Chief Procurement Officer

The Procurement, Contracts, and Materials Management department is seeking a Chief Procurement Officer. This is a full-time (1.0 FTE),12-month, professional faculty position.

Building on 150 years as Oregon’s land grant institution, Oregon State University (OSU) serves the state, the nation and the world as a premier 21st-century research university. We go wherever the challenges are, push ourselves to the very edge of what’s known and keep going. We are determined to forge solutions. We are diverse and welcoming. We embrace our responsibility to Oregon and the world, building a future that’s smarter, healthier, more prosperous and more just. We see what could be and have worked relentlessly for 150 years to make it so.

As a land grant institution committed to teaching, research, and outreach and engagement, Oregon State University promotes economic, social, cultural, and environmental progress for the people of Oregon, the nation, and the world.

The Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), reporting to the Senior Associate Vice President for Administration (SAVPA), is responsible for the strategic vision, leadership, planning, and management of the purchasing and materials management functions of the entire university and oversees the execution of daily work in Procurement, Contracts and Materials Management, including budget authority over department expenditures, and supervision of unit head staff.

The CPO is responsible for the development of value-added business processes, including enabling an efficient procure to pay process flow, optimizing cost savings on purchases, facilitating the business contract programs and efficient materials management.

This position is expected to develop and implement short and long-term strategies to proactively maximize the use of university resources with a visionary and continuous improvement mindset, including, but not limited to, effective contracting, efficient sourcing and supply management, and detailed spend analytics. The CPO is expected to continually look for ways to streamline and eliminate unnecessary or redundant business processes. The CPO will work to enhance equity and inclusion goals in hiring, business process, and supplier diversity.

The CPO is responsible for ensuring proper use of university resources and the adequacy of internal controls related to contracting and procurement. The CPO establishes and maintains consistent and compliant contracting policies, procedures and guidelines across the institution and must have an understanding of public university finance and budgeting, as well as a thorough understanding of policy, practice, administrative rules, and applicable state and federal law. The CPO is expected to keep abreast of any changes that affect the university concerning contracting and procurement, and to inform or otherwise provide training to their staff and other stakeholders.

A division within the CPO span of control is Contract Services which reviews and executes contracts when OSU is: providing services; granting access to OSU equipment or land; establishing internships, student abroad and exchange programs; receiving donations or sponsorships; or entering into athletic agreements.

The CPO also drafts and negotiates a wide variety of sensitive and high-level university contracts and partners with General Counsel and senior leadership on university initiatives. On behalf of the university, this position will lead outreach to campus stakeholders, peer agencies, and the regional business community, including historically disadvantaged business entities, and ensure access to university business opportunities. This position will serve on the SAVPA’s Leadership Team and be involved with strategic decision making that helps to shape the unit while ensuring the services and programs provided to the university align with our mission and strategic plan 4.0.

To be successful in this role the CPO must demonstrate:

• Leadership and interpersonal skills, including the capacity to foster constructive outcomes in a complex environment involving an array of distinct stakeholders from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience in the development of policies that direct the conduct of contracting and procurement processes to eliminate bias and barriers for businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans and emerging small businesses to procure goods and services development.
• Extensive experience and ability, at management level in a strategic, procurement and contract management function
• Effective change management leadership.
• Ability to identify and predict real potential long-term implications of policy decisions concerning, contracting and procurement.
• Experience fostering inclusive excellence to enable success for people from diverse backgrounds, while looking to diversity as a source of enrichment and strength.
• Listening skills and the ability to interpret the needs of units and departments across campus to ensure their procurement needs are met.
• High ethical standards, mature judgment, and discretion.
• High standards of accuracy and precision and be highly organized.
• Ability to establish credibility and influence across the organization.
• Ability to foster a culture where creative solutions are encouraged, explored and evaluated.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• The ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships across a wide stakeholder group.
• The ability to prioritize workload and proactively manage expectations in relation to agreed deliverables, even when faced with competing priorities.

Position Duties

45% Program Leadership

Builds effective relationships with university partners across the university community. Develops and maintains relationships with departments for purposes of gathering, analyzing and conveying information to support contract management and strategic sourcing efforts. Plans and conducts strategic sourcing process on defined opportunities, and engages key stakeholders in the process to meet departmental procurement needs. Maintains deep category expertise through understanding and application of industry developments, marketplace trends, emerging technology, new techniques, leading practices, and shared experiences. Measures and reports benefits delivered through strategic sourcing and ongoing contract management activities.

Provides leadership for the development of sourcing and procurement strategies resulting in effective agreements, cost savings, and process improvements that move the university forward. Leads the development of and maintains strategic sourcing plans that coordinate the sourcing and contract management activities within assigned categories to deliver targeted benefits.

Provides subject matter expertise to university leadership and community on compliance and best practices in procurement, contracting, and materials management, including compliance with federal, state and university regulations, rules and policies pertaining to procurement, contracting and agreements. Maintains knowledge of professional purchasing, contracting, and materials management. Leads the development of and application of process improvement strategies to assess and improve efficiency of systems, enhance performance, or reduce costs, including consistent application of policies and implementation of new technologies, policies and procedures as needed.

