UCOP PROCUREMENT MANAGER 2 - HYBRID

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Department Overview
The Business Resource Center (BRC) partners with departments across UCOP to build a strong, reliable foundation for financial operations through standardized procedures, effective controls, and compliant, streamlined transaction processing. With a commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and innovation, we strive to deliver consistent, high-quality service that empowers departments to focus on their core missions while maintaining accountability to the Regents and the public.

Position Summary
The Procurement Manager 2 leads UCOP's highly specialized, centralized Procurement function and is accountable for the strategy, operating model, service delivery, risk management, and continuous improvement of procurement services supporting all UCOP departments, approximately 80 or more. The position directs a 12-member team through two subordinate supervisors, with staff ranging from Financial Services Analyst classifications to Procurement Analysts and strategic sourcing professionals. The function supports all procurement activities across UCOP and approximately $560 million in annual sourcing. The incumbent is responsible for achieving broadly stated organizational goals with substantial autonomy, establishes objectives, develops strategies and operating procedures, manages resources, and advises senior leaders on complex procurement matters with organization-wide impact. The role requires a procurement professional who can translate policy and risk requirements into practical, responsive services. The incumbent must build trust with high-level executives and other senior stakeholders, manage expectations without relying on formal authority, and balance flexibility and business needs with sound judgment, ethical standards, internal controls, and University policy. Success requires influencing across organizational boundaries, resolving sensitive issues equitably, and creating a consistent client experience while protecting UCOP's financial and operational interests. The manager receives assignments in the form of broad objectives and independently determines work methods, functional priorities, staffing and workload allocation, service standards, procurement approaches within delegated authority, escalation and risk responses, and the resources required to achieve goals. The position implements operating procedures and approves work within delegated authority. This is a 3 days/ week hybrid position based in Oakland, California.

Key Responsibilities

30% Procurement Strategy, Governance, and Service Delivery: Directs the UCOP procurement program supporting all UCOP departments, approximately 80 or more, and determines and implements multi-year procurement strategies, objectives, service models, controls, service standards, and improvement initiatives with organization-wide impact. Establishes an effective service model for procurement advising, sourcing, contracting, purchasing operations, and supplier support. Oversees requisition review, transaction workflow, purchasing controls, service-level commitments, and timely resolution of operational issues. Recommends procurement policy and practice changes and establishes operating procedures, workflows, service standards, and internal controls within delegated authority to improve cost effectiveness, quality, compliance, and the client experience. Partners with departments to forecast procurement needs, support demand planning, identify consolidation opportunities, and align purchasing activity with budgetary and operational priorities. Sets priorities and allocates human and financial resources across the function based on organizational needs, risk, workload, and service commitments. Advises senior management on procurement matters affecting multiple functional areas, all UCOP departments, and approximately $560 million in annual sourcing.

25% Strategic Procurement and Complex Contracting: Oversees all procurement activities across UCOP, including the acquisition of goods, equipment, professional and consulting services, business and maintenance services, and other categories within the function's delegated scope. Directs complex and high-value sourcing, competitive solicitations, sole-source and single-source procurements, urgent procurements, negotiations, contract administration, and supplier relationship management. These procurements may involve significant financial exposure, complex terms and conditions, cross-functional evaluation, senior-level stakeholder interests, supplier performance risk, or heightened legal, operational, reputational, and compliance considerations. Personally leads or directs negotiations for the most complex, sensitive, high-risk, or high-value procurements and resolves escalated matters with suppliers and contractors. Ensures appropriate use of UC systemwide agreements, cooperative contracts, and UCOP-specific procurements. Guides development of specifications, evaluation criteria, best-value analyses, cost and price analyses, price-reasonableness assessments, negotiation strategies, and award recommendations. Ensures procurements include appropriate justification, approvals, records, and audit-ready documentation. Ensures contracts and purchasing activities incorporate required UC provisions, supplier diversity and small-business requirements, risk mitigation, and applicable legal, regulatory, and ethical standards. Establishes supplier performance practices, including supplier business reviews, reliability monitoring, issue resolution, and corrective action. Maintains effective relationships with vendors and contractors and resolves difficult matters using sound judgment and negotiation skills.

20% Client Advisory Services and Executive Stakeholder Management: Serves as a senior advisor and escalation point for complex, sensitive, or time-critical procurement matters. Builds productive relationships with executive leaders, chiefs of staff, department managers, systemwide partners, legal, risk, IT, finance, and external suppliers. Represents the Director or BRC leadership, when delegated, in matters requiring procurement expertise, judgment, or organizational authority. Manages expectations through clear communication, early identification of constraints, transparent status updates, and practical options. Influences outcomes without direct authority by establishing credibility, understanding business priorities, and explaining the policy, risk, cost, and operational implications of available choices. Adapts service approaches to meet legitimate business needs while maintaining consistent policy compliance and internal controls.

