Manager – Purchasing

Position Summary

Purpose, Scope & Dimension of Job:

This position has two key purposes. First, the position provides leadership and supervision to the purchasing function which includes, in addition to purchasing, coordination with the Risk Manager of the Colleges general liability insurance and related risk management, and oversight of operational leases and contracts. Second, this position participates as a member of the Colleges management team to achieve the Colleges mission and goals and objectives.

As the leader of the purchasing operation, this position:

1. Develops and maintains an array of activities to ensure that purchases of goods and services made by the College are in compliance with Board policy and applicable law, obtaining goods and services at the least cost and highest quality.
2. Minimizes loss exposure by, among other things assessing risk and obtaining, appropriate liability coverages at competitive prices.
3. Creates and maintains a customer-focused culture in assigned areas of responsibility.
4. Ensures the creation and maintenance of operational leases and contracts which protect and advance the Colleges interests.

This is a working supervisor position. As such, it performs tasks identical to persons supervised and is the employee who primarily handles the general liability and leases and contracts functions.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position is the immediate supervisor of two (2) purchasing specialists.

Minimum Requirements

1. Education: Bachelors degree in business or a related field.
2. Experience: At least three years of hands-on experience in position(s) with responsibilities in procurement or supply chain management to include purchasing, contract services, accounting, budgeting, and insurance. Experience must include performing purchasing duties in an automated financial system.
3. One year of experience in a supervisory role which may be concurrent with requirement #2.
4. Strong oral and written communication skills; must be able to communicate in a clear, concise manner.
5. Strong interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to work with diverse groups of people. Must have the ability to work as a team member, foster a cooperative work environment and maintain effective supervisory relationships.
6. Demonstrated work history of providing high quality, proactive customer-oriented services including problem-solving orientation; strong listening skills; expertise in advising and consulting; history of coordinated work effort with extensive follow-through and follow-up; and experience identifying customer needs.
7. Strong analytical and documentation skills; attention to detail; experience assembling and presenting complex quantitative information.
8. Ability to appropriately use standard office productivity software as mandated by the College, such as MS Office.
9. Work history which demonstrates personal initiative in, and ownership of, assigned areas of responsibility as well as the proactive implementation of change.
10. Demonstrated project planning and management, time management, and priority setting skills. Demonstrated history of on-time delivery of projects, project coordination; and anticipation of issues.
11. Ability to work successfully in an environment without detailed direction and in the absence of work process documentation.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

1. Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) or Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)
2. Experience with Ellucian or similar systems
3. Higher Education experience