Director, Strategic Procurement

Saskatchewan Polytechnic Alumni; Check (VA); On-site; USD 64,000 - 92,000; Full time

Job summary

Saskatchewan Polytechnic is seeking a Director, Strategic Procurement to lead the organization’s supply chain strategy across multiple campuses. The role involves guiding competitive sourcing, vendor management, purchasing, and materials management to achieve best value and service.

You will report to the AVP, Financial Services, lead a team of 22 staff, and collaborate with program heads to align procurement initiatives with strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• Strategic and operational planning expertise.
• Strong leadership and people management abilities.
• Experience in supply chain or procurement operations.
• Ability to build and maintain stakeholder relationships.

Responsibilities

• Strategic and operational planning for the supply chain aligned with the Financial Services plan.
• Provide leadership to the four procurement functions: sourcing, vendor management, purchasing, materials management.
• Direct and coach team members to achieve goals and improve performance.
• Ensure policy compliance with procurement regulations and trade agreements.
• Foster cross-campus collaboration and effective communication with clients and stakeholders.
• Travel to Sask Polytech campuses as required to support operations.

Job description

Job Content (SDF) Details

Job Content (SDF) Details

Competition Number P17895 Posting Title Director, Strategic Procurement Classification Band 9 Location Multiple Locations (Please check posting details) Other Location(s) Saskatchewan Polytechnic Saskatoon Campus, Saskatchewan Polytechnic Moose Jaw Campus, Saskatchewan Polytechnic Administrative Offices, Saskatchewan Polytechnic Regina Campus, Saskatchewan Polytechnic Prince Albert Campus Building Other Building Date Posted 09/18/2026 Closing Date 10/12/2026 JIQ # Start Date 11/02/2026 End Date Open Until Filled No Ongoing Yes Category of work Full Time Bargaining Unit Management Hours of Work OOS (Typically M–F/core hours) Salary Range As per the OOS salary grid Temporary Market Stipend Incumbent Total Assigned days (AC) / Total Hours per biweekly pay

75 hours bi-weekly

Posting Status Open Special Instructions to Applicants

Saskatchewan Polytechnic considers the diversity of our workforce to be one our leading strengths and greatest assets. Our employee diversity enhances our ability to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse student population. Currently, approximately 20% of our students are Indigenous. A continued emphasis on the development of a representative workforce is one of Sask Polytech’s strategic priorities and, as an organization, we are making significant efforts to attract and retain Indigenous employees.

Job Duties

Job Duties/Qualifications, Skills and Abilities(QSA)

General Accountability

Accountable to the Associate Vice-President, Financial Services (AVP, FS) the Director, Strategic Procurement (Director, SP) is responsible for setting the overall supply chain strategy for Sask Polytech and positioning the group as a strategic and proactive business partner with the organization. This role is accountable for providing strong leadership to the four functional areas (Competitive Sourcing, Vendor and Category Management, Purchasing, and Materials Management) in the implementation and execution of the portfolio of programs and services included in the strategy. The Director, SP is also accountable for establishing best in class policies and procedures and ensuring that they are adhered to and compliant with all relevant government procurement policies and regulations and trade agreements. This position will play a key role in inter-department\\program planning to ensure that the needs of the organization are met in a timely and cost-effective manner. They will also be accountable for maintaining strategic vendor relationships and facilitating strategic partnerships to leverage buying power to achieve best value and service for Sask Polytech. This position will be a key member of the Financial Services Leadership Team and will be expected to achieve measurable improvements by meeting the needs of the organization through the acquisition and distribution of goods and services at the optimal level of cost, quality and service.

Job Context

The Director, SP reports directly to the AVP, FS and is part of Sask Polytech’s Financial Services team. There are two direct reports: Manager, Strategic Procurement and Asset Management and Procurement Business Analyst; and a total of 22 departmental staff.

The Key Areas Of Responsibility Are As Follows:

• Competitive Sourcing – responsible for working collaboratively with the various client groups across Sask Polytech to accurately gather the requirements for the goods and services required by the organization and execute a fair and transparent competitive sourcing process to acquire those goods and services at the best value.
• Vendor and Category Management - responsible for proactive data analytics and the gathering of market intelligence to set and manage category strategies based on client need, specifications and consumption patterns and for the management of all vendor contracts and relationships.
• Purchasing - responsible for supporting the client groups in the execution of day-to-day procurement, efficiently executing transactions and ensuring compliance with procurement policy, regulations and the agreed to standardized procurement processes and procedures.
• Materials Management - responsible for the receipt of all goods and services acquired by Sask Polytech and the efficient management and distribution of those goods and services to the various client groups across all locations.

