Sr. Manager - Supplier Engagement Office

Come make your difference in communities across Canada, where authenticity, trust and making connections is valued – as we shape the future of Canadian retail, together. Our unique position as one of the country's largest employers, coupled with our commitment to positively impact the lives of all Canadians, provides our colleagues a range of opportunities and experiences to help Canadians Live Life Well.

At Loblaw Companies Limited, we succeed through collaboration and commitment and set a high bar for ourselves and those around us. Whether you are just starting your career, re-entering the workforce, or looking for a new job, this is where you belong.

The Senior Manager, Supplier Engagement Office is a unique member of the Loblaw Sourcing team that is responsible for significant and broad trade and non-trade purchases for the enterprise. That includes everything from what a typical customer may purchase within one of our Grocery stores (apples, oranges, fresh meat etc.) to everything that the customer doesn’t buy (e.g. store supplies, IT & Supply Chain contracts etc.). We have a lot of suppliers, and this team is intended to add an element of structure, creativity and support to the Sourcing team and ultimately support them as the best buyers in Canada

Loblaw has a diverse range of suppliers from large multinational consumer packaged goods partners to local farms and specialized food businesses that customers have come to know and look for in our stores. We acknowledge that suppliers have unique opportunities and needs. The Senior Manager, Supplier Engagement Office will be responsible for executing and supporting these diverse communities with various programs and forums to drive effective partnerships.

This is a unique and multi-faceted role. As such, we are looking for a unique and multifaceted individual! You could be a retail professional with years in consumer-packaged goods companies that understand relationships between retailers and suppliers. You could be a longstanding colleague in Loblaw that knows our systems and processes and are eager to help new and existing suppliers. You could be a communication professional, a change agent, or even a department manager within a store! At the end of the day, you are service-oriented problem solver looking to make a positive impact and is excited to get to work!

What will I do?

• Oversee all communications to suppliers. Draft, review and guide internal stakeholders through the process to communicate important business-related information from process changes to policy updates to important announcements.
• Be the steward of the ‘voice of Loblaw’ to our supplier community. Ensure a consistent and appropriate tone is maintained and enhanced over time to increase engagement, understanding and positive relationships.
• Be the day-to-day owner of the communication calendar for suppliers. As the ‘Air Traffic Controller (“ATC”), ensure our timelines to communicate are maintained, our cadence of information sharing is consistent.
• Build a positive digital experience for suppliers via our Supplier Portal. Work diligently to ensure it is easy to use, maintain and evolve over time.
• Trusted advisor to supplier engagement roadmaps and plans including supplier tours and conference planning such as the supplier summit.
• Work closely with the Corporate Communication team to integrate with the overall communication roadmap and strategy while driving supplier focused interactions and storytelling.
• Cultivate strong relationships across all support verticals including the Finance (Procure-To-Pay) teams, GS1, EDI, Merchandising, Sourcing, Supply Chain etc.
• Freedom to make decisions within a decided-upon framework. This is meant to streamline operations, simplify red tape and generally .
• Serve with empathy and grace. This role requires one to have superior skills to serve and support our supplier community. Maintaining a healthy relationship built on trust and advocacy is imperative.
  
  

What skills and qualifications do I need?

• We are looking to create a high-performing, service-oriented team with a wide range of skills. The skills outlined below are the ones we are looking to fill the team with. Successful candidates will likely fit with several of the skills and qualifications and not all…and that is ok!
• Excellent communication skills. Both written, verbal and the ability to create robust and engaging PowerPoint presentations. Communication training is an asset.
• An aspect of this job is creating narratives and storylines to deliver key messages for leaders and across the broader team. Knowledge of PowerPoint and Word is a must with a particular skill in developed cohesive narratives.
• Customer service and relationship building skills are a core fundamental requirement. The ability to be authentic and trustworthy to deliver an exceptional experience to our supplier community is a must.
• Experience in retail, specifically sourcing and/or merchandising is an asset while experience working within Loblaw is a differentiating asset for this role. Specifically understanding the key processes that suppliers typically interact with such as onboarding, listing, inquiries etc.
• Years of proven experience solving problems through process review techniques, clarity of communication and general advocacy/influencing skills
• Bilingual – the ability to fluently communicate in French is an asset.
  
  

Our commitment to Sustainability and Social Impact is an essential part of the way we do business, and we focus our attention on areas where we can have the greatest impact. Our approach to sustainability and social impact is based on three pillars – Environment, Sourcing and Community – and we are constantly looking for ways to demonstrate leadership in these important areas. Our CORE Values – Care, Ownership, Respect and Excellence – guide all our decision-making and come to life through our Blue Culture. We offer our colleagues progressive careers, comprehensive training, flexibility, and other competitive benefits – these are some of the many reasons why we are one of Canada’s Top Employers, Canada’s Best Diversity Employers, Canada’s Greenest Employers & Canada’s Top Employers for Young People.

If you are unsure whether your experience matches every requirement above, we encourage you to apply anyway. We are looking for varied perspectives which include diverse experiences that we can add to our team.

We have a long-standing focus on diversity, equity and inclusion because we know it will make our company a better place to work and shop. We are committed to creating accessible environments for our colleagues, candidates and customers. Requests for accommodation due to a disability (which may be visible or invisible, temporary or permanent) can be made at any stage of application and employment. We encourage candidates to make their accommodation needs known so that we can provide equitable opportunities.

Please Note:

Candidates who are 18 years or older are required to complete a criminal background check. Details will be provided through the application process.

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