Procurement Assistant Director

About the Opportunity

JOB SUMMARY
The Procurement Assistant Director will serve as a strategic leader in managing and optimizing Northeastern's extensive supplier ecosystem of ~ 9,000 suppliers. This role combines strategic supplier relationship management with operational excellence in supplier onboarding, compliance, and data management. The Procurement Assistant Director will lead the transformation to a supplier self-service model, ensuring the efficient, effective, and compliant management of our global supply base.

As a senior member of the Procurement Operations Team, this individual will lead critical supplier management initiatives, including compliance screening (e.g., OFAC, restricted party screening), regulatory reporting (e.g., independent contractor and 1099 classification), and maintenance of sensitive tax, insurance, and banking data within our supplier management system, IntelliBUY. The role requires establishing and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships with suppliers while supporting faculty, staff, and students across the university.

This position will champion procurement best practices, drive continuous improvement initiatives, and serve as a strategic advisor for supplier-related decisions. The Procurement Assistant Director will lead supplier data management activities, collaborate with internal risk and compliance partners, oversee supplier outreach and case management, and drive enhancements to the IntelliBUY supplier management module and roadmap planning.

We invite you to join this dynamic team if you're ready to lead a growing and maturing procurement practice, drive lasting operational improvements, and deliver outstanding customer service while maintaining data-driven outcomes via key performance indicators (KPIs) and service level agreements (SLAs). 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree and 7-10 years of related experience or MBA/MS and 5 years of relevant experience in procurement, supplier management, or supply chain operations

• Demonstrated expertise in supplier data management, supplier relationship management techniques and strategies, and day-to-day activity management within Procure to Invoice and Supplier Management workflows

• Strong experience in developing and executing performance management frameworks, including KPIs, SLAs, and continuous improvement initiatives

• Experience with enterprise procurement systems; familiarity with Jaggaer and Workday strongly preferred

Regulatory Compliance and Data Security Knowledge:

• Deep understanding of supplier data regulatory requirements, including Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), USA PATRIOT Act Customer Identification Programs, and OFAC sanctions screening protocols

• Knowledge of NACHA Operating Rules for ACH/EFT transactions, including WEB Debit Account Validation requirements and upcoming Fraud Monitoring phases (2024-2026)

• Familiarity with data protection regulations, including GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and their application to supplier banking information

• Understanding of IRS requirements, including 1099 regulations, TIN matching, W-9/W-8 verification, and FATCA compliance for international suppliers

• Knowledge of international tax documentation and banking standards, particularly ISO 20022 migration, IBAN validation, and SWIFT protocols

Data Management and Governance Expertise:

• Experience with master data management frameworks, including DAMA-DMBOK, Gartner's MDM Maturity Model, or DCAM

• Understanding of ISO 8000 data quality standards and implementation of data quality dimensions (e.g., accuracy, completeness, timeliness, consistency, validity, uniqueness)

• Knowledge of security standards, including PCI DSS for payment data, SOX Section 404 for financial controls, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, and ISO 27001:2022

Professional Certifications (Preferred):

• Supply Chain: CSCP or CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management)

• Privacy: CIPP (Certified Information Privacy Professional) or CIPM (Certified Information Privacy Manager)

• Vendor Risk: CTPRP (Certified Third-Party Risk Professional)

Additional Competencies:

• Familiarity and experience utilizing data warehouse, data analytics, and reporting tools a plus (e.g., Cognos, SQL, R, Python, Tableau, Power BI)

KEY RESPONSIILITIES & ACCOUNTABILITIES

Strategic Supplier Management and Onboarding Leadership:

• Lead and oversee supplier onboarding and maintenance within our supply management systems, ensuring timely and accurate creation of supplier master file records in compliance with ISO 8000 data quality standards.

• Establish and maintain strategic supplier relationships while driving the transformation to a supplier self-service model.

• Oversee the creation, updating, and deactivation of supplier records, including remit-to addresses, tax reporting information, ACH banking information verified through NACHA-compliant validation methods, and supplier contact information.

• Ensure comprehensive regulatory compliance, including OFAC sanctions screening, Bank Secrecy Act requirements, W-9/W-8 verification through IRS TIN matching services, FATCA documentation for international suppliers, and restricted party screening against SDN, SSI, and consolidated sanctions lists.

•  Implement and maintain data security controls, including AES-256 encryption for sensitive banking data at rest, TLS 1.3/1.2 protocols for data in transit, and multi-factor authentication for system access.

• Lead supplier data enrichment initiatives using third-party services (D&B, Experian, LexisNexis) to enhance data quality and risk assessment capabilities.

Operational Excellence and Process Improvement:

• Drive continuous improvement initiatives across all supplier management processes aligned with DAMA-DMBOK framework and Gartner's MDM Maturity Model.

• Develop, implement, and maintain processes, policies, guidelines, Standard Operating Procedures, and Business Operating Principles incorporating NACHA Operating Rules updates and ISO 20022 transition requirements.

• Lead IntelliBUY supplier management module enhancement and roadmap planning initiatives, ensuring compliance with evolving regulatory requirements.

• Implement automation opportunities for supplier data validation, including micro-deposit verification, instant account verification, and real-time sanctions screening.

• Ensure data integrity and consistency between Workday and JAGGAER systems using master data management best practices and golden record creation methodologies.

• Establish data quality monitoring across six dimensions: accuracy, completeness, timeliness, consistency, validity, and uniqueness.

Performance Management and Analytics:

• Develop and execute comprehensive data quality scorecards tracking KPIs across accuracy rates, completeness percentage, timeliness metrics, and consistency scores

• Report on key supplier onboarding metrics, including regulatory compliance rates, verification completion times, and data quality dimensions, to senior leadership

• Implement continuous monitoring through real-time dashboards for OFAC screening results, TIN matching success rates, and banking verification outcomes.

• Conduct risk assessments aligned with NIST Cybersecurity Framework and ISO 27001:2022 standards for supplier data handling.

• Lead quarterly reviews of audit logs and compliance reports to ensure adherence to SOX Section 404, PCI DSS, and GDPR requirements.

• Collaborate with Legal/Office of General Counsel on regulatory compliance issues, beneficial ownership documentation, and Corporate Transparency Act requirements.

Stakeholder Management and Leadership:

• Serve as the University's spokesperson and subject matter expert for supplier data governance and regulatory compliance matters.

• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with internal risk, compliance, information security, and data privacy partners.

• Lead cross-functional teams in implementing data protection controls, including Data Loss Prevention (DLP), access management, and encryption standards.

• Participate in industry forums and communities of practice focused on supplier data management standards (ECCMA, DAMA, ISM)

• Support technology adoption for enhanced verification methods, including SWIFT Universal Confirmations, ISO 20022 messaging, and blockchain-based supplier validation

• Communicate regulatory changes and compliance requirements to the university community, including NACHA fraud monitoring phases and FATCA updates.

Strategic Planning and Project Management:

• Support University committees evaluating supplier data management initiatives and regulatory compliance programs

• Lead strategic projects, including ISO 20022 payment format migration, enhanced fraud detection implementation, and data quality improvement programs.

• Develop business cases for advanced technologies, including AI-powered data quality tools, real-time verification services, and predictive risk analytics.

• Ensure alignment with institutional data governance frameworks and enterprise information security policies.

• Monitor the evolving regulatory landscape, including proposed legislation, enforcement trends, and developments in international standards.

• Coordinate with external auditors on SOX testing, manage internal audit findings, and oversee remediation of compliance gaps.

Position Type

Finance

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

111S

Expected Hiring Range:

$86,490.00 - $122,163.75

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.