15% Organizational Leadership and Talent Management: Leads a 12-member Procurement team through two subordinate supervisors and direct oversight of professional and administrative staff, including Financial Services Analyst, Procurement Analyst, and strategic sourcing roles. Sets expectations, reviews and approves work, manages performance and development, assigns and rebalances workload, and ensures appropriate staffing and training. Builds a high-performing, service-oriented team that demonstrates sound procurement practice, responsiveness, accountability, and respect for clients. Recruits, selects, coaches, and develops employees; addresses performance concerns and resolves team issues in accordance with UC policies and human resources practices. Develops succession plans, internal expertise, and career-development opportunities to sustain the function. Develops, monitors, and manages the Procurement function's assigned operating budget and resource plan; evaluates staffing, technology, training, and service needs; reallocates resources within delegated authority; and monitors workload, financial performance, and staffing needs.

10% Risk Management, Process Improvement, and Performance Measurement: Proactively assesses procurement and supplier risks and establishes systems, procedures, and controls that protect organizational assets and sensitive information. Leads continuous improvement of procurement workflows, systems, documentation, and client-facing services using data and structured problem-solving methods. Directs adoption and optimization of procurement technology, workflow automation, reporting tools, and data practices to improve efficiency, transparency, and data integrity. Establishes measures for cycle time, compliance, workload, supplier performance, cost effectiveness, and client satisfaction; analyzes results and implements corrective actions. Maintains procurement records, approvals, justifications, contracts, and supplier documentation so they are complete, accurate, accessible, and audit-ready. Documents processes in established BRC tools and ensures information is current, accessible, and consistently used. Monitors emerging procurement practices, technology, and regulatory developments and determines and implements improvements within delegated authority that have organization-wide impact.

Experience
Required Qualifications

Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible procurement experience, including substantial experience leading complex procurement programs and at least three years managing or supervising procurement professionals or a comparable specialized function.

Skills and Abilities
Required Qualifications

Ability to manage confidential, sensitive, and proprietary information in accordance with organizational policies, privacy requirements, and legitimate business need-to-know principles. Ability to develop and manage the Procurement function's assigned operating budget and resource plan, evaluate staffing, technology, training, and service needs, support demand planning, and align or reallocate resources within delegated authority based on organizational priorities. Ability to lead process improvement, establish performance measures, interpret data, and use findings to improve cost effectiveness, service quality, compliance, and the end-to-end client experience. Ability to personally lead or direct negotiations for major, complex, sensitive, high-risk, or high-value procurements and resolve difficult or escalated matters with vendors, contractors, internal clients, and cross-functional partners while preserving relationships and achieving defensible outcomes. Demonstrated strong and effective written, verbal, presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to explain technical procurement information to non-procurement audiences. Advanced management skills required to lead a department through subordinate supervisors, including setting direction, managing staff performance and development, team building, communication, hiring, training, workload balancing, resolution of issues and conflicts, and review and approval of work. Ability to balance flexibility and responsiveness to legitimate client and operational needs with policy compliance, ethical standards, risk management, internal controls, and protection of organizational assets. Demonstrated ability to advise senior management and manage expectations with high-level executives, department leaders, and other influential stakeholders without relying on formal authority; ability to gain cooperation through credibility, negotiation, clear communication, and practical problem solving. Ability to direct a complex procurement function with substantial autonomy, including determining and implementing strategies, recommending policy changes, establishing operating procedures, workflows, service standards, and internal controls, allocating resources, setting priorities, managing risk and escalations, approving work within delegated authority, and resolving complex procurement issues using sound judgment. Thorough knowledge of the procurement function, including purchasing, strategic sourcing, contracting, supplier management, negotiation, procurement controls, and the objectives and initiatives that guide a complex organization.

Preferred Qualifications

Procurement leadership experience in higher education, government, public sector, or another complex policy-driven environment. Experience with UC procurement policies, Business and Finance Bulletins, systemwide agreements, supplier diversity and small-business participation requirements, and public-sector cooperative contracts. Experience leading formal process improvement initiatives using Lean, Six Sigma, or comparable structured methodologies. Experience with Oracle or a comparable enterprise resource planning, e-procurement, sourcing, contract management, or supplier portal system. Professional procurement certification or comparable specialized credential. Experience establishing service-level expectations and dashboards that integrate operational, compliance, supplier, financial, and client satisfaction measures.

Education
Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training

Licenses and Certifications
Preferred Qualifications

Professional certification preferred.

Travel Requirements
5% Occasional travel to campuses, UC locations or training events.

Job Title
Procurement Manager 2

Job Code
000608

Salary Grade
Grade 27

Payscale:
$185,000 - $195,000

The University of California, Office of the President, is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. The full salary range shows the growth potential for this position and the pay scale is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position.

Benefits: For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University visit: Benefits of Belonging

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Hybrid role (3 days/week) based in Oakland, CA.

HOW TO APPLY

Please be prepared to attach a cover letter and resume with your application.

APPLICATION REVIEW DATE

The first review date for this job is NOVEMBER 19, 2026.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check Process: Successful completion of a background check is required for this critical position. Background check process at UCOP

Smoke Free Work Environment: The University of California, Office of the President, is smoke & tobacco-free as of January 1, 2014. UC Smoke & Tobacco Free Policy

As a condition of employment, you will be required to comply with the University of California Policy on Vaccination Programs, as may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.
  • UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
  • UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for Employees, Students and Third Parties
  • APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment

EEO STATEMENT

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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