Deputy Director, Procurement & Operations

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Deputy Director, Procurement & Operations

Job Description

About NYC Kids RISE

Over the last decade, NYC Kids RISE has been working alongside partners in government, philanthropy, business and communities to build a first-of-its-kind universal community wealth building platform for New York City neighborhoods. 

Through the Program, nearly every public school student in New York City has an NYC Scholarship Account, starting in kindergarten, with money already invested in a 529 college savings plan, and opportunities to earn more money through rewards and Community Scholarships. Today, more than 380,000 students have NYC Scholarship Accounts with more than ~$85 million designated for their educational futures. The Program is on pace to reach nearly all ~1 million NYC public school students by 2034.

The Program expands access to mainstream financial products; builds individual, family, and collective financial assets; provides financial education for families and students; and brings schools and communities together to support all their children’s futures. As a unique vehicle for building both financial and social capital, the platform serves as a model for generational wealth building and fostering neighborhoods of economic opportunity — locally and nationally — especially for families who have historically faced barriers to wealth building.

In June, the City announced an historic investment, increasing the initial seed scholarship for kindergartners from $100 to $1,000. With growing national, state, and local bipartisan recognition of the power of early wealth building and our infrastructure in place, there is a window of tremendous opportunity to realize a bold vision for New York City kids.

Learn more about NYC Kids RISE at nyckidsrise.org.

Deputy Director, Procurement & Operations

The Deputy Director, Procurement & Operations serves as the functional owner and technical expert for all organizational purchasing systems, vendor strategy, and procurement compliance across NYC Kids RISE. Operating with a high degree of autonomy and self-direction, this role manages a critical operational function that ensures our purchasing practices are rigorous, equitable, fully compliant with public and private funding mandates, and seamlessly integrated across all programmatic and administrative departments.

This role serves as the primary subject matter expert on equitable procurement practices and public grant procurement requirements. The role oversees key vendor relationships, leads organizational RFP processes, leads purchasing execution, and collaborates closely with the Operations Associate to oversee internal and externally-managed inventory. The ideal candidate brings technical expertise in public grant compliance, exceptional project management skills, and a strong commitment to embedding equity into operational infrastructure to drive the success of a fast-paced, mission-driven organization.

The Deputy Director, Procurement & Operations is a key member of the growing Operations team. They are critical to the future and success of NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and will be ready for their next big challenge to make a lasting impact for all New York City kids across generations throughout the five boroughs. 

 

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES OF DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PROCUREMENT & OPERATIONS

Procurement Systems & Operations

• Systems Buildout & Optimization: Build, refine, and maintain scalable procurement systems, standard operating procedures, and clear workflows for vetting, onboarding, and evaluating new and existing vendors.
• RFP Process Management: Manage the organization’s RFP processes, ensuring competitive, equitable, and fair vendor and subgrantee selection. Support teams to design and execute department-led RFPs.
• Coordination of course of business procurement initiatives and related inventory management: Lead and ensure timely execution of cross-functional, course-of-business procurement needs, including supplies, printing, technology, etc. Maintain close coordination between operations and departmental leads to ensure appropriate, proactive inventory management (onsite and with vendors). 
• Contracting and Vendor Management: Lead and support contract drafting with legal, scope-of-work negotiation, and ongoing contract management in partnership with internal teams and legal / compliance. 
• Key Vendor Relations: Serve as the primary point of contact for key vendors including those managing sensitive relationships, monitoring performance against contract terms, and resolving service or contractual issues.
• Equitable Procurement Leadership: Design and execute equitable procurement best practices and drive their implementation across all programmatic and functional areas.

Public Grant Compliance

• Grant & Public Funds: Act as the organization’s subject matter expert on public grant funds procurement requirements (including NY state, and NYC municipal compliance regulations), ensuring all purchasing adheres to strict regulatory and funder guidelines.
• Grant Procurement Operations: Create, implement, and maintain tailored procurement systems and documentation designed to meet specific funder mandates and public grant requirements, in collaboration with compliance and legal.
   

General Organizational Operations

• Strategic Project Execution: Manage large-scope procurement and operations projects from initial planning through execution, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and operational realities, in collaboration with the Director, Operations
• Event Operations: Support organizational event workstreams and operationalizing varying sizes of events
• Facility Operations: Support the Director, Operations and Operations Associate in various facility management needs including inventory oversight and facility-vendor relations. 
• Core Initiatives: Support the Director, Operations on core programmatic initiatives related to the Save for College Program and public funding streams.

QUALIFICATIONS

• At least 4 - 6 years of related professional experience working in procurement or operations, ideally in non profit / grant-funded operations roles
• Demonstrated experience managing multiple concurrent workstreams while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and high-quality execution.
• Highly organized with outstanding project management and prioritization skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Skilled in fostering trust with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultivating an inclusive, collaborative culture.
• Adaptable, flexible, and effective problem solver in fast-paced settings.
• Passion for and commitment to increasing economic opportunities and long-term financial security for low-income New York City families and neighborhoods, and combating wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap.
• Technical skills: Professional experience with Google Workspace products (in particular, Google Sheets and/or Microsoft Excel), Asana, Airtable or similar products is preferred. 

 

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position is $91,200 - $114,000. NYC Kids RISE provides a comprehensive benefits package including 30 days of paid time off (15 vacation days for new employees increasing with tenure; 5 personal days; and two weeks of office closure per year, one in early July and one at the end of December), plus sick time and holidays; medical, dental, vision, life, short- & long-term disability insurance; healthcare FSA with employer contribution; dependent care FSA; and a 401(k) with 4% employer match after one year of service. 

 

LOCATION AND WORK SCHEDULE

NYC Kids RISE currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work both from home and in the office, as determined by the staff member's preferences as well as the needs of the organization and the specific responsibilities of individual roles and teams. The offices are in Long Island City (Queens, NY). 

 

APPLICATION INFORMATION

To apply, please submit a resume and brief cover letter via NYC Kids RISE Careers page.

 

NYC Kids Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of gender, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unemployed status, or any other characteristic protected by law.