Strategic Director of Procurement & Contracts

Montana State University - Office of Student Engagement; Bozeman (MT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Montana State University is seeking a strategic Director of Procurement and Contract Services responsible for the university's procurement function, contracts, and Jaggaer system. This role guides policy compliance and delivers a seamless procure-to-pay experience for campus stakeholders across MSU and affiliates.

The successful candidate will lead a team, set strategic direction, and partner with Finance to advance a modern, integrated procurement model, ensuring efficiency and accountability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field and leadership experience in procurement.
• Experience with public procurement including RFPs and IFBs.
• Ability to lead through managers in a highly regulated environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement and contracting while coordinating with accounts payable to deliver a cohesive procure-to-pay experience.
• Maintain procurement delegation and ensure compliance with Montana state law and university policies.
• Communicate clearly with diverse campus stakeholders including affiliated campuses and external partners.
• Provide unit oversight and align cross-unit teams to achieve service standards.
• Oversee contracts for goods and services and coordinate with Legal Counsel on terms and conditions.
• Drive governance and enhancements of Jaggaer/SmartBuyMSU and the procure-to-pay system.
• Identify opportunities to reduce administrative burden and improve processing times.
• Balance compliance with responsiveness to academic, research, and operational needs.

Skills

Leadership experience

Public procurement

RFPs and IFBs

Strategic planning

Policy compliance

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, public administration, law, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Advanced degree or professional certification (e.g., MBA, J.D., CPPO, CPSM)

Tools

Jaggaer

Job description

Montana State University is seeking a strategic Director of Procurement and Contract Services responsible for the university's procurement function, contracts, and Jaggaer system. This role guides policy compliance and delivers a seamless procure-to-pay experience for campus stakeholders across MSU and affiliates.

The successful candidate will lead a team, set strategic direction, and partner with Finance to advance a modern, integrated procurement model, ensuring efficiency and accountability.