Manager, Procurement

Company: Western Governors University
Location: Durham
Posted on: May 19, 2025

Job Description:

If you're passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country-and you're committed to working hard to play your part in building that future-consider WGU as the next step in your career.Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
Pay Range: $97,300.00 - $175,200.00Job DescriptionAbout the Role:The Procurement Manager is responsible for the planning, directing, and coordination of the procurement of marketing, HR, facilities, legal and finance related services. They will also be responsible for sourcing, tendering, due diligence and negotiating contract rates and terms and conditions. This role supervisors related Sourcing Specialists. This is a managerial position, but incumbent will also need to manage their own procurement and sourcing for high dollar value, complex and strategic contracts.Work Location:While this position will begin as remote/work-from-home, it is expected to transition to an in-office role in Raleigh, North Carolina, once a dedicated office space is established (anticipated by mid-2026).What You'll Do:

• Reviews and utilizes planning, forecasting, and trend analysis to effectively predict business needs.
• Reviews the development of specifications for software, services, and supplies before going to market.
• Prepares documents and assists stakeholders and vendors through the sourcing and bidding process for given categories. This includes coordinating the Due Diligence process to have a holistic picture of a vendor's offerings, solutions, or software including strengths and gaps.
• Leads the negotiating of contract terms and conditions and pricing to minimize risk and ensure best value for money for the university.
• Monitors the market to ensure price competitiveness of software, services, or supplies for given categories.
• Develops and contributes to the creation of procurement policies and procedures, instructions, training, and webinars to communicate and share knowledge with employees and the broader vendor community when needed.
• Manages and supports the Purchasing part of the Procure to Pay process, including ensuring that vendors are registered, requisitions are raised, and purchase orders are issued for related categories.
• Coordinates and manages activities across teams as well as supervising the performance of team members. Interviews, hires, and manages related team members as required.
• Helps maximize the use of the Procurement modules in the ERP system (Workday) and other purchasing systems and tools, such as the Procurement and Event Management Application in ServiceNow and any other tools introduced.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities You'll Need to be Successful:
  • Strong negotiation and organization skills
  • Excellent decision-making skills
  • Ability to learn new technologies and adapt to moving priorities.
  • Excellent skills in Microsoft Office suite
  • Ability to communicate to improve and promote teamwork, decision-making, and problem-solving.
  • Communicates appropriately to gain support and adjusts message and style to fit the audience. Provides timely and helpful feedback.
  • Ability to work cooperatively with others across the organization and at various levels to achieve shared objectives. Can represent own interests while being fair to others and their areas and can partner to get work done.
  • Deals comfortably with uncertainty of change and effectively handles risk. Can decide to act without knowing all details.
  • Ability to be confident under pressure and handle and manage crises effectively. Maintains a positive attitude despite adversity.
  • Strong outcomes-based orientation. Can set and achieve goals.
  • Ability to create a feeling of belonging and strong team morale. Creates a team that works well cross-functionally.
  • Ability to take on new challenges and unfamiliar tasks and learn quickly. Expands knowledge base and shares knowledge with others.Minimum Requirements:Education:
    • Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply Chain, or a related fieldExperience:
      • 5 years of experience with procurement or purchasing
      • 1 year in a leadership roleExperience in lieu of education:Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Generally, equivalent relevant experience is defined as 1 year of experience for 1 year of education and is the discretion of the hiring manager.Preferred Requirements:
        • Experience with competitive bidding is desirable
        • Experience in higher education is preferred.Why Join WGU?
          • You will be part of a growing, diverse, inclusive workforce, committed to creating pathways to a better life for our students by expanding access to education for everyone.
          • We provide comprehensive dental, vision, and medical benefits, with paid time off, parental leave, and inclusive family forming benefits.
          • We offer generous retirement and HSA company contributions.
          • You will also have opportunity for continuous learning! Employees and their families receive discounted undergraduate and graduate WGU tuition.#LI-BS1Position & Application DetailsFull-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.Additional InformationDisclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It's not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting@wgu.edu.Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.Required
            Preferred

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Keywords: Western Governors University, Raleigh , Manager, Procurement, Executive , Durham, North Carolina