Purchasing Services Administrative Supervisor

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Position Title:
Purchasing Services Administrative Supervisor

Job Category:
Academic Staff

Employment Type:
Regular

Job Profile:
Administrative Supervisor

Job Duties:

The Purchasing Services Administrative Supervisor will provide leadership, oversight, and continuous improvement for low dollar purchases and business support functions that enable efficient systemwide operations across the Universities of Wisconsin. This position supervises a team of 3-4 staff responsible for processing procurements under $5,000, administering contract repository operations for Universities of Wisconsin System Administration and Department of Administration agreements, coordinating the annual systemwide waiver process, managing insurance certificate collection, and overseeing daily inbound communications and service requests. The Administrative Supervisor establishes work priorities, monitors performance and service levels, ensures compliance with applicable policies and regulations, and fosters a customer-service-oriented environment that supports UW stakeholders.

Work Location
The office location is located at 660 West Washington, Madison, WI. An in-office requirement is expected three (3) days per week, and two days may be worked off-site/remote.  Telecommuting agreements are subject to change at any time.

Key Job Responsibilities:

•  Supervises, coaches, and develops a team of 3-4 employees, including assigning work, establishing priorities, approving time, managing performance and conduct, and participating in hiring, discipline, and other personnel actions.
• Directs the timely and accurate processing of procurements under $5,000 and provides guidance to staff and UW stakeholders on applicable purchasing requirements and procedures.
• Oversees contract repository operations for Universities of Wisconsin System Administration and State of Wisconsin Department of Administration agreements, supporting accurate records, accessibility, and lifecycle administration.
• Coordinates the annual systemwide waiver process, including work planning, stakeholder communications, tracking, issue resolution, and timely completion.
• Oversees the collection, review, tracking, and maintenance of supplier insurance certificates and addresses documentation gaps or service issues.
• Manages daily inbound communications and service requests, establishes service expectations, monitors workload and response times, and ensures consistent, customer-focused support.
• Analyzes operational data and trends, prepares reports on workload and service performance, and recommends process, technology, and service improvements.
• Partners with procurement, finance, legal, risk management, and campus stakeholders to resolve complex issues and improve systemwide purchasing support.
• Develops and maintains procedures, training materials, and cross-training plans that promote consistency, continuity, and staff development.
• Fosters an inclusive, accountable, and collaborative work environment focused on continuous improvement and high-quality public service.

Department:

provides payroll, benefits, HR, business services, and reporting services to UW employees and universities.  UW-Shared Services exists to standardize processes, consolidate operations, and streamline administrative practices to provide high-quality services while improving administrative efficiency and effectiveness. In addition to providing high-quality services, Service Operations brings value to UW institutions by reducing administrative burden and cost, thereby allowing them to invest time and resources into activities which are more central to their mission.

Compensation:

The Purchasing Services Administrative Supervisor is a full-time, salaried (exempt), academic staff-ongoing, position. Well-qualified candidates can expect a starting annual salary within a range of $78,000. –  $84,500. commensurate with the candidate’s education, related experience, and qualifications.

Required Qualifications:

·       Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required.

·       At least two years of a combination of Purchasing, Finance or Accounting experience.

·       Experience interpreting and applying policies, procedures, laws, regulations, or internal controls.

·       Experience supporting customers in a large complex organization

·       Experience supervising employees, leading teams, coordinating work assignments, or serving in a lead role responsible for operational outcomes.

·       Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and purchasing software systems

Preferred Qualifications:

·       Knowledge of State and University of Wisconsin purchasing rules and procedures.

·       Experience with contract repository operations for Universities of Wisconsin System Administration and State of Wisconsin Department of Administration agreements.

·       Experience working with Workday and/or Jagger

How to Apply:

Applicant screening will begin immediately and be ongoing through November 15, 2026. However, applications may be accepted until the position has been filled. To receive full consideration, applicants are required to apply online and provide:

·       Resume (PDF Format) 

·       Cover letter addressing your experience and education as it applies to all minimum and preferred qualifications (PDF Format) 

Contact Information:

Questions may be addressed to .