Career Center

Position Overview
The University of Kansas is currently seeking an Associate Chief Procurement Officer to provide strategic leadership in building and enhancing best-in-class procurement activities and processes. The successful candidate will be able to focus on initial campus location needs while evolving processes, systems, and building relationships to work toward comprehensive results across all KU campus locations and partnering organizations while maintaining a strong customer focused culture. Experience being an effective change agent with both internal and external business partners and suppliers is required.

The Associate Chief Procurement officer will work closely with the Director of Purchasing and Chief Procurement Officer on the following: sourcing strategy development and implementation, common process definition and deployment, staff training and continuous development, procurement organizational development and leadership, and delivery to support the University's business model, strategies, and financial operating plans. This position will have direct reports and will actively engage in sourcing activities as needed.

This position is a full-time, unclassified professional staff position that reports to the Chief Procurement Officer.
Job Description
Operational and Strategic Leadership 40%

• Provides leadership, oversight, and supervision of the daily operations of KU Procurement.
• Work in partnership with Procurement and Enterprise leaders in shaping the vision and strategy of the Procurement function.
• Creates and encourages effective team building environment across the University, consistently being recognized as a role model by exhibiting flexibility, adaptability and accountability.
• Leads a constant cycle of improvement in all areas of procurement processes.
• Identifies and executes new or creative approaches, strategies and processes to address University needs.
• Prepares detailed financial analysis of various purchasing data to identify cost saving and strategic partnership opportunities.
• Develops and implements contracts to procure services, equipment, materials, and supplies required by the University.
• Writes, negotiates, interprets, and administers contracts for information technology, consulting services, maintenance, purchase and lease of material, equipment, and real property.
• Identifies new opportunities for solicitations. Manages the full purchasing scope of the bidding process, pre-bid meeting, bid opening, and award recommendations for new University agreements in addition to reviewing existing service/supplier agreements for cost savings and consolidation opportunities.

Project Development 25%

• Responsible for the development and implementation of strategic sourcing strategies for the university within general policy parameters.
• Assists with assessment and implementation of a Procurement Contracts module.
• Complete evaluation of eProcurement tools and online bidding tools.
• Lead continuous improvement leveraging existing technology and enhancements including partnership with KU Financial Services, KU Financial Management Systems, IT staff and other campus stakeholders to continue the development and operation the KU Procure to Pay system.

Communication, Collaboration, Training, and Professional Development 25%

• Demonstrates in-depth and broad, experience-based skills and technical knowledge required to lead subordinates, assigning work appropriately and providing guidance at all levels of people management, while fully understanding negotiation and procurement activities working as a leader in shaping the direction of the procurement function.
• Mentors Procurement team members to effectively and strategically approach Solicitations. Coaches and provides feedback on contract development and drafting.
• Effectively communicates with university stakeholders regarding how to operate effectively within the established systems, policies and procedures to ensure compliance with policy and procedure while pursuing excellence.
• Responsible for building professional partnerships to align stakeholder needs with the Strategic Sourcing vision of the University of Kansas.

Other Duties as Assigned 10%
Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in Business, Business Administration, or closely related field (Supply Chain Management, Business Admin, Economics, Finance, etc).
2. Ten (10) years of relevant experience in strategic sourcing or procurement required, with recent experience sourcing technology-related products and services.
3. Five (5) years of experience leading an organization in areas of purchasing, contracting, or sourcing OR 12 years of experience in areas of purchasing contracts or sourcing with demonstrated leadership capabilities.
4. Experience in planning and scheduling buying activities for efficiency and service.
5. Experience working, leading, managing, and aligning procurement strategies with large, complex organizational strategic goals.
6. Demonstrated effective negotiating skills to lead procurement activities and manage contractual agreements.
7. Experience performing detailed financial data analysis and the use of data management, reporting, and spend analytics tools.
8. Demonstrated ability to create and communicate clear purchasing strategies and working documents to various stakeholders.
9. Working knowledge of the legal aspects of contract administration and best purchasing practices.
10. Experience with electronic procurement systems and related technologies such as office productivity software.
11. Experience in coaching and developing staff.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Master's degree in Business or closely related field.
2. Technical training and certification preferred (CPP, CPSM or CPM) or other procurement/sourcing related certifications.
3. Experience implementing an eProcurement system.
4. Experience in working with corporate and community partnerships.

Contact Information to Applicants
Ben Lizak
ben.lizak@ku.edu
Additional Candidate Instruction
In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

• A cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met.
• Resume or curriculum vitae.
• Contact information for three professional references.

Only complete applications will be considered.

Application review will begin Monday, May 12, 2025 and continue until a qualified pool of applicants is identified.

#L1-HR1
Advertised Salary Range
starts at $160,000
Application Review Begins
12-May-2025
Anticipated Start Date
02-Jun-2025
Primary Campus
University of Kansas Lawrence Campus
FTE
1.0
Reg/Temp
Regular
FLSA Status
Executive
Employee Class
U-Unclassified Professional Staff
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, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following persons have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and are the Title IX coordinators for their respective campuses: Director of the Office of Civil Rights & Title IX, civilrights@ku.edu, Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY (for the Lawrence, Edwards, Parsons, Yoder, and Topeka campuses); Director, Equal Opportunity Office, Mail Stop 7004, 4330 Shawnee Mission Parkway, Fairway, KS 66205, 913-588-8011, 711 TTY (for the Wichita, Salina, and Kansas City, Kansas medical center campuses).