Job Description

The Senior Contracts Officer is responsible for the contracting of complex goods and services on behalf of CNL whilst ensuring fair value for money, to meet the requirements of clients, jurisdictional authorities, company policies and procedures, in a timely and cost-effective manner, while mitigating risk and liability for CNL. Reporting to the Contract Lead, the Senior Contracts Officer works independently and is responsible for managing the relationship between Supply Chain and the internal clients and stakeholders. The Senior Contracts Officer will demonstrate a strong leadership, collaborative and communications ability along with the ability to lead the development and negotiation of complex contracts, e.g. infrastructure, services, and construction. The focus will be on managing and validating all contractual requirements focusing on partnership, cost reduction, risk mitigation and adherence to the terms.

The Senior Contracts Officer is a self-starter who has managed complex engagements and has extensive experience (i) working with several stakeholders; (ii) managing either large suppliers or several suppliers, (iii) designing and implementing sourcing processes, including drafting and managing RFPs (iv) negotiating agreements and resolution of issues that occur and (v) is familiar with legal requirements and terms of use. Significant interaction with Vendors, other departments and stakeholders is necessary in the role.

Responsibilities

• Leads cross functional teams on complex engagements and engaging with suppliers and partnerships
• Works with internal client to develop contract strategies, scope documents, critical success factors and evaluation criteria for identified procurement requirements
• Acts as the client interface and enabler to deliver solutions to specific projects and client groups and provides procurement support, expertise and coaching, as required to ensure alignment with CNL policies, procedures and applicable terms and conditions and to create a fair and transparent procurement process.
• Applies professional judgement using a graded approach commensurate to the nature and risk of the specific acquisition.
• Conducts market research to determine approach to market and identify potential suppliers.
• Establishes strategic relationships with key suppliers who are aligned to the company\'s needs.
• Identifies new suppliers, agreeable terms and negotiate supply arrangement where appropriate, including discount structure and volume rebates with the company\'s best interest in mind.
• Develops, in conjunction with internal stakeholders, and issues contract documents (RFPI, RFEOI, RFP, and RFPQ) to market and manages solicitation process.
• Conducts Bidders Meetings with prospective proponents and key internal stakeholders.
• Leads cross functional evaluation teams, performs commercial evaluation of related submissions and prepares detailed procurement recommendations reflective of greater commercial thinking and contextually relevant aspects of the commercial and technical evaluations.
• Prepares formal negotiation strategy, leads negotiations and prepares related documentation in conjunction with internal clients.
• Conducts contract award process, including issuing notification of award, letters of regret and providing proponents feedback where deemed appropriate.
• Authorize contract strategies, award recommendation and issues purchase orders/commitments, on behalf of CNL, within the delegated financial authorities for the position.
• Coordinates \xe2\x80\x9clessons learned\xe2\x80\x9d meetings in a manner that captures and communicates any lessons learned as a result of the procurement process and/or market engagement.
• Ensures risks and opportunities related to the procurement are identified, assessed, mitigated and managed effectively throughout the process.
• Provides post-award contract oversight during the execution of the contract, where applicable.
• Maintains comprehensive procurement files, documenting contractual requirements and communications.
• Resolves complex/ diverse professional business service issues.
• Identifies and recommends improvements to processes that affect own area and others/clients.

• Post-secondary education in Business Administration/ Supply Chain Management/ Engineering/ Contract Administration with 3-5 years pertinent experience or 8 years of equivalent experience with projects and/or construction projects procurements.
• A supply chain management certification or enrolment in a supply chain diploma program is an asset
• Knowledge and understanding of contract law, procurement practices/processes and tasks with emphasis on complex procurements where the participation of technical experts is required (technical experts, legal, quality assurance).
• Demonstrated understanding of contract terminology and contract interpretation, contract strategies, pricing models and corresponding contract risks.
• Formal training and/or demonstrated experience in relationship management, conflict resolution and negotiation.
• Ability to lead and manage business cross functional teams and skills in supplier relationship management with long-term supplier partners.
• Experience with automated procurement systems - preferably Oracle and MERX.
• Requires excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and interpersonal skills to develop effective working relationships with internal clients and suppliers.
• Must be able to work in a team environment both within Supply Chain and with internal clients.
• Must be able to work independently, establish priorities in order to meet conflicting deadlines, and resolve conflicts promptly.
• Strong computer skills. Advanced level capability in MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).
• Outstanding organizational skills and oral and written communication capabilities.
• Strong sense of accountability, work ethic and analytical skills required.
• Willingness to put in extra hours as required.
• Demonstrated ability to lead others through influence rather than authority.
• Maintain clear, concise documentation on all stages of the procurement.
• Technical background or demonstrated understanding of design/construction, and IT services contracts would be an asset
• Knowledge and experience with a variety of Quality Assurance programs.
• Knowledge of nuclear quality assurance programs would be an asset.

Ian Martin