"Senior Procurement Project Manager - Organizational Effectiveness (Fixed-Term for 1 Year)"

NYU Abu Dhabi is pioneering a new model of higher education for a global world, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research and to advancing cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges.

Position Summary

Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Senior Procurement Project Manager, reporting to Senior Director, Portfolio Management.

NYU Abu Dhabi is undertaking strategic initiatives to optimize its finance, procurement, and logistics functions, aiming to enhance efficiency, customer service, compliance, coordination, and support the university’s strategic goals, sponsored by the Office of the COO at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD).

The Senior Procurement Project Manager will play a critical role in driving these improvements within the Procurement function, as part of a broader program of work. This position will be responsible for analyzing the current state of procurement operations, reviewing and documenting the current as-is state of business operations and processes and developing and recommending strategic and operational improvements aligned with best practices and the university's objectives, and assisting in the implementation of these changes, including the rollout of new service and procurement catalogs as well as and organizational structures.

The Senior Procurement Project Manager will work closely with the Office of the COO, Finance leadership, Head of Procurement and senior stakeholders across finance, procurement, IT, and other relevant departments to gain buy-in for proposed changes, provide subject matter expertise in procurement, and ensure successful delivery of program objectives that lead to a more efficient, effective, and strategically aligned procurement function. This role will be instrumental in bridging the gap between current state and the desired future state outlined in recent strategic reviews and proposed organizational structures.

A key responsibility of this role is to implement Procurement Business Partners within core business functions across the institution. This involves developing a thorough understanding of procurement needs and challenges, collaborating with Procurement colleagues to address these at all levels, and driving a 'customer first' culture in the design, development, and implementation of improvements across Procurement teams and services.

Ideal candidates for the Senior Procurement Project Manager will have either senior-level experience within a procurement function or practical consulting experience at a leading management consultancy.

The Senior Procurement Project Manager will report functionally to the Senior Director of Organizational Effectiveness and administratively to the Senior Director, Portfolio Management.

Job Responsibilities:

• Analyze current procurement processes, policies, and systems to identify inefficiencies, gaps, and areas for improvement, considering community feedback and alignment with best practices. This includes documenting the 'As Is' state and capturing challenges from a user perspective as well as the development and publication of Procurement and Service Catalogs
• Develop and document recommended improvements to procurement strategies, organizational structures, processes policies, and systems to support the proposed Procurement and Service Catalogs, and aligned with NYUAD's strategic goals, and priorities for the Procurement dept as well as benchmark data. This involves designing the 'To Be' state and obtaining buy-in from senior stakeholders as well as introducing the concept of Procurement Business Partners and introducing a ‘customer first’ continuous service improvement model
• Assist in the implementation of approved procurement improvements, working with technical and functional SMEs from IT, Finance, and other departments to ensure a smooth and seamless transition into operations. This may include supporting the configuration and rollout of ServiceNow and iBuy, establishing new organizational structures, revising job descriptions and implementing new processes
• Provide expert advice and guidance on procurement best practices, supporting the development of standardized templates, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), and Operational Level Agreements (OLAs) to improve service delivery and clarify responsibilities
• Facilitate meetings and workshops with stakeholders to gather information, validate findings, and ensure alignment on proposed changes
• Identify and manage risks and issues associated with the procurement improvement program, escalating as necessary and proposing mitigation strategies

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, or equivalent (CIPS)
• Project Management Professional PMP or equivalent

Required Experience:

• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive experience in procurement, supply chain management, or a related consulting role
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing procurement improvement projects and programs
• Experience in analyzing complex procurement processes and developing strategic recommendations
• Working experience implementing procurement technologies and systems e.g. e-procurement platforms like Jagger/iBuy
• Strong experience in engaging with and presenting to senior stakeholders
• Experience within a higher education or similar complex, multi-stakeholder environment
• Experience in designing and implementing Service Catalogs or similar service delivery frameworks
• Experience with change management methodologies and tools
• Experience with data analysis and reporting related to procurement performance

Preferred Education:

• Master's degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
• iBuy or Jagger certification
• Business Analysis certifications

Preferred Experience:

• At least 5 years experience delivering or supporting business analysis, process improvement/optimization projects
• At least 5 years experience presenting to senior stakeholders
• At least 5 years experience in designing, developing and implementing Service Catalogs
• Deep understanding of procurement best practices, sourcing methodologies, contract management, and supplier relationship management
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills
• Excellent documentation, communication (written and verbal), and presentation skills
• Strong collaboration and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across different teams and levels of the organization
• Project management skills, including the ability to develop and manage project plans, timelines, and resources
• Working knowledge of Enterprise Procurement and/or Finance systems
• Experience delivering process and service improvement projects on procurement enterprise systems.
• Ability to successfully propose solutions and options to senior stakeholders for approval
• Ability to build and analyze datasets and reporting dashboards