Purchasing Director

Department Information

To apply, visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/cccs/systemoffice.

Description of Job

Are you a leader in governmental or higher education purchasing looking for an opportunity to bring your experience to the largest higher education institution in Colorado? The Colorado Community College System Office (CCCS) is looking for a Purchasing Director to join our Fiscal team and manage the purchasing for all divisions of the System Office. This role also leads and guides purchasing at the individual colleges. In this role, you would serve as the primary liaison between the State Purchasing Office and the CCCS college purchasing offices, ensuring alignment and efficiency systemwide. If you're someone who is easily able to build rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds and different organizational levels, we want to hear from you! CCCS provides generous leave, excellent benefits, and flexible work schedules, including hybrid-remote work within the state of Colorado.

Duties Include:

As the Purchasing Director, you will provide purchasing oversight for CCCS and provide purchasing management for all goods and services on behalf of the System Office. You will also coordinate contract processing and serve as the procurement risk management officer, in conjunction with the legal department. In this role you will:

• Act as the Senior Authority to administer the purchasing processes for the System Office by providing expert opinions and direction to employees, and by assuring that the System Office is in compliance with all State Fiscal Rules and Procurement Code.
• Conduct solicitations for the System Office and coordinate cooperative solicitations for system-wide use.
• Provide training and guidance to System Office staff on procurement requirements and processes.
• Provide training for new procurement staff systemwide. Provide guidance and direction to college managers who are developing contracts, and vendor agreements Advise and consult with college management on concerns regarding contract issues that could have a fiscal impact on the college.
• Evaluate policies and procedures system-wide to develop and maintain current procedures that reflect appropriate guidance, including State Procurement Code, State Fiscal Rules, State of Colorado Revised Statutes, and Commercial Card (P-Card and Travel Card) Policies, Rules, and Requirements. These policies should be designed considering appropriate internal controls and segregation of duties.
• Maintain involvement in statewide procurement activities such as the State Procurement and Contracts Office (SPCO) bi-annual Procurement Advisory Council (PAC) meetings, monthly Statewide Purchasing Director calls, and other activities that may be planned by the SPCO.
• Review, process, and approve purchase orders.
• Develop/Compose contracts upon request. Negotiate with businesses on behalf of the college when needed.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree. A combination of education and relevant experience, in addition to that required for the position, will substitute for the degree.
• Must have minimum of three years of progressively responsible purchasing management experience in state or local government and/or higher education.

Supplemental Information

Attributes that will contribute to success in this position:

• Certificate of CPM, CPPO or CPPB from NIGP or NAPM preferred but not required at time of hire.
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, including the ability to perform complicated and detailed analysis.
• Practiced in writing and implementing policy and procedures.
• Leadership skills.
• Negotiation skills.
• High-level understanding of contract management.
• High-level understanding of risk management programs.
• Ability to manage complex projects.
• Exceptional acumen in interpreting federal and state regulations, contractual agreements and obligations, and legal documentation
• Self-motivated with strong, proven analytical and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and eagerness to continuously learn.
• Ability to quickly absorb technical concepts and communicate effectively with non-technical and technical audiences, verbally and in writing.
• Experience with the State accounting system (CORE) and knowledge of State of Colorado Fiscal Rules and Colorado Procurement Code preferred but not required.

Work Location/Travel Expectations:

• This position is located at 9101 E Lowry Blvd., Denver, CO 80230.
• May occasionally be asked to attend a Controller or Business Officer meeting when topics are relevant or training is required. Some overnight stays are required to attend conferences or trainings within the state or outside the state, usually 2 to 3 per year.
• Alternative work arrangements, including flexible schedules and hybrid-remote work may be available. All work must be completed in the state of Colorado.

The Colorado Community College System is the state’s largest provider of higher education and workforce training, consisting of 13 colleges and over 35 locations across the state, educating approximately 124,000 students annually. In addition, we train more than 4,000 Coloradans each year through customized employer training programs. Our mission is to provide accessible, responsive learning environments where students can achieve their educational, professional and personal goals in an atmosphere that embraces academic excellence, diversity and innovation. We are an organization that encourages individuals to bring their whole selves to work.

CCCS believes when all human qualities are regarded with dignity and respect and when everyone has access to the individualized support they need, all will have the opportunity to thrive. In all aspects of the employment process, decisions are made based on merit, competence, performance and business need without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, military status, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

Note: per the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, an applicant may redact information from their resume, cover letter, and/or transcripts that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution. If your position requires us to review an official transcript, without redacting, we will request one as part of our conditional offer process. In order to evaluate work experience against established requirements for positions, we are still requesting dates of service (month and year) for positions in the applicant’s work history.