The University of Cincinnati

Director of Sourcing, Purchasing Services, Administration & Finance, Hybrid

The University of Cincinnati$90K — $120K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Finance, or a related field required; or equivalent experience.
  • Seven years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, or contract negotiation.
  • Experience managing formal competitive bidding processes, including complex RFPs.
  • Supervisory experience overseeing operational tasks and staff development.
  • Additional experience in public sector procurement or higher education is desirable.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the University’s strategic sourcing function and manage sourcing managers.
  • Oversee execution and evaluation of enterprise-level sourcing projects.
  • Directly engage in high-impact RFPs and RFQs, collaborating with a sourcing manager.
  • Develop long-term sourcing strategies aligned with institutional goals.
  • Serve as an escalation point for complex negotiations and supplier issues.
  • Build and nurture relationships with various university units to understand sourcing needs.
  • Monitor supplier performance and drive ongoing improvements.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive tuition remission for employees and eligible dependents.
  • Robust retirement plans with generous employer contributions.
  • Generous time-off policy including vacation, sick time, and 11 paid holidays.
  • Six weeks of paid parental leave for new parents.
  • Comprehensive health coverage with options for dental, vision, and prescriptions.
Full Job Description
Director of Sourcing, Purchasing Services, Administration & Finance, Hybrid

Posting Start Date: 6/3/26

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

Current UC employees must apply internally via SuccessFactors

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.

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].

REQ: 102773

About The University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati (UC) is a public research university located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was founded in 1819 and is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati. UC offers over 300 degree programs across 14 colleges and schools. The university is known for its co-op program, which allows students to gain work experience while studying. UC is also known for its research in various fields, including medicine, engineering, and law. The university has a diverse student body and is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion.
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