Administrative and Central Office

Description:
Position Summary: New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) is the largest school system in the nation, with nearly 1 million students, 135,000 employees, including more than 80,000+ teachers and an annual budget of $38B. The Division of Contracts and Purchasing (DCP) is responsible for shepherding, managing, and registering all contracts, as well as for maintaining oversight of non contracted spend. DCP is governed by the Procurement Policies & Procedures (PPP).

The Executive Director, Strategic Procurements & Specialized Instruction/Related Services will, with creativity, innovation, and a focus on maximizing outcomes for students and schools, serve as the executive leader responsible for establishing the long term strategic direction, leadership and operational excellence of one of NYCPS largest procurement portfolios, ensuring procurement strategies advance organizational priorities, maximize public value, and improve outcomes for students and schools. The Executive Director will have a deep understanding of all vendor resource activities for the areas of Central Office, Funded, Special Services Procurements, Grants, Directed City Council allocations, Pre-Kindergarten, and Related Services.

The Executive Director will focus on Chancellor and Mayoral priorities, including various funding sources such as City, tax levy and grant funding streams. This position will proactively and collaboratively work together with their clients to review all contracts for goods and services periodically to advise on opportunities to rebid or resolicit contracts to obtain the best value for NYCPS and to maximize awards and subcontracting to Minority/Women Owned Business Enterprises (M/WBEs).

The Executive Director will work closely with the Deputy Chief Procurement Officers (DCPOs) of Procurement Strategy & Policy and Operations to ensure their portfolio’s strategy and implementation align with the overall strategic vision of the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO), the Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), the Chief Operating Officer/Deputy Chancellor of Operations + Finance, the Citywide Business Diversity Officer (CBDO), and City Hall.

The Executive Director will collect and utilize data to drive decision making and accountability for their team. The incumbent will utilize data and analysis to guide client offices and schools to best procurement practices to maximize outcomes. This position will lead a team of about 10-15 staff of procurement analysts and coordinators, directors, and project managers, as well as a Deputy Executive Director. This is a large scale procurement operation involving the acquisition of goods and services that enable children to learn and schools to function, and that constitutes over 150 contracts annually. Performs related work.

Responsibilities

Strategic Portfolio Leadership

Sets robust contract goals and pace for a portfolio of high performing functions, providing excellent customer service to clients and teams.
Establishes the long term strategic vision, performance objectives, and operational priorities for a complex procurement portfolio valued at approximately $1 billion.
Drives and leads excellence in procurement services to students and schools by managing Strategic Procurements and Specialized Instruction and Related Services Procurement portfolios to maximize outcomes.
Provides executive leadership and strategic oversight for the procurement portfolio, ensuring alignment with agency priorities, fiscal stewardship, and evolving educational initiatives.
Shapes procurement strategy by anticipating legislative, regulatory, and industry trends and advising executive leadership on policy direction and organizational impact, recommending improvements related to Chancellor and Mayoral initiatives.
Leads as steward over the portfolio, working closely with and anticipating the needs of their client offices and schools. Client division is primarily Division of Inclusive and Accessible Learning, including Special Education Office, Office of Related Services, and Office of Multilingual Learners, and the Office of School Health in the Division of Operations + Finance.
Proactively plans and understands client offices’ and schools’ procurement needs to ensure successful initiative implementation and smooth operations.
Partners with executive leadership across NYCPS to develop procurement strategies that proactively address emerging organizational priorities and operational risks.
Directs the team in leveraging negotiated services, sole sources, and M/WBE PCMs effectively and responsibly.
Reviews active contracts to recommend rebids or new procurements, maximizing M/WBE participation and cost savings.
Proactively monitors policy and process changes related to students with disabilities and multilingual learners, ensuring client offices are effectively supported in meeting the needs of children.
Develops enterprise performance metrics and executive dashboards to monitor portfolio performance, evaluate organizational effectiveness, drive continuous improvement, and maintain team accountability.
Leads, supports, and develops team members to deliver top tier service, stepping in for relationship management as needed.
Supports client offices in vendor engagement for Chancellor and Mayoral initiatives, ensuring strong customer service.
Reviews contract statuses for opportunities to engage M/WBEs as prime or subcontractors.
Develops and executes long range strategic plans that modernize procurement operations and improve organizational effectiveness.
Advises the Chief Procurement Officer and executive leadership on procurement risks, emerging issues, and strategic opportunities.
Leads large scale organizational change initiatives that improve procurement policies, systems, and service delivery.
Establishes governance frameworks and performance standards to ensure accountability, transparency, and operational excellence across the portfolio.
Champions innovative procurement methodologies, technology solutions, and process redesign initiatives that enhance efficiency and improve client outcomes.

