Career Center
Posted: 29-Aug-25
Location: Collegeville, Pennsylvania
Employment Type:
Organization Type:
Internal Number: 25041
Overview
The Purchasing & Contracts Manager is responsible for overseeing all procurement activities, contract administration, and purchasing card (PCard) management for Ursinus College. This position ensures that the College acquires goods and services at the best value, in compliance with institutional policies, legal requirements, and ethical standards. The Purchasing & Contracts Manager leads vendor management, negotiates favorable terms, issues purchase orders, and develops policies and processes to improve efficiency, transparency, and risk management. The role is accountable for optimizing purchasing functionality in Oracle Cloud and ensuring that all procurement and contracting practices support the College’s financial sustainability goals.
Responsibilities
Procurement Oversight
- Manage the College’s purchasing processes from requisition to payment, ensuring compliance with policies and best practices.
- Review purchase requests, approve, and issue purchase orders (POs) in a timely and accurate manner.
- Ensure POs include correct pricing, terms, and budget coding.
- Oversee and optimize purchasing workflows in Oracle Cloud, including training end users on system capabilities.
- Administer the College’s PCard program, including issuing cards, monitoring transactions, ensuring compliance with policies, and resolving discrepancies.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings, including strategic sourcing, vendor consolidation, and competitive bidding.
Contract Management
- Draft, review, and negotiate contracts for goods and services, ensuring compliance with legal, insurance, and institutional requirements.
- Maintain a central repository of contracts and track key dates such as renewals, expirations, and performance milestones.
- Collaborate with legal counsel as needed to address contractual risk and compliance issues.
Policy Leadership
- Develop, maintain, and enforce procurement and contracting policies that ensure compliance with laws, regulations, and best practices.
- Drive adoption of policies across campus, providing training and guidance to department leaders and staff.
- Monitor compliance with procurement and contracting policies and recommend corrective actions when needed.
Vendor Relations & Evaluation
- Establish and maintain strong relationships with vendors and service providers.
- Evaluate vendor performance, resolve disputes, and ensure adherence to contractual terms.
- Facilitate vendor onboarding, including verification of insurance and required documentation.
Requirements and Qualifications
Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration, supply chain management, finance, or related field required; procurement certification (e.g., CPPB, CPPO, CPSM) preferred.
- Minimum of five years of progressive procurement or contract management experience; higher education or non-profit experience preferred.
- Hands-on experience with Oracle Cloud purchasing or other ERP procurement systems required.
- Experience issuing purchase orders, managing PCard programs, and drafting and negotiating contracts.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
- Strong negotiation and analytical skills with the ability to achieve cost savings without compromising quality.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders.
- Strong policy development, compliance monitoring, and enforcement capabilities.
- Attention to detail, accuracy, and organizational skills to manage multiple priorities.
- Commitment to ethical procurement practices and institutional values.
