IT Procurement Specialist - Division of Finance

About the position

The role is responsible for leading procurement strategy, sourcing initiatives, and supplier relationship management across information technology (IT) and select non-IT categories. Primary areas of focus include software, hardware, SaaS, cloud services, consulting, and telecommunications, with potential oversight of other institutional spend categories as needed. Reporting to the Director of IT Procurement, the role plays a key role in aligning procurement activities with University goals related to cost containment, risk management, compliance, and sustainability. This role will perform core analytics work for the department, supporting sourcing and operations. Identify opportunities to further aggregate spend, advance economic inclusion impact, or otherwise assist the university in purchasing effectively. Lead efforts to enhance the process and deliverables associated with presenting school/center procurement related analytics.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute category strategies across IT and applicable non-IT areas in support of institutional priorities.
• Lead competitive sourcing and contracting initiatives, particularly within software and IT services.
• Manage supplier relationships to ensure high performance, service quality, and continuous improvement.
• Support issue resolution, contract negotiations, and enforcement of service-level agreements.
• Engage internal stakeholders to ensure procurement solutions align with business needs.
• Promote University procurement policies and educate campus partners on best practices.
• Advance Penn's objectives for local, community, and sustainable sourcing through strategic supplier collaboration.
• Perform core analytics work for the department in support of department objectives.
• Conduct strategic sourcing analytics to identify aggregation opportunities across the University.
• Develop and execute an improved process and deliverables as defined by department.
• Support ad hoc analytical needs, including emerging initiatives related to strategic sourcing.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and 5+ years of procurement or sourcing experience with a focus on Information Technology (IT) categories (e.g., hardware, software licensing models or IT Services).
• Proven experience leading sourcing initiatives and negotiating IT agreements.
• Excellent stakeholder communication and cross-functional collaboration skills in a technological environment.
• Must have an advanced understanding of common legal standards (i.e., payment terms; indemnity/remedies; limits of liability, warranties), including but not limited to: Trademark/Intellectual property rights, Data use, data ownership, data transfer issues, Remedies, including indemnification, Limitations of Liability (LOL) and related, common customer carve-outs (i.e., no LOL for specific issues; LOL's capped or defined for other issues).
• Proven interpersonal and communication skills required, including a track record of effectively partnering with a various group of customers, ideally in a higher education or non-profit environment.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with internal experts.
• Capability to manage detail and complex issues.
• Ability to collaborate with the contracting team to develop contract language to address complex and often ambiguous business, legal, and technical situations.
• Experience with e-procurement tools (e.g., Jaggaer, Coupa, Ariba, etc.).
• Certification as a Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) highly preferred.

Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits.
• Tuition: Tuition assistance for employees, spouses, and dependent children.
• Retirement: Generous retirement plans including Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans.
• Time Away from Work: Substantial amount of time away from work for personal needs.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: Long-term care insurance for faculty and staff and eligible family members.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Programs and resources to support health and work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Resources for personal and professional advancement.
• University Resources: Access to a wide range of University resources and cultural activities.
• Discounts and Special Services: Discounts on various goods and services for faculty and staff.
• Flexible Work Hours: Options for non-traditional work hours and locations.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Forgivable loan for eligible employees for home buying.
• Adoption Assistance: Reimbursement for qualified expenses related to legal adoption.