Procurement assistant Jobs in Ottawa, ON

Fasken is a leading international business law and litigation firm, and was voted one of Canada’s Best Employers for 2024. Our firm’s 900 lawyers are located across offices in Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal, Québec City, London and Johannesburg and an office in the professional and retail district known as Taza (/Ta-Zah/) on Tsuut’ina lands. Providing strategic and thoughtful advice in all areas of business law, our broad range of clients include close to half of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as corporate clients, government agencies, regulatory authorities, non-profit bodies and individuals.

Our clients’ interests are paramount in all that we do and we take pride in supporting our communities. We are a place where bright, talented, and collegial people want to work together and we work hard together to achieve our goals in a collaborative and efficient way.

Director, Procurement – Canada

Position Overview

The Director of Procurement is a leadership role responsible for developing, executing, and governing a comprehensive procurement strategy for the largest law firm in Canada. This role oversees and supports coordination of all sourcing, purchasing, vendor management, and contract negotiations across the firm. The Director of Procurement ensures that procurement activities are efficient, cost effective, compliant, strategic, and aligned with the firm’s business objectives.

As a trusted advisor to senior leadership, the Director leads a matrixed procurement function and partners closely with Finance, Technology, Facilities, Operations, HR, Legal Risk and Compliance, and other business services functions to drive value, manage risk, and elevate procurement maturity across the enterprise.

Work Environment

As part of the Firm-wide team, this role can be located in any of the Canadian cities that Fasken has offices (Vancouver, Surrey, Calgary, Tsuut’ina Nations, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City). This role will be hybrid with occasional requirements as per business needs for onsite office collaboration and support. The successful candidate must live near their regional office and be able to commute to the office as often as required.

For Indigenous candidates interested in employment on-reserve, there may be an opportunity at Fasken to do so at our Alberta office situated on , west of Calgary. Such candidates are encouraged to speak to Human Resources during the interview process to obtain additional information.

This role is not overtime eligible and some flexibility will be required within the Firm's core business hours to meet the needs of the department and other region’s time zones. Some business related travel could be required to other offices from time to time.

To us, success means:

• Having a strong client service approach – you’re ready, willing, and able to put our clients first and exceed their expectations.
• Caring about one another – you possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build harmonious working relationships within your immediate team, across other departments in the Firm, and the community.
• Working collaboratively – you’re a self starter who values working in a collaborative team based environment.
• Possessing exceptional communication skills (both verbal and written) when dealing with lawyers, clients, staff and third parties.
• Approaching your work with agility and the willingness to learn and utilise new technology.
• Being adaptable to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment while being organized and maintaining accuracy with a high attention to detail.
• Demonstrating strong research, investigative and problem solving skills with the ability to exercise judgement to resolve issues.
• Treating sensitive and confidential matters with discretion and diplomacy at all times.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and execute a firm wide procurement strategy that supports long term operational and financial objectives.
• Establish procurement policies, governance, and best practices tailored for a multi office, professional services environment.
• Lead strategic sourcing initiatives to drive cost savings, service excellence, and supplier innovation.
• Serve as the firm’s senior subject matter expert on procurement trends, market intelligence, risk mitigation, and purchasing best practices.

Procurement Operations Management

• Oversee procurement processes including sourcing, RFPs, bids, contract reviews, purchase orders, renewals, and vendor performance.
• Define standards and KPIs for category management, supplier performance measurement, and compliance monitoring.
• Implement tools and workflows to improve spend visibility, lifecycle management, and automation opportunities.
• Ensure procurement practices comply with regulatory requirements, privacy standards, and internal risk controls.

Vendor & Contract Management

• Lead negotiations for complex, high value contracts across technology, services, facilities, marketing, and operational categories.
• Build strong, strategic relationships with key vendors to optimize service delivery, drive continuous improvement, and manage performance issues.
• Partner with Legal and Finance to manage contractual risk, service level agreements, and cost structures.

Financial & Risk Management

• Collaborate with Finance on budgeting, forecasting, spend management, and savings targets.
• Proactively identify cost reduction opportunities while maintaining quality and service standards.
• Evaluate supplier risk and implement mitigation strategies for critical vendor dependencies.

Team Leadership & Cross Firm Partnership

• Lead a high performing procurement function with resources embedded across functions and offices.
• Promote a culture of collaboration, transparency, accountability, and service excellence.
• Educate internal stakeholders on procurement processes and act as a strategic partner to business units across the firm.

Skills and Competencies

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Finance, or a related field; a Master’s degree or professional certification (e.g., CPSM, CPP, PMP) is preferred.
• Extensive experience in procurement leadership, strategic sourcing, and supplier management within large professional services or corporate environments.
• Strong understanding of procurement processes, global sourcing strategies, and contract negotiation.
• Demonstrated expertise in budgeting, cost analysis, and financial planning.
• Proven ability to lead complex procurement initiatives, including change management and stakeholder engagement.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong strategic thinking with the ability to influence decisions at senior leadership levels.
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Deep understanding of procurement best practices, vendor governance, and risk management.
• Analytical mindset with the ability to leverage data for decision making and performance optimization.
• Leadership capabilities that foster team development and cross functional collaboration.
• High degree of professionalism, discretion, and judgment required within a legal services environment.
• Strong bilingual communication skills both orally and in writing (English and French) is considered beneficial.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Achievement of annual savings and cost avoidance targets
• Procurement process adoption and compliance across the firm
• Supplier performance and risk management outcomes
• Quality, timeliness, and value of negotiated contracts
• Stakeholder satisfaction and internal partnership effectiveness
• Team performance and capability growth

Candidates who do not meet all the listed requirements are still encouraged to apply, as diverse experiences and perspectives are valued.

Reporting Structure

• This role reports to the Chief Administrative Officer.

What we offer:

Join our friendly, collaborative and rewarding work environment where your professional development is supported, and your contributions are encouraged and valued. In a full-time, permanent role, we offer the following:

• A competitive total compensation package
• Flexible medical and dental benefits, including telemedicine services
• Hybrid work flexibility
• Short and long term disability insurance
• Employee and family assistance program (EFAP)
• Group retirement savings plan with matching contributions
• Paid vacation and sick days
• Personal days
• Wellness Subsidy and educational reimbursement
• Maternity/parental leave top up
• Employee referral program
• Firm paid professional memberships related and required by role
• Opportunities to give back to your community through Firm initiatives

Diversity and Inclusion

At Fasken we believe a diverse workplace comprises individuals with unique backgrounds, characteristics and qualities. An inclusive workplace creates an equitable environment where individuals are respected and where they are welcome. Fasken is committed to diversity and inclusion in all that we do.

Accessibility and Accommodation

It is important to our Firm that all its members, including those with disabilities, find our workplace to be welcoming and supportive. Reasonable accommodations are available on request for candidates with disabilities taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

Compensation

The typical salary range for this position is $130K - $165K annually; the base pay offered is based on location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, internal and market equity.

Background and Reference Checks

Any offer of employment may be conditional upon full background checks including a criminal record check, a credit check, employment and educational verification.