Commercial Card Program Manager

University of Colorado•Denver, CO

19h•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Colorado's (CU) Procurement Service Center (PSC) is a leading higher education procurement office focused on leveraging technology for efficiency and program enhancement. The PSC supports all four CU campuses and system administration, offering services in spend management, contracting, procure-to-pay, and travel management. The Commercial Card Program Manager will provide strategic leadership and oversight for the University's Commercial Card Program, primarily focusing on the Procurement Card and Travel Card, with secondary support for virtual and ghost card products. This role is integral to expense management and aims to evolve from transactional administration to strategic advisory leadership, identifying opportunities to enhance the department's service offerings. The manager will ensure the accuracy, integrity, and efficiency of daily operations, manage program reporting, and provide comprehensive customer service across the CU system. A key aspect of this role involves championing emerging technologies like AI, predictive analytics, and automated reconciliation tools to drive efficiency and improve program delivery, while balancing institutional risk, data security, compliance, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. The position supervises the Commercial Card Program Administrator and reports to the Director of Travel and Payment Services.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education or equivalent professional experience (The educational requirement may be substituted with professional experience on a year for year basis)
Five (5) years of experience in commercial card management/administration, compliance review, procurement, accounting, accounts payable/receivable, or related experience.
Demonstrated proficiency with Excel in compiling data from various sources for stakeholder analysis
Knowledge of the business and organizational structure of CU
Knowledge of procurement processes and best practices
Knowledge of auditing and risk management best practices
Knowledge of customer service principles and best practices, including customer needs assessments, meeting quality service standards, and evaluating customer satisfaction
Collaboration skills, including the ability to work with others from different areas and backgrounds to reach a common goal
Computer skills, including the ability to utilize Microsoft Office programs (i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.) and learn and experiment with new software and systems
Interpersonal skills, including the ability to facilitate interaction, communication, and teamwork between others
Oral, written, and listening communication skills, including the ability to accurately interpret what others are saying and convey messages, information, concepts, and details accurately and clearly
Organizational skills, including the ability to set and meet goals and deadlines, manage appointments, create schedules, coordinate and facilitate meetings, and make decisions
Ability to work under pressure, manage multiple concurrent and competing tasks and responsibilities, and adapt to changing priorities while maintaining personal effectiveness
Ability to prioritize work, meet deadlines, and stay on task when completing special projects and daily assignments
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and reliable professional judgment, as well as collaboratively with a team to achieve desired results
Ability to maintain a strong work ethic, positive problem-solving attitude, and enthusiasm for the work performed
Ability to self-start and take initiative in completing daily tasks and special projects
Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with a variety of internal and external constituencies
Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ages
Customer service skills, including the ability to actively listen, address customer needs, defuse tense situations, and maintain an open, flexible, and friendly demeanor
Ability to deliver a high level of commitment to customer service
Ability to respond to requests in a timely manner
Ability to present oneself professionally in appearance, demeanor, and effort
Ability to effectively collaborate with team members in-person and remotely
Ability to utilize AI solutions to assist or perform business operations
Knowledge of AI ethics and data privacy considerations in the workplace
Knowledge of natural language prompting (NLP)
Ability to produce content, ideate, edit, and perform analysis

Nice To Haves

Seven (7) years of professional experience, as indicated above, which may also include:
Working with a Commercial Card Program which includes procurement, travel, ghost and virtual cards
One (1) year of experience in a team lead or supervisory role, which may include assigning and reviewing the work of others, providing guidance to internal and external team members, and/or assisting management with performance reviews
Experience working with or in government or an institution of higher education
Experience with Microsoft Access
Experience with Power BI and/or Tableau
Experience with expense and travel management software platforms (e.g. SAP Concur) and bank card program software platforms (e.g. Access Online, CEO/Vantage)
Business-related professional certification [e.g. Certified Purchasing Card Professional (CPCP); Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM); Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB); Accredited Payables Manager (APM); Certified Accounts Payable Associate (CAPA)]
Experience coaching, training, hiring and supporting a team in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven solutions in support of customers and business operations

Responsibilities

Serves as the subject matter expert in policies related to procurement, travel and overall payment policy including expense reimbursements, partnering with the travel and payables teams to ensure consistency across programs.
Serves as a dedicated advisor and champion of customer service with campus partners on all related card office inquiries and initiatives.
Assists campus partners with ongoing interpretation and application of university finance and procurement rules, policies, procedures, and processes. Makes recommendations to PSC leadership on further developing policies, procedures, and guidelines that support the program and university system overall.
Reviews and analyzes data outputs, records, and reports to assess program performance, compliance, and alignment with established benchmarks across campus departments.
Synthesizes department review results, transaction data, and program activity to identify trends, patterns, and emerging risks.
Maintains and enhances Commercial Card Program reporting to support ongoing monitoring, decision-making, and program transparency.
Evaluates the timeliness and accuracy of cardholder submissions and reconciliation activity to identify improvement opportunities.
Manages and maintains commercial card tables in the financial system, as well as the daily data exchange of program detail responsible for powering the existing card-program management tools.
Serves as a subject matter expert on Commercial Card Program processes and procurement policies, including appropriate application of purchasing rules.
Responsible for conducting overall program compliance reviews throughout the university system, partnering with campus departments to evaluate program performance and address deficiencies.
Reviews purchase records for adherence to established policies and guidelines; determines compliance outcomes and issues findings, including warnings, violation points, and card account suspension when necessary.
Identifies potential program violations, inappropriate purchases, and risk indicators through transaction monitoring and analysis.
Assesses departmental practices to determine areas of elevated risk and control weaknesses.
Ensures overall program compliance by monitoring card usage, internal controls, and adherence to university fiscal rules and procurement policies.
Provides guidance and interpretation of university rules, policies, procedures, and processes to campus partners.
Communicates formal program review findings, recommendations, expectations, and potential consequences to departments.
Develops and delivers targeted training and educational resources based on identified compliance trends, risks, and program deficiencies.
Partners with PSC teams and campus departments to design and implement training solutions for units requiring additional support.
Follows up on department action plans and supports implementation of recommended improvements.
Monitors and evaluates approver systems, workflows and effectiveness and provides related feedback and training to campus departments.
Develops and provides training and outreach to individuals and departments.
Manages and provides support for day-to-day Commercial Card Program operations.
Supervises, mentors, and develops the Commercial Card Program Administrator to ensure efficient day-to-day operations and high-level customer service while elevating program maturity.
Manages core program infrastructure, including the Approving Official (AO) database, bank hierarchy system, and financial system procurement card table.
Monitors and ensures completion of required cardholder training within the Percipio system.
Monitors for and resolves batch errors in financial system integrations and sub-system downloads.
Monitors for and resolves errors in the Concur expense management system.
Detects and investigates operational issues, determines root causes, and implements appropriate solutions.
Supports ongoing operational monitoring through reporting, reconciliation oversight, and routine program maintenance.
Monitors program purchasing activity to identify gaps in compliance and determine appropriate remedy.
Supports ongoing supplier relations including engagement with banking partners to troubleshoot and resolve cardholder account issues.
Performs other duties as needed in support of Commercial Card Program administration and management.