Strategic Partnerships and Vendor Management Advisor

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Payments Canada seeks a Strategic Partnerships and Vendor Management Advisor to lead the delivery pillar and shape key partnerships for a multibillion-dollar payments ecosystem. Reporting to the Chief Delivery Officer, you will own strategic partner development, contract negotiations, vendor management lifecycle, risk controls, KPI tracking and collaboration with legal and regulatory teams. The ideal candidate brings 15+ years of leadership, deep payments knowledge, strong negotiation skills and a proven track record with large contracts. The role is hybrid in Toronto with a competitive package and a starting salary around 191,250. To apply, tailor your resume to show major partnerships and outcomes, align with our values Inspire trust, build community and enable change, and submit by August 21, 2026.

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Payments Canada is at the forefront of the Canadian payment ecosystem. Our purpose is to make payments easier, smarter and safer for all Canadians. Every day we are working diligently to ensure your payments are cleared and settled. In 2025 alone, our systems cleared approximately $103 trillion or $411.9 billion every business day! If you are passionate about payments and want to help ensure that these financial transactions in Canada are carried out safely and securely, working with us is for you!
| Who we are
We are a public purpose, non-profit organization situated at the center of Canada’s payment ecosystem. We own and operate payment systems that process hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of payment transactions every business day. We convene ecosystem participants to discuss their multiple and diverse interests and ideas and to navigate industry-level challenges. We adhere to a set of values that are our north star:
Inspire trust, build community and enable change.
Payments Canada — where our country connects
| Our culture
With our people in mind, we have created a culture that fosters authenticity, collaboration, innovation and development. We empower one another, make meaningful contributions that not only impact the organization, but our country! We develop and nurture meaningful connections that drive innovation in our ecosystem. We are Payments Canada!
Do you want to make payments easier, smarter and safer for Canada? Join us today!
You need to work here if
• You love working with passionate, ambitious and collaborative colleagues.
• You want to be challenged and lead unique initiatives.
• You want to grow, develop and become a subject matter expert in your field.
• You want your work to make an impact in your community and country.
Come and join us — where payments meet purpose!


| What we are looking for
Reporting to the Chief Delivery Officer, the Strategic Partnerships and Vendor Management Advisor will be responsible for the visionary leadership and direction of the Strategic Partnerships and Vendor Management team. The Strategic Partnerships and Vendor Management Advisor is a member of the Operational Leadership Team (OLT) and works closely with other senior leaders within Payments Canada to deliver on its mandate. The Strategic Partnerships and Vendor Management Advisor plays a critical role within the delivery pillar of the organization and is responsible for the development and management of critical partnerships that support both the delivery function and Payments Canada at large. The delivery pillar is responsible to provide centre of excellence services (COE) for Payments Canada.
Responsibilities of the position will include:
Strategic Partnership Management
• Identify potential strategic partners and build relationships to determine mutually beneficial opportunities.
• Works closely with the organization's legal department to develop proposals, oversee preparation, and monitor progress of contract negotiations.
• Lead and manage multi-million-dollar contract negotiation agreements and execute partnership agreements.
• Implement strategies/processes/procedures to ensure contract compliance between Payments Canada and service providers.
• Assess and manage risks associated with vendor relationships and strategic initiatives.
• Develop contingency plans to address potential disruptions to the supply chain or business operations.
• Partner with executives and other internal stakeholders to develop and execute strategy to manage program delivery capacity planning, and on-going management.
• Measure progress of partnerships against clearly defined goals, KPI and KPRs.
• Conduct strategic opportunity assessments & external benchmarking to determine SI’s capabilities to achieve business objectives.

Vendor Management
• Develop and oversee the vendor management function strategy, create the framework, support and build up the vendor management roadmap, and initiative work plans.
• Develop and manage budgets related to vendor relationships and strategic initiative.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and implement measures to optimize expenses.
• Oversee the development and maintenance of the vendor management program which includes necessary processes, tools, guidelines, reporting, and continuous improvement activities.
• Collaborate with business and vendor leadership teams as a strategic partner to provide in-depth vendor expertise in support of business decisions.
• Accountable for the establishment and maintenance of the effective design and execution of vendor performance related controls.
• Oversee vendor relationships across the organization and ensure the relationships contribute to the overall financial health of the organization.

