
• Drive change management efforts by promoting procurement best practices and encouraging early engagement.
• Lead supplier relationship and contract performance management activities.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, service improvements, supplier rationalization, and ongoing value creation.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to Buyers and procurement colleagues.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen procurement processes, tools, systems, and category management practices.

Skills

Strategic procurement

Sourcing & supplier negotiations

Spend analysis

Category planning

RFx processes

Contract management

Analytical thinking

Communication & influence

Education

Undergraduate degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, or related

Procurement designation (SCMP, CIPS, CPPB, CPPO, PSPP, or equivalent)

Job description

Salary $72,430 - $97,028 per annum, 35 hours per week

Classification

Classification ADM-06

Provisional Statement

This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

As the University continues to invest in modernization and operational excellence, procurement has become an increasingly strategic function supporting teaching, research, technology, and campus operations across a diverse and complex institution.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Strategic Procurement, the Category Lead, Procurement will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of procurement at Dalhousie University. As the University’s first Category Lead, you will help establish strategic category management practices, support procurement modernization efforts, and influence purchasing decisions across a diverse and complex institutional environment.

Over the past several years, Dalhousie has embarked on a significant procurement transformation journey, implementing a new procurement platform and advancing a more centralized procurement model. This newly created role is a critical next step in that evolution, helping move procurement beyond transactional purchasing toward a strategic, value-driven function.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Category Management

• Develop and implement category strategies aligned with institutional priorities and stakeholder needs.
• Conduct spend analysis, supplier reviews, and market assessments to identify opportunities for value creation, risk mitigation, standardization, and cost optimization.
• Develop annual category procurement plans informed by demand forecasting, market analysis, and stakeholder priorities, and support long-term sourcing initiatives.
• Build business cases and recommendations that support informed procurement decisions.
• Lead complex and high-value sourcing and competitive procurement initiatives from planning through contract award.
• Develop sourcing strategies, facilitate supplier engagement, oversee evaluations, and negotiate commercial agreements.
• Ensure compliance with University policies, public sector procurement standards, and applicable trade agreements.
• Promote procurement best practices related to fairness, transparency, sustainability, and supplier diversity.

Stakeholder Engagement & Change Leadership

• Build trusted relationships with academic, research, and administrative stakeholders across the University.
• Act as a strategic advisor, helping departments navigate procurement decisions and planning activities.
• Influence purchasing practices and support the University’s transition toward a more centralized procurement model.
• Drive change management efforts by promoting procurement best practices and encouraging early engagement.

Supplier Relationship Management & Continuous Improvement

• Lead supplier relationship and contract performance management activities.
• Identify opportunities for innovation, service improvements, supplier rationalization, and ongoing value creation.
• Provide mentorship and guidance to Buyers and procurement colleagues.
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen procurement processes, tools, systems, and category management practices.

Note

The successful applicant will be eligible for hybrid work (combination of in‑person work on campus and remote work) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Public Administration, or a related discipline, preferably in a public‑sector or higher‑education environment (or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience).
• Professional procurement designation (SCMP, CIPS, CPPB, CPPO, PSPP, or equivalent), or active progress toward completion.
• 7+ years of progressive procurement experience with increasing levels of strategic responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience developing sourcing strategies, conducting spend analysis, and leading category planning initiatives.
• Proven success leading complex procurement projects, formal RFx processes, supplier negotiations, and contract management activities.
• Strong analytical and business acumen with the ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
• Exceptional communication, relationship‑building, and influence skills.
• Experience working in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments.

Assets

• Experience working within government, higher education, healthcare, broader public sector, or other large institutional environments.
• Knowledge of public procurement legislation and trade agreements.
• Experience supporting procurement transformation, modernization, or change initiatives.
• Exposure to technology‑related procurement categories.

Additional Information

This is a rare opportunity to help build something new.

As Dalhousie continues its procurement transformation journey, the Category Lead, Procurement will play a foundational role in establishing category management practices and shaping the future of strategic procurement across the University. You will have the opportunity to influence major procurement decisions, work with stakeholders across a highly diverse institution, and contribute to initiatives that support teaching, research, and innovation.

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Benefits

• Defined benefit pension plan.
• Health and dental plans.
• Health spending account.
• Employee and family assistance program.
• Tuition assistance program.

Diversity Statement

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self‑identify as members of one or more of the equity‑deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity‑deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information. If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here.

Number of Vacancies

Number of Vacancies 1

Open Until Filled Yes