Regional Technical Category Manager

Veolia; Oakville; Hybrid; CAD 105,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Veolia is seeking a Regional Technical Category Manager to lead strategic procurement for specialized turnkey and M/E/fabrication work across North America. You will develop regional procurement strategies aligned with project execution and business objectives, driving cost reductions and supplier partnerships.

The role requires 5+ years in EPC procurement, strong negotiation, and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and relevant certifications are required.
• Extensive procurement, sourcing, contract management or project management experience in EPC.
• Strong negotiation and post-award performance management skills.
• Advanced knowledge of contract terms, insurance, bonding and risk allocation.

Responsibilities

• Develop and manage supplier networks for turnkey/mechanical/electrical/fabrication/flow management.
• Lead cost analyses, create cost models, and perform TCO analyses.
• Negotiate terms, conditions, insurance, and risk frameworks with contractors.
• Monitor supplier performance against KPIs and drive corrective actions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams across projects, legal, insurance and engineering.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract management

Analytical thinking

Project management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Management

Professional procurement certification (C.P.M., CPSM, CIPS)

Professional project management certification (PMP)

5+ years EPC procurement experience

Tools

SAP

Ariba

Google Workspace

Job description

Company Description

Veolia Group is a global leader in environmental services, operating across all five continents with nearly 218,000 employees. Specializing in water, energy, and waste management, Veolia Group designs and implements innovative solutions for decarbonization, depollution, and resource regeneration, supporting communities and industries in their ecological transformation. Within this framework, Veolia's Water Tech Business brings together a dedicated team of experienced professionals committed to tackling the world’s most complex challenges related to water scarcity, quality, productivity, and energy. Together, we pursue a shared mission to create a more sustainable future.

Job Description

Job Summary

The Regional Technical Category Manager is a new role for the Projects Business Line responding to dynamic market conditions for both EP and EP+ delivery models and will lead strategic procurement and category management for specialized, high-value custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/ fabrication/flow management activities across North American projects. This role is responsible for executing the North American procurement strategies while developing tailored regional approaches aligned with project execution and overall business objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sourcing & Contractor Management

• Develop and manage preferred supplier networks specializing in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/fabrication/flow management activities
• Create long-term supplier partnerships and framework agreements balancing cost, quality, schedule, loading, and risk
• Conduct market analysis on supplier capacity, pricing trends, and capability gaps
• Execute multi-million dollar cost reduction initiatives and consolidate orders for negotiation leverage
• Drive continuous improvement with key suppliers on productivity, safety, and schedule performance

Proposal Costing & Optimization

• Lead proposal development, tendering, and cost analysis for custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical/ fabrication/flow management packages
• Develop detailed cost models (labor rates, material escalation, equipment, mobilization, site-specific factors)
• Perform total cost of ownership (TCO) analyses including schedule, quality, and contractual risk impacts
• Benchmark costs against industry standards and identify value-creation opportunities

Execution Negotiations

• Lead complex supplier negotiations on pricing, terms, conditions, and commercial frameworks
• Develop specialized terms and conditions tailored to supplier scope and risk profile
• Establish clear scope of work definitions and division of responsibility boundaries, ensuring contractor responsibilities and interface protocols
• Negotiate insurance, bonding, and risk allocation frameworks

Risk Management & Contractual Framework

• Develop comprehensive risk management strategies for supplier-specific hazards and performance uncertainties
• Define insurance requirements, coverage limits, and liability frameworks
• Implement risk mitigation strategies (performance bonds, parent company guarantees, liquidated damages)
• Ensure compliance with safety regulations and industry standards

Post-Award Management & Delivery Assurance

• Establish post-award protocols ensuring supplier performance and schedule adherence
• Monitor supplier performance against KPIs (schedule, quality, safety, cost)
• Conduct performance reviews and implement corrective action plans
• Manage supplier escalations, disputes, and change orders
• Drive on-time delivery through proactive schedule management and accountability

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with project execution, legal, insurance, contract management, and engineering teams
• Collaborate with tendering teams on competitive bid packages
• Coordinate with safety, quality, and compliance functions
• Build relationships with internal stakeholders to identify value engineering and optimization opportunities

Qualifications

Key Characteristics

Technical Acumen

• Demonstrate deep understanding of custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management technologies to lead strategic decisions

Strategic Thinking

• Balance long-term objectives with immediate priorities

Negotiation Excellence

• Strong negotiation skills with proven ability to secure favorable terms in complex, high-stakes contractor agreements

Courage

• Champion innovative contracting models and transformational procurement approaches

Ambitious

• Challenge the status quo and identify value-creation opportunities

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Supply Chain Management, or Business Management
• 5+ years of experience in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management procurement, contractor management, or EPC construction execution
• Proven experience in procurement, sourcing, contract management, or project management within an EPC project setting
• Advanced knowledge of specialized contract terms, insurance requirements, bonding, and risk allocation frameworks
• Demonstrated success in complex supplier negotiations and post-award performance management
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with ability to identify cost and schedule improvements
• Excellent project management skills managing multiple concurrent projects
• Advanced knowledge of construction industry standards, safety regulations, and compliance requirements

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years in custom turnkey / mechanical/electrical / fabrication/flow management procurement
• Direct water industry or EPC firm experience
• Professional procurement certification (C.P.M., CPSM, CIPS)
• Professional project management certification (PMP)
• Experience with SAP, Ariba, and Google Workspace

Working Conditns

• Up to 20% annual travel
• Hybrid/Remote, Various North America locations

Additional Information

Join a company that values Responsibility, Solidarity, Innovation, Customer Focus, and Respect. You'll have opportunities for comprehensive leadership development, career advancement, and the chance to make a meaningful impact on sustainability and environmental protection while leading a talented team.

At Veolia, we realize diverse teams make smarter decisions, deliver better results, and build stronger communities. We’re an organization that champions diversity and inclusion at every rung of the ladder and are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We offer challenging and meaningful careers, and because our people are our greatest assets, we also offer competitive compensation and benefits.

Compensation

The compensation range is tied to the market for similarly benchmarked roles. The range is not an absolute, but a guide, and offers will be based on the individual candidate’s knowledge, skills, experience, and market conditions, as well as internal peer equity. Depending upon all the preceding considerations for the final selected individual candidate, the offer may be lower or higher than the stated range: $105 - 120K CAD + 10% annual bonus.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Disclosure

We do not use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to screen, assess, or select applicants for this position.

Vacancy Status

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

As an inclusive company, Veolia is committed to diversity and gives equal consideration to all applications, without discrimination.

****Applicants are required to be eligible to lawfully work in the U.S. immediately; employer will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work authorization (e.g., H-1B visa) for this opportunity****

Veolia does not accept unsolicited resumes from external recruiting firms. All vendors must have a current and fully executed MSA on file before submitting candidates. Any unsolicited resumes and candidate profiles will be deemed the property of the company, and no fee will be due.

As an inclusive company, Veolia is committed to diversity and gives equal consideration to all applications, without discrimination.