Supply Management Specialist

Kruger; Montreal; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading Canadian manufacturing company in Montreal is seeking a Supply Management Specialist to develop and execute strategic sourcing initiatives focused on optimizing tail spend, particularly within IT. The role involves contract management, supplier negotiations, and collaboration with various departments. The ideal candidate will have 5-7 years of experience in procurement, strong negotiation skills, and be bilingual in French and English. This position allows for hybrid work arrangements.

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or contract management.
• Proven experience managing tail spend and supplier negotiations.
• Bilingual - French / English (advanced level).

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a strategic sourcing roadmap to optimize tail spend.
• Negotiate supplier contracts for optimal outcomes for the company.
• Mitigate supplier risks through strict negotiation and governance.

Skills

Detail-oriented

Strong negotiation skills

Strong communication skills

Analytical skills

Proficient in MS Office

Knowledge of ERP systems

Education

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain or related field

Professional certification (SCMP or equivalent)

Tools

SAP

JD Edwards

K2GEN

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Supply Management Specialist will develop and execute a strategic sourcing roadmap focused on optimizing tail spend across diverse categories, with a significant emphasis on Information Technology (IT). This role will lead targeted sourcing initiatives within tail spend categories, drive supplier negotiations, and ensure robust contract management to mitigate risks and uphold compliance standards.

In close partnership with internal stakeholders—including IT, Operations, Legal, and Finance—the Specialist will proactively plan and coordinate sourcing activities to align with business needs and strategic objectives. This includes identifying opportunities to consolidate similar goods and services under fewer suppliers, enhancing procurement efficiency, and leveraging market intelligence to benchmark costs and ensure value for money.

The successful candidate will play a key role in transforming legacy vendor relationships and ad‑hoc purchases into structured, cost‑effective agreements that support long‑term organizational goals.

This position reports to the Sr. Director, Supply Management and is based in Montréal, QC, with potential for hybrid work arrangements. Occasional travel to supplier and company sites may be required.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Tail Spend Leadership & Strategic Sourcing
  • Develop and implement a strategic sourcing roadmap to optimize tail spend across multiple categories, with a focus on IT‑related goods and services.
  • Lead targeted sourcing initiatives to drive value, improve supplier performance, and reduce fragmentation in the supply base.
  • Identify opportunities to consolidate similar goods and services under fewer suppliers to enhance efficiency, leverage economies of scale and transition tail spend into strategic supplier relationships or preferred vendor programs.
  • Monitor market trends and supplier capabilities to proactively identify sourcing opportunities and ensure alignment with business needs.
• Contract Management
  • Negotiate supplier contracts to secure optimal outcomes for Kruger by applying the company’s standard contractual positions across key terms.
  • Collaborate efficiently and transparently with the Legal team by preparing clear redline edits and ensuring contracts are accurate, timely, and fully aligned with internal policies, such as cybersecurity, legal, and commercial requirements.
  • Maintain oversight of contract lifecycle activities, including renewals, amendments, and compliance with corporate policies.
• Risk Management & Compliance
  • Mitigate supplier and contractual risks through tight negotiation and adherence to supply management governance frameworks.
  • Monitor contract milestones, renewal cycles, and risk indicators across strategic categories.
  • Support the development and enforcement of procurement policies and procedures to uphold ethical and sustainable sourcing practices.
• Stakeholder Collaboration
  • Partner with internal teams to understand operational needs and ensure sourcing solutions meet business requirements.
  • Facilitate cross‑functional planning sessions to anticipate sourcing needs and develop proactive procurement strategies.
  • Promote sourcing best practices, standardized templates, and streamlined approval processes across the organization.
  • Challenge status‑quo with a collaborative mindset.
• Analytical & Strategic Support
  • Conduct spend and contract analyses to uncover cost optimization and rationalization opportunities.
  • Provide insights into tail‑end spending patterns to support broader category strategy development.
  • Evaluate total cost of ownership (TCO) and lifecycle implications for sourced goods and services.
  • Prepare reports to communicate sourcing outcomes, savings, and compliance metrics to leadership.
  • Support continuous improvement initiatives by identifying process gaps and recommending enhancements to sourcing practices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in supply chain, Business Administration, or related field.
• Professional certification (SCMP or equivalent) preferred.

EXPERIENCE

• 5-7 years of experience in procurement, sourcing, or contract management, ideally within manufacturing or industrial sectors.
• Proven experience managing tail spend, supplier negotiations, and contract lifecycle activities.
• Exposure to sourcing categories such as IT, Corporate Services, Logistics and operational supplies—particularly within a manufacturing environment—is a strong asset.

SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Detail‑oriented with strong organizational and time management capabilities.
• Strong negotiation and contract management skills.
• Understanding of compliance requirements related to cybersecurity, trade, and data governance.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Continuous improvement mindset with a focus on process efficiency and automation.
• Ability to analyze spend data and identify strategic sourcing opportunities.
• Proficient in MS Office, especially Excel and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of SAP, JD Edwards, K2GEN or any ERP system (an asset).
• Familiarity with procurement systems (e.g., SAP, Coupa, Ariba) and contract lifecycle tools (an asset).

SUCCESS IN THIS ROLE WILL BE MEASURED BY

• Reduction in tail‑end supplier count and spend rationalization across strategic categories.
• Timely execution of targeted sourcing events with minimized risk.
• Improved contract lifecycle efficiency and data accuracy.
• Enhanced stakeholder satisfaction and cross‑functional collaboration.
• Contributions to strategic sourcing initiatives and category development.

LANGUAGES

• Bilingual - French / English (advanced level).
• Knowledge of English is required for this specific position as Kruger deals with partners across North America and the successful candidate will be required to communicate frequently with them. Kruger has taken all reasonable steps to avoid imposing English language requirements, including assessing the actual language needs associated with the duties to be performed, ensuring that the language skills already required of other employees were insufficient for the performance of those duties, and limiting as much as possible the number of positions with duties requiring English language skills.