Director of Sourcing, Purchasing Services, Administration & Finance, Hybrid
University of CincinnatiJobsCloseBy Editorial Insights
UC seeks a Director of Sourcing, Purchasing Services, Administration & Finance to lead strategic sourcing, manage projects and contract compliance, and guide a team of Strategic Sourcing Managers on RFPs. The role develops long-term category strategies, drives spend management, tracks KPIs, and builds cross-unit partnerships to align sourcing with institutional goals while ensuring Board Rules and federal and state compliance. Requirements include a bachelor’s in business or related field, seven years in strategic sourcing and eleven total, with supervisory experience; HE or public sector experience and professional certifications are a plus. This hybrid Cincinnati role requires applying via the UC applicant portal; internal staff must use SuccessFactors. Tips: highlight leadership in complex negotiations, RFPs, governance and savings, spend analytics and cross-functional impact.
Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors
Next Lives at the University of Cincinnati
Founded in 1819, the University of Cincinnati ranks among the nation’s best urban public research universities. Home to more than 53,600 students, 12,000 faculty and staff, and over 360,000 living alumni, UC, a Carnegie 1 institution, combines research prowess with a physical setting The New York Times has called “the most ambitious campus design program in the country." UC's momentum has never been stronger as the anchor of the Cincinnati Innovation District, the oldest cooperative education (co-op) program in the country with students earning $94 million annually through paid experiences, an academic health system, and as a member of the Big 12 Conference. The university contributes $10.6 billion in economic impact to the city and $22.7 billion to the state of Ohio. At UC, next is all of us. Learn more at uc.edu.
UC is a mission-driven organization where we are committed to student success and positively transforming the community through scholarship and service. We thrive on innovation, making an impact, and fostering an environment where staff and faculty are key contributors to UC’s success.
Job Overview
The Director of Sourcing provides institutional leadership for the University’s strategic sourcing function, overseeing all enterprise‑level competitive sourcing, supplier negotiations, and category strategies. This role manages a team of sourcing managers, including oversight for the university’s contract compliance function. The goal of this position is to ensure UC achieves best value, mitigates risk, and maintains strict compliance with University Board Rules, state procurement regulations, and federal requirements.
The Director both leads the sourcing organization and retains responsibility for select high‑impact, high‑risk RFPs and strategic sourcing initiatives, often working side‑by‑side with direct reports. The Director develops long‑term sourcing strategies, drives spend management discipline, assists in KPI development and tracking, advances institutional cost savings, enhances supplier performance, and strengthens relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners.
This position plays a critical role in financial stewardship, institutional risk reduction, supplier market engagement, and alignment of sourcing practices across the University.
Essential Functions
- Lead the University’s strategic sourcing function and manage a team of Strategic Sourcing Managers, including oversight of contract compliance activities.
- Oversee planning, execution, evaluation, and award decisions for enterprise-level sourcing projects.
- Personally oversee and participate in select high-impact, complex RFPs and RFQs, often partnering with a sourcing manager.
- Develop multi-year sourcing and category strategies that support institutional goals and financial stewardship.
- Serve as escalation point for complex negotiations, supplier issues, and stakeholder challenges.
- Build strong relationships with academic, administrative, facilities, research, and construction units to understand needs and advise on sourcing strategies.
- Manage strategic supplier relationships, monitor supplier performance, and drive continuous improvement.
- Ensure compliance with University Board Rules, state procurement requirements, federal regulations, and internal policies.
- Oversee spend analysis, identify sourcing opportunities, and support campus adoption of spend management discipline.
- Provide training and guidance on competitive bidding requirements, sourcing practices, negotiations, and documentation standards.
- Recommend improvements to sourcing policies, procedures, and standards.
- Oversee procurement KPI development and tracking; measure and report benefits delivered through strategic sourcing and ongoing contract management activities.
- Perform related duties based on departmental need; this job description may change at any time.
Required Education
- Bachelor's Degree in Business, Supply chain, Finance, or a related field.
- Eleven (11) years of relevant education, experience and/or other specialized training can fulfill minimum education and experience requirements.
Required Experience
- Seven (7) years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, contract negotiations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated experience running formal competitive bidding processes, including complex RFPs.
- Supervisory experience specifically including overseeing daily operational tasks as well as staff capability building
Additional Qualifications Considered
- Experience in public sector procurement or higher education.
- Professional certification (CPSM, CPPO, CPPB or similar)
- Experience using eProcurement or sourcing platforms
- Understanding of federal uniform guidance and/or typical sponsored programs procurement procedures
Physical Requirements/Work Environment
- Office environment/no specific unusual physical or environmental demands.
Compensation and Benefits
UC offers an exceptional benefits package designed to support your well-being, financial security, and work-life balance. (UC Benefits) Eligibility may vary by position and FTE status. Highlights include:
Comprehensive Tuition Remission
UC provides tuition remission for you and your eligible dependents, covering tuition costs for nearly all undergraduate and graduate programs offered by the university.
Robust Retirement Plans
As a UC employee, you won’t contribute to Social Security (except Medicare). Instead, you’ll choose between state pension plans (OPERS, STRS) or an Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP), with UC contributing 14–18% of your salary based on position.
Real Work-Life Balance
UC prioritizes work-life balance with a generous time-off policy, including:
Vacation and sick time
11 paid holidays and additional end-of-year paid time off (Winter Season Days)
6 weeks of paid parental leave for new parents
Additional Benefits Include:
- Competitive salary based on experience
- Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision, prescription)
- Flexible spending accounts & wellness programs
- Professional development & mentorship opportunities
To learn more about why UC is a great place to work, please visit our Careers Page.
UC is an E-Verify employer. If hired into this position, you will be required to provide satisfactory proof of employment eligibility by providing acceptable, original forms of identification for employment verification via the Federal I-9 employment verification process. Click here for a list of acceptable documents.
Important: To apply you must create a profile and submit a complete job application through the UC applicant portal. We are unable to consider “easy apply” applications submitted via other websites. For questions about the UC recruiting process or to request accommodations with the application, please contact UC HR at [email protected].
Equal Opportunity Employer. Building a workplace where all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment, including Individuals with Disabilities and Protected Veterans.
REQ: 102773