Procurement Operations Manager

About the role

The Procurement Office at Swarthmore College is a team of three responsible for procurement, strategic sourcing, contract management, supplier management, and travel/expense management. The College is currently implementing Workday (go-live is October 1, 2026), and the Procurement Office will oversee the procurement, expense, supplier accounts, strategic sourcing, and contract lifecycle management modules on the Workday platform.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing program to meet needs of College departments and identify strategic suppliers and/or publicly available contracts that add value to the College through cost savings, improved product/service quality, strategic partnerships, and diversity & sustainability initiatives.
• Serve as primary liaison to Facilities for sourcing, support, training and Finance policy compliance.
• Manage assigned portfolio of RFP/RFQ/RFI sourcing events from development to award including role as primary communication links between the College and bidders, managing sourcing event schedule, performing bid analysis, leading interviews and contract execution.
• Manage and maintain assigned portfolio of contracts and related documentation, in particular for Facilities (construction, design, consulting and standard services agreements) but also including standard service agreements across campus departments in collaboration with the Director of Procurement.
• Aid in the maintenance of the Workday procurement (including supplier punchout catalogs), strategic sourcing, and contract lifecycle management modules.
• Provide procurement policy training and support to departmental buyers.
• Identify and resolve performance issues with suppliers to ensure customer satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field and 5 years of job-related experience or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Demonstrated technical knowledge of the job and of related procedures and policies.
• Superior fiduciary integrity, diplomacy, and problem-solving skills.
• Appropriate purchasing certification is preferred or documented progress toward completion.
• Supplier management or service contractor management experience.
• Experience in higher education procurement or finance.
• Experience with Workday Procurement in a higher ed environment.