Senior Procurement and Contracts Manager

Location: UT MAIN CAMPUS

Hiring Department

School of Computing

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Position Open To

All Applicants

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Weekly Scheduled Hours

40

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FLSA Status

Exempt from FLSA

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Earliest Start Date

Immediately

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Position Duration

Expected to Continue

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Location

UT MAIN CAMPUS

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Job Details

General Notes

This position will support the university’s new School of Computing, which includes 3 strong departments and more than 9,000 students across all programs. This places UT among the most significant intellectual hubs for computer science, information, and statistics and data science research and education anywhere in the world. The School of Computing has a close relationship with Austin’s thriving tech culture and works at the forefront of fields spanning artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum computing; data science, statistics and scientific discovery; cybersecurity and trustworthy computing; and human-centered technology, information, and the societal impacts of computing.

The School is seeking a Procurement and Contracts Manager to lead the purchasing team and functions.

Purpose

Lead procurement and contracting for the School of Computing, directing the purchasing team, processes, decisions, vendor negotiations, and the full contract lifecycle in support of the School’s teaching and research mission, while ensuring compliance with State, University, and Board of Regents rules.

Responsibilities

Strategic purchasing leadership for the School of Computing

Direct the full portfolio of procurement and contracts for the School of Computing. Create, review, and approve purchase orders and business contracts. Apply sound purchasing judgment to evaluate vendor proposals, pricing, and terms, partnering with IT staff to translate technical requirements into purchasing decisions. Provide expertise on software and subscription purchasing to ensure access to tools and systems critical to the work of the School of Computing. Ensure new equipment is properly tagged and added to inventory at acquisition in coordination with the IT team.

Procurement strategy and compliance monitoring

Lead the development of procurement processes to support the School’s teaching and research mission and new initiatives, thinking strategically and proactively. Monitor changes to UT System, University, and State of Texas purchasing rules, and proactively propose new processes to respond to these changes. Work with faculty, IT, and Finance and Administration to balance stakeholder interests, mediate conflicts, and implement effective solutions. Work with the Accounting team to ensure purchasing processes flow with financial accounting and reconciliation.

Team leadership and development

Recruit, manage, train, and evaluate the Purchasing/Receiving team, including student employees. Cross-train staff to respond quickly to changing needs. Assign and prioritize work in line with the School's goals and milestones.

Contract negotiation, compliance, and vendor relations

Manage the full contract lifecycle: drafting, reviewing, amending, negotiating terms, and resolving issues. Serve as the School's primary liaison with University offices such as Procurement and Business Contracts and with vendors, including onboarding. Resolve contractual and vendor questions or disputes, looping in IT for technical questions. Work with other university offices to identify and resolve roadblocks and barriers while ensuring compliance with State and Federal law, Board of Regents Rules, and university policy and procedures.

Stakeholder communication, purchasing system, and documentation

Advise School leadership, faculty, and staff on procurement policy. Own the creation and upkeep of the School’s purchasing system, guidelines, SOPs, FAQs, and forms for purchasing, agreements, and receiving; delegate drafting as needed, but ensure materials exist, stay current, and are shared. Coordinate the team's response and communication to faculty, staff, and students when purchasing rules or processes change.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree and at least 5 years of experience as a team lead or staff supervisor.
• Five years of purchasing/procurement experience.
• Experience with IT and software purchases and contracts including knowledge of software contracting processes and issues.
• Experience drafting and negotiating procurement contracts.
• Demonstrated success with creating, implementing, and revising procurement or other business processes and documentation.
• Experience advising and directing others on procurement rules and procedures.
• Ability to implement effective procurement and contracting solutions that meet relevant procurement laws and University policy.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience leading a purchasing team and managing a purchasing function end to end.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience with IT and software purchasing.
• Experience with procurement and contracting in a government or higher education setting.
• Ability to build consensus and resolve differences between stakeholders.
• Proficient with UT Austin specific systems/software.
• State of Texas Purchasing/Contract Development (CTCD) certified.

Salary Range

$80,000 + depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

Typical office environment.

Required Materials

Resume/CV

3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Letter of interest

Importantfor applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application.

The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

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Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

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Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify

• The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:
• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.