Department

F&A FIN - Procurement Services

About the Department

Procurement and Payment Services, located within Financial Services, partners with the campus community to ensure that all University procure-to-pay functions adhere to University policies, IRS regulations, and generally accepted standards. Procurement and Payment Services works with our customers to properly manage all aspects of the procure-to-pay cycle in a timely fashion to meet customer (supplier, faculty, and staff) needs and expectations.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Procurement and Payment Services, the Director, Procurement and Payment Services Solutions sets the strategic direction and continuous improvement strategy for the policies, processes and systems that support the University’s procure-to-pay activities.

Responsibilities

Leads and directs three distinct teams responsible for University-wide procure-to-pay systems, supplier management, and customer engagement.Responsible for the oversight and functional system administration of the procure-to-pay systems at the University including Oracle, Concur, PaymentWorks, Nimbello, eShipGlobal, OptiFreight, etc.Responsible for the University-wide supplier management strategies that meet the needs of the University community.Acts as a liaison between campus stakeholders, University technical functions, third-party software suppliers and the Procurement and Payment Services organization.Develops and maintains the procure-to-pay business continuity strategy and plans.Ensures all business processes are documented appropriately, executed, and contain appropriate controls.Identifies, evaluates, and creates strategy proposals for process and solution improvements that further the procurement and payment vision of the University.Provides project management support for new procure-to-pay initiatives.Coordinates and oversees the campus-wide spend management program including regular engagement with campus-unit partners.Supports the data analytics needs of the procurement category teams to drive results for the enterprise-wide strategic sourcing initiatives.Establishes and maintains productive working relationships with a variety of stakeholders including F&A leadership, campus stakeholders, external constituents and procurement and payment colleagues within the University and its affiliates including the Medical Center and National Laboratories.Provides quality assurance review, audit and reporting support for procure-to-pay processes, including cost containment, contracting, requisitioning, and disbursement.Leadsthe reporting aspects of the Procurement and Payment Services team including scorecard and operational reviews.Supports the Assistant Vice President, Procurement and Payment Services in identifying and implementing opportunities for continuous improvements in processes, systems, and procedures.Oversees and directs the teams responsible for the management of key categories of university-wide or enterprise-wide expenditures.Interfaces with senior/executive leadership internally and within our affiliates, external supplier organizations and civic or governmental bodies.Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 10+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in accounting, finance, or related area.Master's degree.

Experience:

A minimum of ten years of experience in a financial setting with a minimum of five years of experience in a managerial role.Strong project management experience including knowledge of implementation methodologies, project work planning and status reporting.Background in a not-for-profit higher education institution.

Certifications:

CPA or procurement/accounts payable certification.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

Familiarity with administrative processes, procedures, and systems within a university setting.Knowledge of ancillary procure-to-pay technology solutions that manage expense reporting, supplier onboarding, invoice automation and other key procure-to-pay functions.Demonstrated ability to use analytical techniques to reconcile financial data and review and process financial documents.Proficient working with invoice processing platforms and ERP systems, such as Oracle, Concur, Basware, or OCR Scanning.​Knowledge of interfaces between procure-to-pay applications and other financial systems.

Preferred Competencies

Demonstrated strong leadership experience.Proven history of creating and managing a performance-based, service first culture.Create and sustain an engaging, creative and growth-oriented employee experience.Thorough knowledge of procure-to-pay principles, practices and techniques.Proven ability to think strategically while planning, organizing, coordinating and directing multiple projects with varied requirements and deadlines in support of a complex agenda.

Application Documents

Resume/CV (required)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Financial Management

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$170,000.00 - $220,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

 

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