Associate Director, Procurement

Who we are

Founded in 1824, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) is the first technological research university in the United States. We bring creativity, science, and technology together to address society's greatest challenges. We cultivate exceptional problem-solvers by immersing them in a culture of rigorous inquiry, disciplined practice, and hands-on application. Our strategic plan, RPI Forward, charts a pioneering course for the next era of RPI. Explore the RPI Forward plan. ↗︎

Nestled on a beautiful 275-acre campus in upstate NY, RPI is home to five schools, 32 research centers, three makerspaces, an observatory, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and the IBM Quantum System One - the first university-based quantum computer in the world. 

With top notch employee health and retirement benefits, Rensselaer offers its full-time employees a generous paid time off program, tuition remission, and opportunities for career growth. 

Job Summary

The Associate Director, Procurement Services supports the Director of Procurement Services by leading departmental operations, overseeing procurement systems and data analytics, and coordinating sourcing workload and performance tracking. This role is responsible for ensuring operational consistency, driving process improvements, and serving as a key internal advisor to staff on sourcing tools, compliance, and procurement strategy. The Associate Director provides peer leadership across the procurement team, particularly in contract management, cost savings reporting, and supplier performance tracking, while helping to maintain a high level of service to campus stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.

• Minimum of 7 years of experience in procurement or business operations, with at least 3 years in higher education, the public sector, or a similarly complex organization.

Relevant combinations of education, training and experience may be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's Degree

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• In-depth knowledge of procurement operations and sourcing processes

• Experience managing eProcurement systems (e.g., Jaggaer)

• Excellent planning, communication, and analytical abilities

• Skilled in coaching and supporting cross-functional teams

• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management, supplier performance monitoring, and cost savings strategies

• Strong organizational and documentation skills

Job Duties

• Coordinate and oversee day-to-day procurement operations, requisition workflow, and departmental planning.
• Monitor and reallocate sourcing workloads in coordination with the Director and sourcing team.
• Review sourcing documentation (RFPs, scopes, evaluation tools) to ensure consistency and compliance
• Lead the department’s use of Jaggaer, including Contracts+ module, system improvements, and end-user adoption
• Track and consolidate cost savings data across the procurement team for internal and external reporting.
• Facilitate supplier performance tracking, vendor scorecards, and issue escalation workflows.
• Serve as internal mentor to Strategic Sourcing Managers and support onboarding of new staff.
• Manage tactical commodities and operational categories (e.g., events, FedEx, printing).
• Develop and deliver campus training, procurement communications, and stakeholder education.
• Collaborate with FAST and IT teams to resolve system issues and enable process automation. Represent Procurement Services in cross-functional initiatives and serve as a delegate to the Director.

Shift

Business Hours with weekends or evenings occasionally required

Driving

Incidental driving possible, but not required

Starting Salary/Rate

Expected hiring range: $100,000 - $115,000

Pay transparency disclosure: The selected candidate’s salary will be determined based on factors that include the available budget, internal equity, and the final candidate’s qualifications, experience, education and other job-related credentials. This hiring range is provided as Rensselaer’s good faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting.

$100K–$105K → Meets minimum qualifications with solid procurement experience but limited higher ed/public sector exposure or advanced certifications.   $106K–$110K → Brings strong eProcurement expertise, higher ed/public sector experience, or a Master’s degree/industry certification.   $111K–$115K → Exceeds requiremen