Procurement Officer

24264BR

Procurement Services

Position Overview

This position is an unclassified, FLSA-exempt (salary) position that reports to the Associate Director of Procurement Services. This position will work with the Information Technology category and, to a lesser extent, may engage with a variety of one or more specific commodities at the University of Kansas, such as; Scientific Supplies, Capital Construction, Consulting Services, Risk Management, leasing, or selling of property or other Higher Education or University Research related products. Responsibilities will include the execution, support, or oversight of the following work streams – procurement liaison for the University of Kansas Information Technology department, supplier performance, determination of customer needs, cost analysis, strategic sourcing activities, vendor negotiations, contract creation, implementation, and auditing.

Job Description

30% Works collaboratively with suppliers and customer stakeholders to identify and execute ongoing cost and performance improvement strategies through solicitations and supplier management. Works collaboratively with customers to understand demand behavior, specification requirements, and product/service needs. Works collaboratively with the procurement management team to drive and communicate progress.  This includes but is not limited to the following:

• Analyzes and identifies opportunities for campus-wide license agreements.
• Negotiates with SHI to improve software pricing for IT and university departments.
• Utilizes other cooperative software licensing agreements as appropriate.
• Initiates conversations with partners regarding bulk purchases of Software (Adobe Acrobat, 

25%

Responsible for overall commodity management, including supplier relationship management, sourcing support, contract negotiations, contract renewals, contract compliance, and campus relationships. Works on sourcing events providing commodity-area expertise, supplier-based knowledge and history, and input on customer needs. Measures and manage supplier performance relative to contracted service levels. Identifies and resolves key supplier performance issues to ensure customer satisfaction. Plans and prioritizes activities based on impact and urgency. This includes but is not limited to the following:

• Provides input to KU IT leadership to analyze pricing and licensing options.
• Works with appropriate units to determine specific provisions needed in each license.
• Develops data for use by KU IT and The University of Kansas in negotiation with vendors.
• Reviews and evaluates new licenses and existing licenses for all software and hardware support renewals to ensure uniformity of license terms and contract provisions following established guidelines and policy.
• Develops business relationships with major vendors to improve communication and ensure positive working relationships.
• Negotiates with vendors and serves as a vendor liaison to obtain license provisions that meet the needs of the University of Kansas.
• Coordinate and review KU licenses with University General Counsel to ensure contract provisions are in accordance with university policy and KU IT needs.
• Manages future needs and pace of current software licenses, software renewals, and hardware support contracts & renewals.
• Proactively manages annual KU IT contract portfolio.
• Interprets and presents specialized or complex information for IT management decision-making.

20%

Analyzes supplier data to determine savings opportunities, consolidation, and demand management opportunities. Conducts vendor research and gathers market intelligence to ensure appropriate products/services are being acquired at competitive prices. Tracks trends in the marketplace and actively monitors price indices applicable to commodity areas.

20% Works closely with Supplier Enablement resource to enable contracted vendors in the eProcurement system. Drives changes to end-user purchasing behavior by simplifying specifications and introducing standardization where applicable. Identifies new sources of supply and engages with new suppliers. Monitors end-user purchasing behavior to ensure compliance with purchasing policies and use of preferred vendor agreements. Drives implementation of preferred supplier relationships across campus by developing internal marketing action plans and executing them effectively.

5% Other duties as required.

Position Requirements

• Some travel may be required

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Information Technology, or related field from an accredited college or university and five (5) years of professional work experience (i.e., Procurement, Information Technology, Finance, or related field) or a representative (equivalent) combination of higher education and related experience.
• Experience in IT indirect sourcing and procurement
• A minimum of 3 years of experience in working both independently and in a team environment.
• A minimum of 3 years of computer skills in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook or related software programs

Preferred Qualifications

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in procuring one or more commodities such as Information Technology related products (hardware, software, maintenance, implementation services, etc.), Capital Construction, or other Higher Education related products and services, including consortia and enterprise-level agreements, with proven negotiation skills
• Three years of experience in a position demonstrating the development and leadership of cross-functional groups, strong organizational, planning, and analytical skills with strong attention to detail.  Experience negotiating and redlining business terms in Microsoft Word
• A sense of curiosity and willingness to inquire after information needed to understand the nature of what is being procured
• Excellent verbal communication, time management, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to present in groups.
• Experience with database products in data analysis for decision-making purposes.
• Experience writing and managing Requests for Solicitations (i.e., RFPs, RFQs, RFIs, etc.) and with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), eProcurement, eBid Systems, and Procure- To-Pay (P2P) processes
• Purchasing Experience at a College or University

Contact Information to Applicants

Ephrom Marks
[email protected]

Additional Candidate Instruction

A complete online application will include:

• Resume
• Cover letter explaining how the required and preferred qualifications are met
• Name and contact information for three professional references

Application review begins Wednesday, February 8, 2023 and will continue until a pool of qualified applicants is received.

Advertised Salary Range

$53,546 – $75,000

Application Review Begins

08-Feb-2023

Anticipated Start Date

06-Mar-2023

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

FLSA Status

Administrative

Employee Class

U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Work Schedule

M-F, 8:00-5:00

Job Family

Administrative/Management-KUL

Work Location Assignment

Hybrid

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information and retaliation in the University’s programs and activities. Access to information regarding equal opportunity and diversity worksite posters is available at http://www.humanresources.ku.edu/policies_procedures/category_details/index.aspx?category=8 or you may contact 785-864-4946 or [email protected] for alternate access options. Any inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies should be directed to: Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, [email protected] , 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.