Contract Administration

Directs the successful execution of a high volume procurement portfolio encompassing over 150 contracts annually.
Establishes procedures, protocol and process improvements for contract and procurement activities, ensuring compliance from the team.
Supports client offices on vendor engagement strategy with related services providers and other vendors, driving excellent customer service with the team.
Leads, facilitates and oversees corrective action when contractors fail to meet contractual obligations.
Oversees the contract processes from pre-solicitation to award, including drafting and reviewing procurement documents.
Leads and oversees procurement staff in specifications, pricing negotiations, and vendor engagements.
Facilitates procurement training to program and content professionals including administrators, school staff, including principals and business managers.
Ensures contract timelines and deliverables are met efficiently and successfully.
Establishes executive reporting mechanisms that provide senior leadership with actionable insights into procurement performance, contract lifecycle management, and operational risks.

Policy Compliance

Enforces agency compliance with laws, including NYS General Municipal Laws, Chancellor’s Regulations, and Mayoral policies.
Provides executive oversight of procurement governance, ensuring compliance with applicable laws while promoting accountability and transparency.
Explores contract leveraging opportunities with other municipalities for cost savings and efficiency.
Works with city and state agencies (DCAS and NYS OGS) to find collaborative contracting opportunities.
Advises staff and leaders on procurement policies and updates, developing training materials for transparency of information.
Champions strategic supplier diversity initiatives that expand equitable contracting opportunities and advance the agency's M/WBE objectives.
Prepares briefings for senior leadership on compliance and procurement status.
Serves as a subject matter expert in contract management training.

Executive Leadership

Provides executive leadership to a multidisciplinary team of directors, project managers, analysts, and coordinators, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Builds organizational capacity through succession planning, leadership development, coaching, and strategic workforce planning.
Promotes an inclusive, high performing work environment aligned with NYCPS leadership values.
Drives organizational excellence through performance management and talent development initiatives.

Qualifications Requirements:

Minimum

A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and four (4) years of full-time satisfactory professional experience in purchasing, procurement, contract administration or a related field, at least eighteen months of which must have been in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity or supervising professional personnel performing duties in one or more of the above fields; or
A combination of education and/or experience equivalent to "1" above. However, all candidates must have the eighteen months of administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory experience described in "1" above.

Possession of an acceptable professional procurement certification may be substituted for up to one (1) year of the experience described in "1" above. However, all candidates must have the eighteen months of administrative, managerial, executive or supervisory experience described in "1" above.

Preferred

Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) lifetime certification.
NIGP - Certified Public Purchasing Buyer (CPPB) certification.
10+ years of executive leadership experience.
Excellent follow up skills and works with a sense of urgency in a fast paced environment
Deep experience and expertise in education and workforce development.
Wide experience working with education clients, including schools, districts, higher education, state and federal agencies, policymakers, colleges and universities, and businesses and community organizations.
Excellent written and spoken communication skills; ability to organize facts and present information and figures in a clear, concise and logical manner, both spoken and written.
Excellent interpersonal skills in dealing with education and non education personnel, internal and external to NYCPS.
Demonstrated ability to build consensus and influence executive stakeholders across large, complex organizations.
Ability to think strategically and translate insights into action.
Demonstrated success leading large scale initiatives in complex, fast paced public sector environments. Proven executive leader with experience developing innovative solutions to complex operational and policy challenges, with the ability to perform independent, thoughtful analysis around important educational issues.
Ability to analyze a problem or situation and quickly capture the important elements.
Proven Leader, attentive to detail, extremely well organized, and able to work under pressure.
Strong interpersonal and customer interface skills.
Superior organizational, analytical, verbal and mathematical skills and the ability to work in a proactive, independent manner.