Procurement & Fiscal Compliance Administrator (Open Rank)

University of Colorado•Aurora, CO

1d•$67,611 - $89,740•Hybrid

About The Position

The Procurement & Fiscal Compliance Administrator serves as the School of Medicine’s purchasing liaison and strategic leader for procurement operations. Acting with delegated executive fiscal and procurement approval authority from the Dean, this role ensures that all purchasing and travel transactions comply with university, state, and federal regulations and provides real-time guidance to faculty and staff. The Administrator leads institutional efforts to improve procurement practices, enforce fiscal accountability, and build operational capacity across finance, procurement, travel, and compliance for 100+ SOMDO business units, with expenses totaling $250+ million. This position requires deep knowledge of the complex regulatory environment governing academic health centers and the ability to lead with discretion, authority, and collaboration. Nature of Work: This position serves as the School of Medicine (SOM) procurement liaison with a focus on policy and procedure adherence, responsible for performing professional-level duties that will ensure that SOM purchasing transactions comply with all relevant rules and regulations. The position is primarily concerned with understanding the complexities governing all types of transactions within the SOM and providing real-time advice, as a subject-matter expert, to the school's faculty and staff on the most effective methods for obtaining needed goods and services. This position oversees the day-to-day administrative and purchasing functions of the SOM Dean’s Office, with oversight of business operations including procurement, travel, and programmatic expense monitoring. The Administrator ensures the appropriateness and allowability of expenditures and processes journal entries as needed. Additionally, the Administrator serves as the content expert for procurement and contracting, including complex solicitations and agreements with industry partners. This role delegates tasks as appropriate and provides guidance and updates on fiscal and procurement policy to staff across all SOM units. The Administrator is also responsible for driving process improvement and strengthening business infrastructure related to expense management and procurement, ensuring the smooth and efficient functioning of the Dean's Office.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, business administration, or finance from an accredited college or university.
At least five (5) years of experience with direct responsibility for purchasing and procurement or related financial transactions. Additional emphasis in financial management, audit, or compliance.
Bachelor’s degree in business, business administration, or finance from an accredited college or university.
At least six (6) or more years of experience with direct responsibility for purchasing and procurement or related financial transactions. Additional emphasis in financial management, audit, or compliance.
In-depth knowledge of University of Colorado Administrative Policy Statements, state fiscal rules, and federal procurement regulations.
Ability to interpret, research, and apply regulatory materials and provide real-time guidance.
Direct experience in contract formulation and contract management.
Experience in project management, including technology procurement.
Vendor management, accounts payable, and accounts receivable expertise.
Strong communication skills that foster trust and credibility across diverse constituencies.
Superior problem-solving and analytical abilities.
Ability to work effectively in a complex, decentralized organization.
Strong analytical and financial skills, including compliance.
Must be able to work independently and be flexible.
Interpersonal skills with the ability to provide excellent customer service, while ensuring fiscal compliance and policy/rule adherence.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
Ability to maintain confidentiality.
Advanced skills in Microsoft Office Suite, technically adept, software savvy.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business, business administration, or finance from an accredited college or university.
Experience at an academic health sciences center strongly preferred.
Professional certifications (e.g., CPPO, CPPB, CPSM) are desirable.
Experience and advanced knowledge of the University of Colorado’s procurement, contract, and fiscal policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Exercise delegated fiscal and procurement approval authority on behalf of the Dean.
Approve Marketplace, procurement card, and travel transactions.
Ensure the allowability and appropriateness of expenditures under university, state, and federal regulations.
Monitor day-to-day procurement and travel operations for SOMDO.
Process journal entries and correct financial discrepancies.
Maintain audit readiness documentation.
Enforce adherence to Administrative Policy Statements (APS) and state fiscal rules.
Serve as content expert for procurement and contracting.
Draft and review MOUs and standard agreements.
Provide real-time consultation to faculty and staff.
Resolve after-the-fact transactions and policy violations.
Serve as liaison to Procurement Services and the Controller’s Office.
Maintain advanced regulatory knowledge.
Advise on appropriate procurement pathways.
Review and approve complex travel transactions.
Manage relocation and exception-based expenses.
Ensure documentation integrity.
Enforce campus travel policies.
Develop SOPs and guidance materials.
Deliver training on procurement systems and policies.
Provide onboarding support.
Communicate policy updates.
Provide fiscal support to departments during transitions.
Address operational breakdowns as assigned.
Partner with compliance units to resolve issues.
Design and implement a School of Medicine Shared Procurement Services Model.
Develop the business case, service model, governance framework, and fee structure (if applicable).
Create standardized service-level agreements (SLAs) for participating departments.
Establish performance metrics (cycle time, compliance rates, cost savings, audit findings).
Lead long-term strategic planning for procurement operations across SOM.
Architect and launch a centralized procurement shared services team within SOMDO.
Define team structure (analysts, buyers, compliance specialists).
Develop role descriptions, hire, onboard, and supervise staff.
Establish intake workflows and ticketing systems.
Build standardized procurement intake and routing processes.
Develop KPI dashboards and reporting infrastructure.
Implement continuous improvement methodologies (Lean, process mapping, etc.).
Develop and execute a strategy to solicit new SOM departments to participate in shared procurement services.
Conduct stakeholder needs assessments with Chairs and DFAs.
Present service model proposals to departments.
Negotiate participation agreements.
Expand shared services portfolio across SOM.
Track service adoption metrics and client satisfaction.
Lead development of school-wide procurement governance standards.
Recommend institutional policy enhancements.
Serve on campus-level fiscal governance committees as a strategic representative.
Develop risk mitigation frameworks for high-risk transactions.
Provide strategic fiscal advisement to executive leadership.
Develop cost-saving models through vendor consolidation.
Lead strategic sourcing initiatives.
Analyze spend patterns across SOM units.
Identify opportunities for contract renegotiation.
Implement enterprise procurement analytics.
Directly supervise procurement staff.
Conduct performance evaluations.
Establish professional development plans.
Manage staffing allocations.
Oversee budget for the shared services unit.