Director, Service Agreements

Columbia University is one of the world's most important centers of research and at the same time a distinctive and distinguished learning environment for undergraduates and graduate students in many scholarly and professional fields. The University recognizes the importance of its location in New York City and seeks to link its research and teaching to the vast resources of a great metropolis. It seeks to attract a diverse and international faculty and student body, to support research and teaching on global issues, and to create academic relationships with many countries and regions. It expects all areas of the university to advance knowledge and learning at the highest level and to convey the products of its efforts to the world.  Columbia is one of the top academic and research institutions in the world, conducting path breaking research in medicine, science, the arts, and the humanities. It includes three undergraduate schools, thirteen graduate and professional schools, and a school of continuing education.

 

The Director for Service Agreements has been established to provide a single point of contact at the University for anyone looking to manage a business need via a service agreement.  The position will play a lead role in coordinating the completion of appropriate service agreements, advising client schools and departments who are seeking to retain the services of an individual, organization or company.  The position coincides with a new process for the management of service agreements.  This approach includes the development of more standard agreement types; a more standard, and streamlined process for completing the agreements; and materials and information that allow staff in schools and departments to more easily and successfully initiate agreements.  The Director will, therefore, be responsible for fully implementing and ensuring the success of this new approach and to continue to seek and implement service improvements to the operation, in partnership with the leadership of the Procurement organization and key departments such as the Office of General Counsel and Risk Management.  The Director will work with leadership of Procurement organization, General Counsel's Office, Risk Management and key customers to further develop and refine agreement templates, process improvements, instructions and user guides to advance the new operational model; identify sourcing opportunities for conversion from non-standard agreements to either Master Contracts or University-wide Purchasing Agreements (UwPA’s) based on analysis of University spend data; coordinate with schools and departments to effectively promote and manage University-wide Agreements; participate in the development and implementation of University standard agreements; negotiate agreements (i.e. terms, scope, service level agreements, etc.); assist and advise University departments in obtaining the best total value considering quality, service and cost on a timely basis; develop effective working relationships with suppliers in order to negotiate the best possible value, ensure the quality of all goods and services purchased, and fully meet the needs of end users; with leadership of Procurement organization, finalize key performance metrics and establish monthly reporting protocols.  Manage the collection of documentation that provides compliance and completeness of University Purchase Order requirements and prepare for review by Procurement management; track status of all agreements in process; ensure that, in conjunction with customer, Scope’s of Work and contract Terms & Conditions are complete and accurate; serve as the central point of contact with the offices of Risk Management and the Office of the General Counsel; ensure full compliance of all reviewed transactions with University purchasing policies as well as federal and other applicable regulations; facilitate, review and track customer and/or supplier requests for waiver’s relative to University accepted standard terms and conditions; review and manage consultant/contract queue relative to outstanding customer requests and escalate as required; review and manage expected and/or agreed to deadlines and prioritize accordingly; develop, negotiate, award and administer contracts, purchase orders and change orders that take maximum advantage of the University’s spending leverage; process Purchase Requisitions/Change Orders utilizing Purchasing systems and convert to appropriate Purchase Order. Lead role in the on-going development and refinement of related materials supporting contracting process (i.e. user guides, on-site training, forms, etc.); manage a range of education, communication and training activities to promote increased competency within the University community; represent the Purchasing Department at customer and supplier meetings; on-going development and refinement of Purchasing website relative to contracting initiatives; on-going participation in the development of training and web based documentation relative to contracts and consulting type agreements. Other related duties and special projects as assigned.

 

Minimum Requirement

Bachelor's degree plus a minimum of six years' related purchasing experience required, including specific experience developing and negotiating contracts.  Experience with automated purchasing systems required.  A general understanding of the laws, rules and regulations related to UCC is preferred.  Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) required, along with a demonstrated ability to prepare reports, summaries and analyses and present findings and recommendations.  Demonstrated planning and project management skills required, as well as a demonstrated ability to collect and analyze data and evaluate information.  Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem solving skills, and have the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously.  Must be a self-starter and capable of operating with minimal supervision.  Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, including active listening skills, plus the ability to work closely and effectively with a diverse group of University administrators, characterized by strong consensus building and relationship building skills, essential.  Must be able to negotiate issues and resolve problems.  In addition, the successful candidate must be able to work well with all levels of management, both internally and externally, be flexible in nature, have sound judgment with an open and collaborative style of leadership that encourages teamwork and cooperation beyond the immediate team to the broader organization, and a strong role model, manager and coach.  Must have a passion for excellent customer service and commitment to exceptional quality.

 



To be considered an applicant, all interested parties MUST apply through the Columbia University online employment application system. Paste the following quick link into your browser to access this position posting:

 

jobs.columbia.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=112740  

 

 

Columbia University is an Equal Employment / Affirmative Action Employer.