Metrolinx Looking for Customer and Client Procurement Lead at Canada Full Time

(Contract up to 36 Months)

Metrolinx is connecting communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Metrolinx operates GO Transit and UP Express, as well as the PRESTO fare payment system. We are also building new and improved rapid transit, including GO Expansion, Light Rail Transit routes, and major expansions to Toronto’s subway system, to get people where they need to go, better, faster and easier. Metrolinx is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

We embody our values in everything that we do. We Serve with Passion, Think Forward, and Play as a Team. If you can relate, we want to hear from you!

As a part of the procurement team, the Customer and Client Procurement Lead is the primary owner of the business requirements and resulting procurement outcomes while working closely with the Customer Experience and Client teams within the Customer and Client Pillar of PRESTO. This position will implement the future vision of the Customer Experience and Client teams and help direct this vision and roadmap through the procurement program and the subsequent transition. As part of the Presto Business solution team under the Payments Transformation Program, leads engagement with internal/external stakeholders, including business users and transit agencies to manage business the business requirements as well as the traceability of requirements and ensure the delivery of customer and client outcomes within the procurement program that deliver on the future vision for PRESTO. Accountable for management of the integrated program of activities required to direct and advance the Customer Experience and Client priorities within the procurement program.

What will I be doing?

Product Development/Roadmaps

• Collaborates with Presto clients business units and stakeholders to understand product vision, business needs, discuss, capture and prioritize ideas/needs that require technology enablement and develop product roadmaps;
• Organizes the gathering and manages traceability of requirements from clients and business units to inform the re-procurement and transformation of the PRESTO platform and owns the business outcomes resulting from the procurement program and ensuring that those outcomes meet the business goals;
• Works collaboratively with the Provides input to the short executable plans derived from product roadmaps and oversees product development through execution of the business requirements;
• Acts as a conduit between the business and procurement delivery teams, identifying issues between the product roadmap and delivery plans/associated constraints, in order to find long-term solutions and engages the required stakeholders to reconcile conflicting priorities;

Vendor/Customer Relationships

• Supports managing the relationship with vendors, which includes defining problem statements, reviewing vendor proposals to realize value for money and providing input to the Presto Management Vendor process for vendor performance reviews;
• Organizes demand from business units with Presto delivery teams and vendors in order to support quality releases that meet business goals;
• Works across the organization to build relationships with customers, product and vendor delivery teams and product operations to ensure product success;

Product/Project Management

• Responsible for ensuring that the requirements defined and implemented by the program support the overall program objectives; including collaboration with the business Product Management teams;
• Confirms traceability of product designs to business requirements at key milestones, in collaboration with the procurement and Customer and Client teams, to stay apprised of progress through development, resolve escalated problems, and address business expectations in the event of requirements issues;
• Liaises with business stakeholders and clients to understand business priorities and business drivers in order to oversee the prioritization of requirements that will meet the customer and client needs;
• Provides leadership and direction in project steering committee meetings or sprint retrospectives; advocates on behalf of the client/customer to ensure projects or releases are successful and business outcomes are met and benefits achieved;

Customer/Stakeholder

• Communicates regularly with the client and/or business to understand product vision, business needs and develop product roadmaps and manage business requirements and inform procurement outcomes to ensure alignment of goals and plans; provides regular updates to stakeholders and provides opportunities for feedback on progress;
• Liaises with Communications and Change Management professionals to understand change impacts and build inputs to the procurement team accordingly;

Operational Excellence

• Through the development of product roadmaps advises the business on how they can leverage technology and innovation to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their business;
• Fosters the advancement of Product and Requirement Management capabilities as part of continuous improvement activities and maintaining Product Management practice in alignment with other Presto groups;

Financial Stewardship

• Provides input to budgets and staffing plans that adhere to corporate standards and applicable legislation; meets service delivery objectives and manages project and department activities within budgetary limits;
• Identifies opportunities to streamline processes and/or leverage technology/automation that may lead to (cost and/or time) savings;
• Collaborates with and provides support to the Presto Vendor Management Office and Metrolinx Procurement Services during procurement planning activities for technology products and services;

