Category Analyst, Corporate Affairs and Travel

At CN, everyday brings new and exciting challenges. You can expect an interesting environment where you’re part of making sure our business is running optimally and safely―helping keep the economy on track. We provide the kind of paid training and opportunities that long-term careers are built on and we recognize hard workers who strive to make a difference. You will be able to thrive in our close-knit, safety-focused culture working together as ONE TEAM. The careers we offer are meaningful because the work we do matters. Join us!

The Category Analyst, Corporate Affairs and Travel is responsible for leading procurement activities across multiple corporate functions including Human Resources (HR), Legal, Sustainability, Accounting, Financial Planning, and Corporate Travel. The role effectively handles the entire sourcing and contractual lifecycle from strategizing to drafting. In addition, the role is accountable for overseeing vendor relationships, driving cost-saving initiatives, and ensuring compliance with CN’s procurement and corporate policies. The position requires a strategic thinker with extensive experience in procurement and supply management in a corporate affairs environment to centralize contract management, track spend effectively and optimize procurement practices.

·       Lead negotiations of contracts with a multitude of vendors for CN corporate strategic programs and operational technology projects

·       Centralize contract management, ensuring all agreements are documented, tracked, and aligned with corporate policies

·       Supports the Category Manager with analytics and elaboration of strategy for the respective category while collaborating with internal stakeholders and CN Legal

·       Negotiate Master Terms and Conditions with new suppliers (e.g., commercial and legal clauses)

·       Ensure contractual protections are put in place to protect CN’s interests and mitigate project risks

·       Identify and negotiate commercial cost reduction opportunities based on a solid understanding of cost drivers and contracts

·       Act as a single point of contact with the business units for gathering, understanding, and translating business requirements into contracts

·       Ensure clear and frequent communication between peers and other departments ensuring updates on status and action plans to achieve requirements within project timing and constraints

·       Collaborate with internal stakeholders across HR, Legal, Sustainability, Campus Operations and Finance to understand business needs and develop tailored procurement solutions

·       Design and implement corporate travel policies that ensure cost-effectiveness, compliance, and employee safety

·       Monitor travel trends to improve policies and enhance the employee travel experiences

·       Negotiate contracts with airlines, hotels, and travel service providers to secure favorable terms

·       Build strong relationships with suppliers to ensure high-quality service and maximize cost savings

·       Track and analyze travel expenses ensuring adherence to company policies

·       Propose and execute procurement strategy and sourcing efforts to secure the most optimal solution that supports the business while minimizing total cost of ownership

·       Develop strong collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across the company to strategically handle spend and the supply base for the assigned categories

·       Act as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) in consulting with the business on procurement strategies, processes, policies, and best practices

·       Resolve and handle risks to supply proactively and take preventative actions to mitigate risks

·       Perform market analysis and provide business appropriate recommendations for category spend

·       Ensure compliance with CN Procurement Policy and Delegation of Authority

·       Complete sourcing processes comprised of initial exploratory sessions and discovery sessions for defining complex technology requirements

·       Handle the contract management lifecycle process and day-to-day contract administration

·       Use tools effectively in processes and methodologies linked to contract management

·       Act as the SME for any contract-related matters pertaining to the assigned vendors

·       Identify and report key performance metrics to measure success and drive continuous improvement of suppliers

·       Lead complex governance frameworks with internal stakeholders and suppliers on critical, large-scale, and complex technology projects

The role has standard working conditions in an office environment with a regular workweek from Monday to Friday. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be able to meet tight deadlines, handle pressure, and stress.

Procurement and Supply Management

·       Between 3 to 5 years of experience in procurement and supply management, with specific experience handling corporate affairs categories

o    Experience in planning, sourcing, negotiating, contracting, and supplier management

o    Experience in drafting and negotiating corporate affairs and travel contracts for HR, Legal, Sustainability, Accounting, Finance and Corporate Travel

o    Experience delivering cost savings, process improvements, and compliance initiatives

o    Experience or background in corporate affairs and travel*

*Any experience for these above would be considered as an asset

·       Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or related field

·       Master’s Degree in Business Administration*

*Any education for these above would be considered as an asset

·       Demonstrates agility and drives change

·       Knows the business and stays current on industry needs

·       Collaborates with others and shares information

·       Sets direction and inspires others

·       Communicates with impact

·       Demonstrates active listening

·       Identifies needs and finds solutions to create value for all stakeholders

·       Identifies potential safety and security risks

·       Applies critical thinking

·       Proficient in Microsoft Office

·       Strong understanding of legal frameworks and concepts

·       Fluently bilingual, both written and verbal (English, French)

 CN is a world-class transportation leader and trade-enabler. Essential to the economy, to the customers, and to the communities it serves, CN safely transports more than 300 million tons of natural resources, manufactured products, and finished goods throughout North America every year. As the only railroad connecting Canada’s Eastern and Western coasts with the Southern tip of the U.S. through a 19,500 mile rail network, CN and its affiliates have been contributing to community prosperity and sustainable trade since 1919. CN is committed to programs supporting social responsibility and environmental stewardship. At CN, we work as ONE TEAM, focused on safety, sustainability and our customers, providing operational and supply chain excellence to deliver results.