As the team that reports to the Director, SP are located at all campuses, a key challenge for this position is fostering a cohesive team environment as well as ensuring integration and consistency of policy, procedures and practices, while encouraging solid team relationships and customer service. Coaching, managing risk and mediating conflicts is a crucial, ongoing part of this job. Travel to other campuses is required.

In addition to the SaskPolytech-wide functional areas of responsibilities, this position is expected to liaise with program and department heads to ensure a high level of engagement with the Strategic Procurement group. This will include involvement in the annual planning as it relates to the definition and meeting of the department\\program’s requirements for goods and services.

This position will be involved in and oversee the design and implementation of SaskPolytech-wide supply chain related initiatives that will frequently involve both internal and external stakeholders and partners. This position interacts with all levels within the organization, including other Directors within FS, administrative services leadership team (ASLT), senior leadership assembly (SLA) and senior leadership council (SLC). In addition, the Director, SP will interact and collaborate with other senior supply chain personnel with other post-secondary and public sector organizations.

Qualifications, Skills, Abilities And Experience

Specific Accountabilities

Specific Accountabilities

Specific Accountabilities

• Strategic and Operational Planning
• Provide leadership by developing and implementing the strategic and operating plans for the supply chain area that are consistent with the Financial Services business plan and are aligned with the overall strategic agenda of Sask Polytech;
• Provide leadership in formulating the direction, goals and objectives of the department and ensure they are consistent with the overall strategic direction of Sask Polytech;
• Provide education and communication Sask Polytech-wide on the various initiatives, legislative, standards or policy compliance under the responsibility of the Director, SP;
• Demonstrate transparency and effectively articulate strategies and plans that support a vision for change in the department, division and the enterprise as a whole.
• Direct and coach team members in the development, implementation and monitoring of the goals and objectives within their respective areas;
• Ensure consistent and regular communication with managers and other staff on expectations and valuing their input;
• Provide recommendations to senior leadership on various policies and initiatives under the direct responsibility of the Director, SP;
• Oversee all supply chain operations and implement processes to increase operational efficiency and financial stewardship; and
• Monitor and revise the appropriate strategies to ensure plans are aligned with emerging trends and needs of key stakeholders.
• People Management
• Provide leadership and expertise by acting as a resource to others within the Financial Services\\ Strategic Procurement group and Sask Polytech-wide organization;
• Ensure a positive, diverse and inclusive work and learning environment;
• Provide leadership, expertise, mentorship, coaching and development opportunities to enhance performance and to enable direct reports to achieve his/her accountabilities;
• Establish clear performance standards and goals for direct reports and hold each employee accountable for meeting those standards and goals;
• Maintain a high level of staff performance through effective use of human resources practices and procedures including recruiting, selecting, training, developing, motivating and evaluating employee performance;
• Address people management issues in a timely manner while ensuring compliance with the Collective Agreement and Sask Polytech policies and build and maintain relationships;
• Ensure workforce planning activities are carried out within the unit in alignment with divisional direction, and Sask Polytech’s objectives; and
• Build cross-group relationships by aligning work and resolving or escalating conflicts in a timely manner.
• Relationship Management

Internal:

• Foster and grow a high level of engagement between Strategic Procurement and the client groups within Sask Polytech;
• Ensure that the formal communication channels and flow of information between Strategic Procurement and the client groups is sustained;
• Build and maintain relationships across both academic and administrative divisions to advance positive change in Strategic Procurement activities to enhance the overall experience of the students;
• Participate and contribute to Sask Polytechnic’s operational effectiveness and policy development in a wide range of strategic and operational recommendations vetted through the relevant leadership bodies and
• Work closely with direct reports and AVP, FS to ensure alignment and integration of strategies, policies and practices while serving Sask Polytech’s best interests.

External:

• Develop and manage relationships with external agencies, educational and government organizations, colleges and universities, to build business partnerships and to share best practices and policies in supply chain services; and
• Maintain a positive and proactive relationship with strategic vendors to ensure mutually beneficial and long-term relationships that result in Sask Polytech receiving the best value and service.
• Client Services
• Proactively seek to understand and exceed client needs and expectations (clients are those groups or individuals, internal or external, who utilize or supply Sask Polytech’s products and/or services);
• Act as a trusted advisor, proactively building long-term relationships with the clients to jointly achieve long-term benefits for both Sask Polytech;
• Identify trends in the supply market, anticipating and developing plans to meet future needs of existing and potential clients;