TCDS Procurement Director

Location: Ottawa, Canada

In fast changing markets, customers worldwide rely on Thales. Thales is a business where brilliant people from all over the world come together to share ideas and inspire each other. In aerospace, transportation, defence, security and space, our architects design innovative solutions that make our tomorrow’s possible.

TCDS Procurement Director

Ottawa, ON- Hybrid

Regulatory Compliance Requirements

• Requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the ITAR or the EAR.
• Requires a positive Controlled Goods assessment as you will have direct access to hardware, software, technology or technical data controlled under the Canadian Controlled Goods Program.
• Required to obtain and maintain a Security Clearance at the NATO Secret Level.

Position Summary

We have a current vacancy for a TCDS Procurement Director, who is responsible for the overall coordination and leadership of the Procurement function for the Defence activities in Canada, which covers two regional entities, Thales Canada Defense & Security (TCDS) and Thales Optronics Canada (TOCA), with a procurement portfolio of over 250M€/year, and increasing.

The Procurement activities include sourcing (supplier vetting and onboarding), process & tool implementation, and category and supplier management. The TCDS Procurement Director will lead all procurements activities under his/her responsibility while deploying consistent sourcing strategies to align with global strategies, group policies, business entity needs, and regional rules/regulations/compliance. The TCDS Procurement Director will also oversee the implementation of common processes and tools to enable regional execution, meeting budgetary, timing, and quality constraints. He/She will monitor Key Performance Indicators driving accountability for financial and delivery within the Domain. Resource management of the local Procurement team is also under his/her responsibility.  This role also requires very close collaboration with the Supply Chain organization, who’s responsible for the day-to-day procurement activities, in line with the project delivery and priorities.

The TCDS Procurement Director is an essential contributor to the Regional Procurement team and serves as the primary point of contact for all procurement activities related to the Defence business in Canada. Reporting directly to the VP of the Regional Procurement Centre of the America Region, the Procurement Director is a member of the Procurement Leadership team in the Region and represents the Country to global procurement leadership events.     

Key Areas of Responsibility  

• Position reports to the Vice President of Procurement – Americas
• Expected to manage complex challenges of varying degrees of difficulty with cultural and geographic sensitivities
• Engage with, and solicit support from, the Regional and Global Procurement team:
  • Category Management to ensure coherence with the procurement strategies;
  • Supplier Performance Management to address Supplier performance issues;
  • Process & Tools to deploy common processes and tools to support Procurement execution within the region; and
  • Supply Chain organization, to ensure full coordination with the Procurement policies and seek feedback on procurement strategy
• Support all sourcing needs for TCDS and TOCA, including supplier selection and contract negotiation
• Establish, communicate and drive annual objectives and targets for the perimeter based on business imperatives
• Monitor and use Procurement Key Performance Indicators driving accountability to financial, delivery, and quality based metrics
• Contribute to Thales’ strong financial position by supporting cost savings initiatives for bids and projects and positively influencing cash flow
• Support Thales’ global offset initiatives for the region
• Ensure contractual coverage and that subcontractors execute in accordance with contractual obligations
• Support the development, review, negotiation and execution of complex contracts, via the Supplier Managers team
• Support the implementation of the Group Procurement procedures and tools
• Contribute to Post Mortem Analysis (lessons learned) and implement required changes
• Provides oversight and direction to a team of employees in accordance with the organization’s policies and procedures
• Coach, mentor, and develop staff, including overseeing new employees onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities
• Fosters a spirit of teamwork and unity among department members that allows for cohesiveness, support, and working effectively together to enable each employee and the department to succeed
• Responsible for the application of appropriate governance and compliance measures to effectively control the activities of their team
• Work closely with stakeholders including Bids & Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Engineering, Marketing and Finance to ensure the procurement strategy is communicated and well understood
• Accountable for compliance with Thales procurement polic
• Maintain an ethical approach to tasks and relationships in accordance with relevant Thales policies
• Support Thales’ Environment Sustainability and Governance  (ESG) initiatives within the Region

Minimum Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree or diploma in a relevant field of study from a recognized University or College;
• A minimum 10 years’ experience as a procurement professional within a technical environment, ideally in the maritime sector
• At least 5 years of experience in Procurement activities include sourcing (supplier vetting and onboarding), process & tool implementation, and category and supplier management.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressive change management experience, successfully planning, leading, and executing transformation initiatives within large, complex, and cross-functional organizations.
• Prior experience overseeing the implementation of common processes and tools to enable regional execution, meeting budgetary, timing, and quality constraints.
• At least 5 years of experience as a leader of people: coaching, mentoring, and developing staff, including overseeing new employees onboarding and providing career development planning and opportunities
• Demonstrated experience monitoring and establishing Procurement Key Performance Indicators driving accountability to financial, delivery, and quality based metrics
• Prior experience ensuring contractual coverage and that subcontractors execute in accordance with contractual obligations
• Demonstrated project management – planning, time management, problem solving, communication and teamwork;

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual in French  
• Procurement Management or ISM certifications;
• Previous experience in the Defense Industry
• Project Management certification;  PMP

If you’re excited about working with Thales, but not meeting the requirements for this position, we encourage you to join our Talent Community!

Special Position Requirements

The reference Total Target Compensation (TTC) market range for this position, inclusive of annual base salary and the variable compensation target, is between Total Target Cash (TTC) $165,000 – $200,000 CAD Annual.

This reflects how companies in a similar industry and geographic region generally pay for similar jobs. This range helps the Company make pay decisions as one data point among many. Where a position falls within this range is also dependent on other factors including – but not limited to – the employee’s career path history, competencies, skills and performance, as well as the company’s annual salary budget, the customer’s program requirements, and the company’s internal equity. Thales may offer additional benefits and other compensation, depending on circumstances not related to an applicant’s status protected by local, state, or federal law.

We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools as part of our recruitment process to support activities such as candidate discovery, résumé matching, and interview scheduling. These tools may help screen and assess applications and recommend potential matches based on the requirements within the job description.  All hiring decisions, including candidate evaluation, selection, and disposition, are made by human recruiters. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions on our behalf.

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Thales provides an extensive benefits program for all full-time employees working 24 or more hours per week and their eligible dependents, including the following: 

• Company paid Extended Health, Dental, HSA, Life, AD&D, Short-term Disability, Cancer Care Program, travel insurance, Employee Assistance Plan and Well-Being program.

• Retirement Savings Plans (RRSP, DCPP, TFSA) with a company contribution and a match to a DCPP, with no vesting period.

• Company paid holidays, vacation days, and paid sick leave. 

• Voluntary Life, AD&D, Critical Illness, Long-Term Disability.

• Employee Discounts on home, auto, and gym membership.

Thales is an equal opportunity employer which values diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. Thales is committed to providing accommodations in all parts of the interview process. Applicants selected for an interview who require accommodation are asked to advise accordingly upon the invitation for an interview. We will work with you to meet your needs. All accommodation information provided will be treated as confidential and used only for the purpose of providing an accessible candidate experience.

This position requires direct or indirect access to hardware, software or technical information controlled under the Canadian Export Control List, the Canadian Controlled Goods Program, the Canadian Industrial Security Program, the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the US Export Administration Regulations (EAR). All applicants must be eligible or able to obtain authorization for such access including eligibility to the Canadian Controlled Goods Program and able to obtain a Canadian Enhanced Reliability security clearance.