Procurement Agent - 12 months contract

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!

Reporting to the Procurement Manager, the Procurement Agent is responsible for ensuring procured services meet business requirements, facilitating resolution of technical issues, and interfacing with Business Units with maximum productivity and effectiveness and acting as an escalation for issues encountered.  The Procurement Agent is a key team contact and has subject matter expertise. They are responsible for inputting into the day to day management of team work loads, prioritization, productivity, troubleshooting and issue resolution, expediting, as well as minor conflict resolution.  In addition, the Procurement Agent will collaborate with Procurement & Supply Management (P&SM) Leadership to look for efficiency gains and makes recommendations on process improvements. This role encompasses procurement activities for all of the business units across all spend channels including electronic (e.g., Scope of Work, Purchase Orders, Catalogue).

·       Ensure services are obtained cost effectively to meet requirements and in accordance with corporate compliance requirements, established procedures and policies

·       Executing workload queues and action requests in a timely manner

·       Source, negotiate, and purchase non-category, tactical services required by the business units for anything with an annual spend of $1M or less

·       Assess order progress against plan, identify alternatives to improve order progress, and expedite orders as necessary

·       Complete purchasing activities by drafting and revising Purchase Orders (PO) as per Business Unit’s requirements, seek appropriate authorization, inform the supplier.

·       Maintain data integrity on all inputs by comparing items requested to master data, ensuring a suitable item is not already available through existing commercial arrangement (e.g. eCommerce) and by clarifying unclear items

·       Collaborate with Category Managers, Category Analysts and Technology team to support the development and execution of savings opportunities, efficiencies, process improvements and supplier performance management activities

·       Develop and monitor KPI’s as business needs arise

·       Expected to work 8-hour days, Monday through Friday.  Start time no later than 8:30 am and end time not earlier than 4:00 pm.

·       Dress code is business casual

Relevant work experience

·       Experience in a customer support role

·       Experience in planning, sourcing, negotiating, contracting and supplier management*

·       Experience in drafting and negotiating contracts*

·       Experience in Procurement to Pay (P2P) processes

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

·       High school diploma or equivalent

·       Post-secondary studies

·       Use business acumen to drive results: stay abreast and know how CN operates

·       Time management and project management

·       Communicate with impact both orally and in written

·       Collaborate as ONE team: share timely information with and across functions to get things done effectively

·       Empower and develop others

·       Strong sense of urgency

·       Strong relationship management skills and the capability to explain technical concepts and invoicing requirements to internal functions and suppliers

·       Strong organizational and presentation skills

·       Ability to prioritize, multi-task while under pressure while adhering to business-critical deadlines

·       Apply analytical thinking and solve problems

·       Good operational procurement skills and procurement process and systems expertise

·       Advanced computer skills: Microsoft Office Suite and Excel. Beginner to intermediate in any coding language

·       Understand and use RFQ and RFI processes methods of ordering and payment and market dynamics

·       Understand Business Unit requirements in the requisition, and evaluate its completeness for Purchase Order creation

·       General understanding of commercial and contract terms and conditions

·       Any experience with RPA (Robotic Process Automation) or ERP implementations*

·       Knowledge with relevant SAP/Ariba/eProcurement/Fieldglass modules*

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

 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.