Director of Procurement & Auxiliary Services

Controller's Office Job Description

Job Summary

Manage all aspects of procurement operations for the College. Direct the evaluation, coordination and execution of major purchases including the negotiation of complex contracts. Partner with other institutions, leverage consortia and other relationships to secure best prices and terms for the college. Identify cost saving opportunities and validate the competitiveness of terms on contract renewals. Leverage technology and processes to optimize efficiencies and user experiences. Assess and implement college-wide policies, procedures, and programs for procurement. Administer the college procurement card program. Lead trainings and support community in procurement activities. Communicate and work with all levels of faculty and staff members. Manage auxiliary operations such as the bookstore and copy & print center.

Take appropriate actions to support a diverse workforce and participates in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Essential Functions

Procurement Operations (65%)

Plan and direct the purchasing function to meet college requirements and objectives; lead initiatives to control and avoid costs, continually improve the user experience for internal and external customers. Recommend, develop and implement appropriate procurement policies and procedures for the college; advise and train the college community in these practices.

Responsible for the administration and optimization of procurement technologies including: Workday, vendor “punchouts”, purchase card and other cloud and hosted systems. Negotiate contracts with vendors for college specific online product catalogs. Assess the need and potential efficiencies of expanding online vendors in Workday. Develop curricula, training programs, on-line resources, regulatory information, and job aids for campus regarding proper use of systems.

Partner with departments with decentralized purchasing processes (science center, facilities, e.g.) to support efficient procurement. Leverage technologies and process efficiencies to reduce duplicative efforts. This may include process change and centralization of administrative responsibilities for procurement tasks.

Lead and support the creation of RFPs on behalf of the college. Consult with managers to develop contract strategy, identify deliverables, activities and milestones of projects. Interview new vendors and establish guidelines for vendor participation in the bidding process. Prepare analysis and review results with managers to award bid. Execute the final contracts and review performance against terms.

Work with the controller to mitigate contract and vendor risk on behalf of the college; obtain the necessary legal advice on procurement contract issued. Oversee processes to insure that all vendors have submitted appropriate documentation to support tax compliance, export control, and appropriate insurance coverages.

Manage college relationship with a variety of consortia and collective purchasing organizations to leverage discounts (for example, Five Colleges Procurement group, Boston Consortium, Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium, etc.)
Supervise purchasing staff including coaching and mentoring, delivering constructive feedback, review timecards and complete performance evaluations.

Business Analysis (10%)

Review open purchase orders and commitments for completeness and accuracy. Ensure that appropriate authorizations and documentation are obtained for procurement activities. Track and report key functional metrics to reduce expenses and improve effectiveness. Review college contracts to ensure proper billing and reporting is maintained. Perform revenue, cost, and other analyses as necessary to assess contract efficiencies and renewals.

Vendor Assessment (10%)

Lead initiative to align procurement processes with the College’s commitment to equity and inclusion. Expand reporting to include spend by women, minority, and Black-owned businesses. Partner with departments who issue RFPs to include this information in the vendor selection process.

Evaluate the effectiveness of existing vendors and solicit new vendors as appropriate. Serve as a liaison between departments and vendors to ensure customer satisfaction and to resolve purchasing disputes.

Auxiliary Services (5%)

Directs the auxiliary services that report to the controller’s office: ensures that the copy center and bookstore locations are operating efficiently and are returning revenue to the college as appropriate. Oversee the operations and marketing of these services to ensure that these functions meet our campus needs.

Procurement Card (5%)

Responsible for all aspects of the college procurement card program including administration of procurement cards, spend and category limits. Develop policy recommendations; conduct individual audits of transaction activity and update participant applications and authorization files. Develop reports as required; ensure accuracy and timely submission of expense reports. Implement and develop training for procurement cards. Evaluate fee structures and optimize procurement card rebates annually. Prepare reports to evaluate and analyze spend for appropriateness and potential procurement savings.

Other Functions

General (5%)

Prepare reports for management, assist in special projects and other duties as assigned.

All employees are expected to participate in the College's efforts to create a respectful, inclusive, and welcoming work environment.

Minimum Qualifications (knowledge, skills, education, experience, certifications, licenses)

Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of five years’ experience in managing procurement operations and practices including contract negotiations or an equivalent combination of education/experience.

Experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications

An understanding of procurement regulations and contract law. Experience in the implementation of procurement catalogs and "punchouts". Advanced Degree and / or experience with Workday preferred.

Skills

Talent in negotiating and networking. Excellent organizational, interpersonal, written and oral communication, and administration skills. Strong analytical ability including data collection and evaluation using technologies such as Microsoft Excel. A demonstrated leader with skills in supervision, including the ability to mentor and lead staff. Excellent problem solving, project management, and decision making skills. Experience with diverse constituencies, balancing multiple priorities, and dealing with confidential and sensitive matters in a professional manner.

Please attach BOTH a current resume and a cover letter in order for your application to be considered for this position . You may combine your resume and cover letter into a single file or attach multiple files to your application, but BE SURE you have provided all attachments BEFORE SUBMITTING your application. You will NOT be able to attach additional files after you have hit the Submit button.

Review of applications will begin

February 22, 2021

Compensation Grade:

Grade G

Position Type:

Regular

About Smith College

Located in Northampton, MA, Smith College is one of the largest women’s colleges in the country and is dedicated to excellence in teaching and research across the liberal arts. A faculty of outstanding scholars interact with students in small classes, as advisors, and through student-faculty research projects. The College is a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst, Hampshire and Mt. Holyoke Colleges, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Students cross-enroll and faculty cross-teach across the Five Colleges.

Smith College is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression or veteran status in the recruitment and employment of faculty and staff, and the operation of any of its programs and activities, as specified by all applicable laws and regulations. Women, minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.