Internal and External Stakeholder Relationships
• Work closely with internal Executives to provide strategic visioning on the future direction for Payments Canada in alignment with the organization’s overall mandate.
• Play a business interface role between leadership, members, Bank of Canada and other external stakeholders.
• Establish effective processes to brief the Chief Delivery Officer and the Executive Leadership Team (ELT) on a regular basis, providing regular updates and strategic recommendations.
• Act as an ambassador for Payments Canada within the payments ecosystem and represent the organization in external meetings and forums.
• Attend select committees as required to provide information, including the Board and its subcommittees, Member Advisory Council (MAC) and Stakeholder Advisory Council (SAC).
• Oversee and facilitate collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to achieve desired outcomes within the Delivery pillar.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with regulators, members, external stakeholders, public authorities, and domestic/international counterparts.
• Work collaboratively with relevant Payments Canada stakeholders to provide government relationship building guidance, advice and support to ELT, core operations, Modernization, operational committees, and Advisory councils (as required).

Leadership, People and Team Development
• Develop, implement, and maintain a divisional strategy in line with the organizational strategy, designed to enhance or reliably sustain existing services over the longer term, and to proactively identify opportunities for new or amended services.
• Attract and retain professionals with the skill sets and competencies needed to deliver Payments Canada’s strategic priorities.
• Provide strong leadership to the divisional team, ensuring the necessary tools and support are in place to enable the team to be successful.
• Monitor and measure performance of divisional goals against Payments Canada’s strategic goals, as well as plans in support of the corporate scorecard.
• Responsible and accountable for all aspects of the talent management cycle (i.e., workforce planning, recruitment, performance management, staff development, succession planning) for the team, including developing group and individual development plans for team members to support a culture of continuous learning and development.
• Provide leadership to the team through the creation of a compelling vision and ensure that the necessary tools and support are in place to enable the team to succeed.
• Establish and operate within budget and ensure compliance with budgetary and financial administration requirements.
• Champion the Payments Canada culture and encourage an open and energetic working environment and, by example, demonstrate that the team supports the entire organization to meet internal/external objectives.

| What you need to be successful
• Bachelor’s degree with major course work in business, supply chain management or related field; MBA or advanced degree in a related field is considered an asset.
• Minimum of fifteen years’ of progressive leadership experience, leading teams in a complex and multifunctional environment.
• Strong understanding of payment systems, financial services technology and in-depth knowledge of national clearing and settlement systems.
• Excellent contract negotiation skills combined with the ability to understand and interpret contractual terms and conditions.
• Relevant experience in development and maintenance of strategic partnerships.
• Experience in the oversight of contract management & vendor management life cycle.
• Superior communication skills, oral and written; the ability to convey complex information and concepts in easily understood terms to business stakeholders.
• Proven demonstration of experience in managing various stakeholders with competing priorities.
Capabilities
• Builds a continuous learning and development environment.
• Demonstrates confidence in the face of authority.
• Formulates broad strategies on multi-dimensional strategic issues.
• Makes complex decisions in the face of ambiguity.
• Understands and uses organizational politics, issues and external influences.
• Designs and coordinates improvements in complex systems.
• Demonstrated ability to influence.

| Salary range
Our target starting rate for this role is $191,250 with flexibility based on your experience and qualifications. The full salary range and benefits package are detailed below.
Please submit your application by August 21, 2026.


| What's in it for you?
• Flexible, hybrid (remote/office) environment.
• Competitive compensation package, including annual variable bonus and defined contribution pension plan with employer matching percentage (if eligible).
• Comprehensive health and dental benefit coverage, including mental health coverage, life insurance and a health spending account for you and your dependents (Permanent and temporary employees with contracts 12 months and over).
• Paid time off: minimum four weeks paid vacation, sick and personal days, December holiday shutdown and cultural holiday observance days.
• 26 weeks of paid maternity and parental leave top-up (if eligible)
• Rewards and recognition program.
• Access to office gym facilities.
• Internal and external professional development opportunities.
• Fun team and organizational events.
• Monthly all staff forums led by our Executive Leadership Team.

| Our Commitment to Fair Hiring
At Payments Canada, we are dedicated to fair, transparent and inclusive hiring. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. Our recruitment process uses automated tools, but not generative AI, to objectively screen and evaluate applications and confirm that a candidate’s qualifications meet job requirements.
It is important to remember that these tools support, but do not replace, human decision-making. Our trained recruitment professionals and hiring managers always make the final hiring decisions.
| Our diversity, inclusion and equity commitment
At Payments Canada, we are committed to making everyone feel they can be themselves and thrive at work. We will continue to build on a foundation of respect and appreciation for diversity in all forms and collectively create an inclusive and equitable culture where our differences are valued.
We are committed to employment equity and actively encourage applications from women, Aboriginal people, persons with disabilities and visible minorities. If selected for an interview, please advise us if you require special accommodation by emailing [email protected].
We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity. Preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Only selected candidates will be contacted for an interview.