People Leadership

• Contributes to a working environment that is aligned with the organization’s desire to be “an employer of choice”, ensuring that people resources possess the required skills, are properly aligned, and are provided with the resources to do the job;
• Leads virtual teams large and small of vendor project managers, technical experts, Product Delivery and Product Operations resources responsible for delivering initiatives on assigned product roadmaps;
• Provides guidance to in some cases to 1-2 employees and a varying number of contractor and vendor resources and delivers timely feedback to ensure a cohesive operational unit and the optimum use of team skills; monitors work assignments to ensure adherence to timelines; monitors the achievement of performance objectives;
• Provides creative leadership with input from others to develop and deploy a strategic vision; connects and aligns projects with strategic corporate goals; demonstrates leadership and core competencies at a high level of development and is an exemplary model of living the corporate Values and Code of Ethics;
• Advises other staff and provides expertise on product management issues;
• Advises the client on how they can leverage technology more effectively to realize their business objectives;
• Provides guidance and direction to staff in some cases and project teams (e.g. defines team member roles, responsibilities, and expectations); delivers timely feedback to ensure a cohesive operational unit and the optimum use of team skills; manages staff and monitors work assignments to ensure adherence to timelines; monitors the achievement of performance objectives; develops and implements action plans to address performance gaps.

What skills & qualifications do I need?

Education

• Completion of a degree or diploma in Business, Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science or related discipline – or a combination of education, training and experience deemed equivalent.

Experience

• Minimum eight (8) years’ experience in progressively advancing roles within IT or related function
• Minimum of eight (8) years’ of experience in the field of IT product management
• Experience contributing to the success of midsize to large initiatives with above average levels of complexity and business criticality

Certifications or Designations

• Agile certification (Agile Certified Professional, Certified Scrum Product Owner) an asset
  
• Certified Product Manager an asset
  
• Project Management Professional (PMP) or PRINCE2 an asset
  
• ITIL Foundations Certification an asset
  
• PROSCI certification an asset

Technical Competencies:

• Knowledge of the principles, practices and methods of requirements management and traceability in support of the Product Management teams and track and manage business outcomes; champion new products through the delivery of the future PRESTO vision through procurement and transition;
• Expert knowledge and experience, as reflected above using agile approaches and principles in the IT environment;
• Expert knowledge and understanding of advance procurement vehicles and their application to Vendor Management best practices for I&IT.
• Management and leadership skills to: manage a team of professionals; provide oversight/lead staff/teams across the organization on cross-functional program implementation initiatives;
• Knowledge of project management principles and practices to oversee projects and teams at a complex level that involve all forms of project delivery;
• Relationship management, partnership building, facilitation and persuasion skills and political acuity to: encourage collaboration and innovation with relevant stakeholders; act as an evangelist to get people behind the product vision; identify issues and engages the required stakeholders to reconcile conflicting priorities;
• Budgeting skills and experience to develop and manage budgets within budgetary limitations
• Interpersonal and oral/written/presentation skills to brief/update senior management, prepare project/program related reports and materials, deliver presentations and provide subject matter expertise to consultants, staff, and decision-makers.

Accommodation:

Accommodation will be provided throughout the hiring process, as required. Applicants must make their needs known in advance.

Application Process:

All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Metrolinx will be using email to communicate with you for all job competitions. It is your responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time sensitive correspondence, we recommend that you check your email regularly. If no response is received, we will assume you are no longer interested in pursuing the opportunity. Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any background information provided be misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, Metrolinx reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of your application.

Metrolinx employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in accordance with Metrolinx’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy as a condition of being eligible for the recruitment process. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required. If you are not able to obtain COVID-19 vaccination for a reason related to a protected ground of discrimination under applicable human rights legislation, you can request accommodation from Metrolinx.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

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