Asst. Director - Governance & Engagement — Compliance Officer/S

MSU Internal Job Postings Details•East Lansing, MI

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

MSU Procurement seeks a collaborative, strategic Assistant Director to lead and develop teams, strengthen operations, and advance services. The role oversees supplier management, compliance, PCard, contracts, reporting, and systems governance. The Assistant Director provides strategic and operational leadership for a broad portfolio of procurement services, including supplier risk and lifecycle management, PCard, contract coordination, compliance, procurement data reporting and planning, and systems governance. The position provides institutional leadership for procurement governance and compliance by strengthening policies, internal controls, monitoring, and corrective actions to address applicable requirements and mitigate institutional risk. Working collaboratively with the Chief Procurement Officer, Procurement leadership, and University partners, the Assistant Director anticipates emerging needs, strengthens organizational capabilities, and develops sustainable services, governance practices, and solutions. The role builds partnerships across MSU and with external organizations, aligns stakeholders around shared priorities, and represents Procurement in collaborative initiatives. The Assistant Director supervises leaders and professionals across multiple functions, sets priorities and performance expectations, develops organizational capability, and contributes to strategy, budgeting, and resource allocation. The position represents the Chief Procurement Officer in campus meetings and may act on the CPO’s behalf in assigned matters. The position is remote-friendly within Michigan, with a regular on-campus presence. Regular remote work and in-office work are arranged in agreement with the supervisor. Work hours are standard 8–5. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain Management, Business or Public Administration, or a closely related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Five to eight years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive experience in procurement, supply chain, or related enterprise services, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Demonstrated success leading and developing supervisors, managers, and professionals, including coaching, mentorship, performance management, succession planning, and building leadership and organizational capability.
Demonstrated strategic and change leadership, including anticipating organizational needs, developing or transforming programs and services, building support for change, and translating strategy into sustainable capabilities and measurable results.
Demonstrated ability to build trusted partnerships and influence across organizational boundaries, bring together senior leaders and diverse stakeholders, navigate differing priorities, and create alignment around shared institutional objectives.
Strong executive communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to credibly represent an organization and develop productive relationships with external partners.

Nice To Haves

Master of Business Administration, Juris Doctorate, Master of Supply Chain Management, or another relevant advanced degree.
CPSM, CPPO, CPPB, or equivalent professional certification.
Experience in higher education, public procurement, research procurement, or another large, decentralized, or complex regulatory environment.
Broad experience across procurement, supply chain, risk, compliance, supplier management, analytics, systems, governance, or related functions.
Experience developing relationships with peer institutions, professional associations, governmental or regulatory agencies, consortia, suppliers, and other external partners.

Responsibilities

Oversee compliance monitoring across assigned programs, using metrics, audit findings, and stakeholder feedback to identify noncompliance, control weaknesses, institutional risks, and corrective actions.
Direct resolution of complex compliance issues, policy exceptions, audit findings, and suspected noncompliance.
Coordinate with Audit, Risk and Compliance, General Counsel, the Controller’s Office, and other partners to implement mitigation and corrective actions.
Establish and strengthen procurement governance, compliance policies, procedures, internal controls, guidance, and decision-making practices for University purchasing and signature authority.
Interpret applicable federal, state, local, sponsor, and University requirements and direct changes to maintain compliance and mitigate risk.
Make decisions on sensitive or enterprise-level issues, balancing institutional objectives, service, operational needs, compliance, and risk.
Contribute to Procurement strategy, organizational planning, and resource allocation; act on behalf of the Chief Procurement Officer in assigned matters.
Lead assigned procurement functions, setting priorities, service expectations, performance measures, and resource strategies aligned with University objectives.
Anticipate emerging University needs, compliance risks, regulatory changes, and opportunities; develop and implement responsive programs, services, systems, and capabilities.
Oversee procurement compliance education, training, and guidance for University departments and delegated authorities; use data and feedback to assess effectiveness and sustain improvements.
Directly supervise and develop supervisors, leads, and professionals across multiple functions, setting expectations for performance, accountability, collaboration, and service.
Provide coaching, performance management, and professional development; address capacity and performance needs, support change, and resolve complex issues.
Lead workforce and succession planning, cross-training, and leadership development to meet evolving University needs.
Build and maintain strategic relationships across Procurement and the University to understand needs, resolve complex issues, build alignment, and advance shared institutional priorities.
Represent Procurement in committees, initiatives, and cross-functional efforts.
Represent the Chief Procurement Officer in campus meetings, in person or virtually, sometimes on short notice, and provide leadership and follow-up on assigned matters.
Develop relationships with peer institutions, agencies, professional associations, consortia, suppliers, and partners such as the Big Ten Academic Alliance; use these partnerships to identify practices and risks, share expertise, pursue collaboration, and advance University interests.
Evaluate assigned functions using performance data, operational reviews, benchmarking, and stakeholder feedback to identify gaps and improvement opportunities.
Prioritize and oversee improvements to processes, technology, policies, training, reporting, and service delivery, assessing results to achieve sustainable, measurable improvements.