AVP and Chief Procurement Officer

Join Our Team as Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer (AVP/CPO)

About Us

At our esteemed university, we are dedicated to advancing knowledge, fostering creativity, and preparing future leaders. Our commitment to excellence permeates every aspect of our institution, and we are seeking a visionary leader to join us as the Associate Vice President and Chief Procurement Officer.

Position Overview

Located on the Cornell University Campus in Ithaca, New York, and reporting directly to the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, this high-impact role oversees procurement across Cornell's campuses-including Ithaca, Cornell Tech, Weill Cornell Medicine (NYC), and Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar-driving transformation, innovation, and operational excellence across a diverse and complex procurement landscape.

You will be expected to work on the Ithaca campus, although you may be permitted to perform a portion of your work remotely. You will have the option to reside in either Ithaca or NYC and will be expected to work in person. You will be required to travel to both the Ithaca and NYC locations to maintain a physical presence, minimally on a quarterly basis. The amount of time required will be dependent upon business needs. The position and benefits are associated with the Ithaca campus and the final determination of a successful candidate's starting salary is based on education, relevant experience, and unique applicable skills.

Key Responsibilities

In this role you will

• Lead university-wide procurement strategy, strategic sourcing, supplier management, contracting, and procure-to-pay operations.
• Oversee procurement activities supporting academic, research, clinical, and administrative environments.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and customer service across a multi-campus team.
• Collaborate with WCM to develop, implement, and manage a clinical procurement strategy.
• Manage WCM's participation in the Vizient University HealthSystem Consortium GPO in partnership with New York Presbyterian (NYP) procurement team to maintain eligibility and expand vendor relationships.
• Collaborate with leaders within the Division of Financial Services to evaluate and optimize the connection points and relationships between the University's procurement function and financial shared services organization, which includes accounts payable.
• Align procurement operations with the Cornell Experience Modernization Initiative (CEMI) (e.g. unification of administrative and financial university systems and processes.)
• Drive cost savings, service delivery, supplier diversity, and sustainability through strategic sourcing and technology.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and sponsor regulations (e.g., HIPAA, research procurement).

Qualifications

• Master's degree in business, Supply Chain, Finance, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
• 10+ years of progressive executive procurement and strategic sourcing leadership in higher ed, healthcare, or complex corporate environments with enterprise-level spend responsibility of over $1B.
• Proven success in procurement transformation, ERP implementation, and organizational change.
• Deep expertise in design and implementing procurement strategies, negotiation, data analytics, public contracting, compliance, and strategic sourcing that drive efficiency, value, and innovation.
• Strong financial acumen, analytical capability, and technology orientation.
• Capacity to act decisively and efficiently when conditions change or risks emerge and lead any changes required for implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain strong internal controls, identify risks, and implement mitigation strategies to safeguard institutional assets.
• Must have executive presence, including excellent written, verbal and presentation skills for engaging executives, staff and executive partners, and possess advanced interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work and interact effectively and collaboratively with a diversity of individuals representing a broad range of skills and experiences, and the ability to build coalitions and inter-functional teams to leverage synergistic relationships.
• Demonstrated cultural competence and commitment to fostering belonging.

Preferred Qualifications:

Desired Procurement certification(s)

• Institute of Supply Chain Management (ISM); Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM)
• Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)/Certified Public Purchasing Buyer (CPPB)
• Project Management Professional (PMP) for skills in managing procurement projects.

Membership in the National Association of Education Procurement (NAEP) highly desired.

Rewards and Benefits

Cornell University provides a competitive compensation package that recognizes an individual's unique experience, credentials, and education alongside a robust total rewards program. Learn more about living and working in Ithaca.

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Non-Union Positions

Noted pay ranges reflect the potential pay opportunity for each job profile. The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position

• Unique applicable skills

• Academic Discipline

To learn more about Cornell's non-union staff job titles and pay ranges, see Career Navigator.

Union Positions

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined in accordance with the rates in the respective collective bargaining agreement. To learn more about Cornell's union wages, see Union Pay Rates.

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