Stay abreast of continually changing industry conditions. Partners with OSU General Counsel and Risk Management to develop solutions to complex issues and assess risks to the university. Maintains contract signature authority as delegated by the President or Vice President for Finance and Administration. Sub-delegate contract signature authority as appropriate. Reviews and authorizes projects, responses to audit recommendations and university reports. Works with Financial Accounting and Analysis and Office of Audit Services to ensure adequate controls are in place and conform to purchasing, contracting, and surplus property regulations, rules policies, procedures, practices and systems. Strategizes potential for technology upgrades and streamlining processes.

40% Department Leadership

Oversees the execution of daily operations of the university’s in purchasing, contracting, and materials management functions to ensure timely, accurate, and service-oriented support to the campus, in compliance with relevant policies.

Anticipates business partner’s needs and regularly motivates or influences others to reach alignment. Demonstrates advanced interpersonal and communication skills to establish and maintain internal and external relationships. Explores alternatives and creative solutions towards meeting the needs of our business partners. May troubleshoot sensitive or confidential matters. Identifies barriers to effective service and sets service standards. Personally ensures problem resolution.

Develops, motivates, and empowers work teams to ensure the achievement of high standard delivery outcomes and continuous improvement. Evaluates practices and operations to ensure optimal overall effectiveness. Resolves major contract issues and vendor protests. Provides departments with guidance when assessing risk to enable them to make informed business decisions. Directs Materials Management by ensuring maximum retained value to university through the Surplus program and maximum reuse and/or recycling of materials through Campus Recycling. As a self-sustaining service center, manage the departmental operations, budget, fee structure and expenditures ensuring adequate cost recovery to effectively sustain the program. Exercises fiscal accountability through projecting department budgets and authorizing expenditures. Directs the decision-making process by developing, analyzing and evaluating OSU Standards for Procurement, policies and procedural changes transferring broad policies into operational plans of action and resolving operational and administrative challenges. Interprets policies, procedures, rules and regulations to develop determinations as provided through the authority of the university CPO.

Supervises professional staff including hiring/firing, planning, assigning and approving work, performance coaching and goal-setting, and preparing and providing annual performance evaluations.

15% Organizational Outreach, Engagement and Other Duties

Participates as a key stakeholder or subject matter expert on university wide initiatives and collaborations. For example, serving on a search or as a search advocate on searches outside unit, serving on a workgroup to further an IT Technology Solution or enhance a business process. Other duties as assigned by the SAVPA.

Minimum/Required Qualifications           

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or other related field required.

Seven years’ experience negotiating contracts and procurements and/or seven years’ experience drafting complex contracts and procurements.

Five years’ experience managing, directing, and coordinating the workload and work product of others to strategic outcomes.

A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per OSU Standard 576-055-0000 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

Preferred (Special) Qualifications             

Experience in the development of policies that direct the conduct of contracting and procurement processes to eliminate bias and barriers for businesses owned by minorities, women, and veterans and emerging small businesses to procure goods and services development.

Experience managing federally funded procurements.

Experience working with Oregon State law and federal regulations, including public procurement laws.

Experience (at least three years) Governmental and/or Higher Education procurement and contracting experience

Experience providing training on contracting and procurement regulations and policies to diverse audiences.

Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP) or other industry recognized professional certification in procurement, contracting, or supply chain management.

Working Conditions / Work Schedule   

Oregon State University is following physical distancing directives form state and local governments as part of the collective effort of combat the spread of COVID-19. Onsite work in the interim will vary for units and for specific positions and will be discussed with your supervisor.

In normal conditions, this position will work within an office environment and may be expected at times to work after hours to complete projects and/or meet objectives. The CPO will interact and communicate with faculty and staff in person, by phone, via email and/or virtually.

Oregon State University offers a competitive benefits package which includes a generous employer contribution of 95% of the premium costs of medical, dental, vision and employee basic life insurance. Employees also have the option of enrolling in additional employee life or dependent life insurance, short term and long-term disability insurance plans, long term care insurance and Flexible Spending Accounts. OSU provides two retirement plan programs for Professional Faulty which include employer-paid retirement contributions in addition to optional 403b and 457 deferred compensation retirement benefits.

Professional Faculty positions will receive 15 hours of vacation leave and eight hours of sick leave each month (prorated based on FTE). Employees receive nine paid holidays and one floating holiday each year.

OSU also offers a wonderful tuition reduction benefit that can be passed on to taxable dependents and is recognized at any of the seven state Oregon universities. 

Additional information regarding benefits offered by OSU can be found on the benefits page for New Employees and the Faculty (Unclassified) benefits page. When reviewing benefits, please note this position is designated as Unclassified Professional Faculty.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per OSU Standard 576-055-0000 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months. Offers of employment are contingent upon meeting all minimum qualifications including the criminal history check requirement.

Diversity Statement

OSU commits to inclusive excellence by advancing equity and diversity in all that we do. We are an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, and particularly encourage applications from members of historically underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, women, individuals with disabilities, veterans, LGBTQ community members, and others who demonstrate the ability to help us achieve our vision of a diverse and inclusive community