Associate Director, Procurement Services

Princeton University’s Office of Finance and Treasury seeks an exceptional and accomplished procurement leader to manage a team of five procurement specialists and lead campus-wide efforts to enhance procurement processes and compliance.  As a leader within the central Procurement Services function, the Associate Director drives Source-to-Pay process optimization across the University, navigating the complexities of business strategy, regulatory compliance, and process efficiency. As such, this role requires an individual with exceptional skill, talent, and integrity.

As a leader in research and education, Princeton University receives funding from a variety of sources including federal contracts and grants subject to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Uniform Guidance (UG).  With a substantial and growing portfolio of federal government contracts, this role leads the interpretation of Finance and Treasury and related procurement policies and establishes University-wide processes to ensure compliance with federal regulations.

With responsibilities for strategic initiatives, the Associate Director is expected to be a trusted advisor to academic and administrative leaders.  Supporting hundreds of campus departments, the Associate Director creates the policies, processes, and culture to ensure their team provides exceptional and valued service across any procurement category for any department.  Success will require incredible individual talent and experience, leadership skills to manage staff and influence stakeholders, and the collaboration skills to deliver results for complex and nuanced challenges across the entire Source-to-Pay lifecycle.  

The Office of Finance & Treasury actively searches for staff members of exceptional ability and promise who share in Princeton University's commitment to excellence, and who present a wide range of viewpoints and cultures. We offer varied professional opportunities spanning all aspects of financial management, analysis, and processing in support of the teaching and research mission. As part of the University community, we respect the dignity and individuality of each member while trying to foster a sense of shared experience and common purpose. We are unwavering in our commitment to community and embrace the variety of talents, backgrounds, and perspectives of all of our colleagues.

Process management and compliance 

• As the functional lead on FAR and Uniform Guidance, establish relationships with stakeholders and decision makers across the University to establish and manage compliant procurement processes.
• Navigate interdepartmental touchpoints to optimize procurement lifecycle activities in consideration of administrative efficiency, regulatory compliance, and value creation.
• Lead University-wide communications and work groups to promote procurement best practices
• Drive process improvements via the appropriate analytics and reports.
• In partnership with technology and functional business partners, lead the identification and prioritization of procurement system issues and enhancements.

Coaching and development of staff 

• Leads, coaches, and develops staff to excel in a dynamic, complex, and demanding environment supporting the University’s world class research and education mission.
• Implement processes and controls to improve service and reduce effort for all stakeholders across the University’s Source-to-Pay process.
• Provide guidance and direction to staff to resolve ambiguous or challenging situations while also providing opportunities to develop capabilities and skills and ensure standardization across University policies and critical business processes.

Operational Responsibilities 

• Create the necessary processes to ensure high value requisitions created within the University’s e-Procurement system are evaluated and approved efficiently, effectively, and in compliance with regulation and policy.
• In collaboration with Category Managers and Contracts Managers, ensure the portfolio of procurement-managed contracts and sourcing event assignments are distributed and managed appropriately and effectively across the organization.
• Develop and execute Requests for Information (RFI) and Requests for Proposal (RFP) resulting from campus requests, category strategies, and opportunities derived from analytics and insights.
• Negotiate and develop contracts to ensure optimal value and risk mitigation while meeting the needs and requirements of campus stakeholders.
• Manage the Procurement Services year end activities including delivering info session materials and coordinating with internal and campus departments to resolve issues which would impact the financial close process.
• Manage the Procurement training curriculum to include leading the development and delivery of procurement content while developing the capabilities of each member of the buyer team to deliver the content.

Essential Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate experience in a relevant field
• 7-10 years’ experience in sourcing, contracting, or procurement
• Leadership experience in procurement with fluency across the entire Source-to-Pay lifecycle
• Experience with Federal Acquisition Regulations and/or Uniform Guidance
• Ability to navigate a wide variety of challenging procurement situations while demonstrating composure, balance, and judgment in the solutioning process
• Strong conceptual thinking and analytical skills with the ability to implement process improvements and guide others through ambiguous and/or complex situations
• Excellent interpersonal and influencing skills and ability to build effective relationships with diverse stakeholders
• Excellent procurement skills including sourcing, negotiations, contracting, and source-to-pay lifecycle improvements with the ability to communicate the benefits of best practice processes across a range of stakeholders
• Experience with leveraging the capabilities of an eProcurement solution
• Excellent skills with Microsoft Office Tools (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree
• CPM or CPSM certification
• Experience with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFAR) and/or the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS)
• Experience with international procurements such as via European Union Directive 2014/24/EU
• Experience with international fulfillment process including the use of Incoterms
• Procurement leadership experience in a federally funded higher education or research institution
• Procurement transformation experience

Princeton University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.  

The University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position, candidate's qualifications, work experience, education/training, key skills, market, collective bargaining agreements as applicable, and organizational considerations when extending an offer. The posted salary range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate for a full-time position; salaries for part-time positions are pro-rated accordingly.

If the salary range on the posted position shows an hourly rate, this is the baseline; the actual hourly rate may be higher, depending on the position and factors listed above.

The University also offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees. Please see this link for more information.