Assistant Manager, Procurement

About the Role

Mount Royal University is seeking an Assistant Manager, Procurement to join our Procurement Services Group, located at our Lincoln Park Campus.

Reporting to the Procurement Manager, The Assistant Manager balances strategic oversight with operational leadership to drive university-wide procurement excellence. The role will be accountable for building team capability, prioritizing work streams, and leading complex project execution—from contract strategy and contractor engagement to risk allocation. The work is highly complex, requiring navigation of diverse departmental needs while asserting compliance boundaries and managing institutional risk.

The Assistant Manager oversees the daily operational performance of the procurement team, setting direction, priorities, and providing coaching to ensure consistent, high-quality sourcing execution and contract management across the University. This role works closely with the Procurement Manager to optimize workflows, embed industry best practices, and modernize university-wide procurement processes.

The incumbent must be knowledgeable about the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA), the New West Partnership Agreement (NWPTA), MRU’s Institutional Policies, and Competitive Bidding Law.

Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Operational & Procurement Leadership: Direct day-to-day procurement operations to ensure seamless execution, compliance, and strategic value across all institutional purchases and active contracts.
• High Collaboration & Influence: Frequent interaction across faculties and administrative teams, translating complex procurement policies into accessible, actionable guidance.
• Best Practice Integration: Champion modern procurement strategies, driving continuous improvement, ethical sourcing, and enhanced vendor management throughout the organization.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with internal university stakeholders to align purchasing activities with institutional goals and budgetary frameworks.

• Capability Building: Coach and upskill team members in modern procurement practices, continuous improvement, and robust contract management.
• Portfolio & Project Allocation: Prioritize work streams, assign projects, and oversee end-to-end execution—from contract strategy to contractor engagement.
• Competitive Bidding: Supports and Manages the competitive bidding process from project inception to contract execution of complex projects when required.
• Risk & Compliance Stewardship: Determine how project and contract risks are shared, managed, and minimized and uphold strict compliance standards to mitigate organizational and financial exposure.

Strategic Support for the Procurement Manager

• Process & Workflow Modernization: Partner to evaluate end-to-end procurement workflows, eliminate operational friction, and implement lean best practices institutional-wide.
• Policy & Compliance Alignment: Assist in shaping risk allocation frameworks, updating contract templates, and ensuring procurement operations align with university governance and legal requirements.
• Strategic Sourcing & Category Planning: Help design and execute multi-year category strategies, vendor performance tracking, and high-value sourcing initiatives to maximize institutional savings.
• Change Management & Capability Growth: Co-lead change management efforts to embed new procurement technologies and methodologies, upskilling team members and university stakeholders alike.
• Shipping/Receiving & Mailroom Modernization: Assists in evaluating and optimizing end-to-end shipping, receiving, and campus mail distribution workflows to eliminate bottlenecks, improve tracking accuracy, and enhance overall service delivery.
• Talent Acquisition Support: Assists with end-to-end recruitment efforts, including candidate sourcing, resume screening, and participating in interviews to select top-tier talent for the procurement and shipping/receiving team.
• Talent Management: Provide day-to-day leadership of the Procurement team to develop high performing staff through coaching, mentorship, and collaboration.
• Other duties as assigned.

Complexities

• Stakeholder Stewardship: Navigating diverse university departments requires collaboration to advocate for procurement’s strategic value while asserting necessary compliance boundaries.
• Strategic vs. Operational Balance: Managing immediate project deadlines while simultaneously building long-term team capability and refining risk frameworks.
• Dynamic Decision-Making: Regularly assess risk, resolve operational bottlenecks, and align diverse departmental priorities with broader university objectives.

Qualifications

• A university degree or post-secondary education in Business, Operations Management, Supply Chain Management, Industrial Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field is required
• A professional designation (e.g., SCMP, PMP, CPPO) or postgraduate education in business, analytics, or operations is an asset
• 8 - 10 years of progressive experience with at least 3 years in a formal leadership or supervisory role. Public Sector experience would be considered an asset.
• An equivalent combination of education and directly related experience will be considered.

• Demonstrated ability and experience in organizing the work environment and work loads of a procurement team which includes training and supervision.
• Highly motivated self-starter with the initiative to manage complex, competing priorities, adapt to shifting conditions, and proactively identify operational risks and opportunities.
• Demonstrated degree of diplomacy and tact with proven capability to effectively communicate and negotiate.
• Strong relationship management skills and the ability to achieve change through influence
• Thorough understanding of competitive bidding process, public procurement, trade agreements and contract law.
• Analytical skills with ability to assess data with detailed accuracy, to exercise good judgement and make decisive recommendations.
• Strong presentation, facilitation and leadership skills.

Salary: $88,480 - $122,100 per annum

Closing date: Open until a suitable candidate is found

A cover letter, and resume should be submitted in one .pdf formatted document. Please title your .pdf document as follows: [Last Name], [Requisition Number].pdf (ex. Smith, Coordinator, 1234.pdf).