Manager, Procurement & Payables

This is a supervisory position reporting directly to the Director of Procurement and Payables; exercising substantial independent judgment in the fulfillment of duties and responsibilities assigned. The position oversees the Department of Procurement and Payables, a service unit of the Research Foundation. The position is charged with a full range of managerial and supervisory responsibilities, including communicating to staff members the mission of the Foundation and the purpose, policies, and processes of the work unit.

• Directs and trains staff in the activities of the Department
• Supervises the staff of the Department
• Responsible for timely processing of all requests from field and RFCO for purchase orders and non-payroll payments including - vendors, stipends, scholarships, honoraria, and independent contractors
• Designs and implements customer service programs to insure the highest level of service to the field
• Designs and recommends new systems for implementation, as well as enhancements to existing systems to upgrade or add efficiencies to processing of purchase orders/payment requests such as e-Procurement, scanning, document tracking, and automated payment processing
• Designs and manages web-based systems to insure timely information flow to users
• Recommends changes to policy or procedures to improve efficiency/effectiveness of workflow within RF and its community of researchers, while complying with sponsor regulations/guidelines
• Designs and maintains databases to provide timely management of field reports and statistics on business activities. Establishes and tracks benchmarks
• Trains Grants & Contracts and Finance staff as needed
• Other duties as assigned

• Baccalaureate degree, preferably in Business Administration or related discipline
• Experience in sponsored programs administration a plus
• Minimum ten years’ experience in an administrative environment (purchasing, A/P or other appropriate field)
• Computer literate, Kuali Financial System (KFS) experience a plus.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work well under pressure

The Research Foundation of The City University of New York (RFCUNY) was established as a not-for-profit educational corporation chartered by the State of New York in 1963. RFCUNY supports CUNY faculty and staff in identifying and obtaining external support (pre-award) from government and private sponsors and is responsible for the administration of all such funded programs (post-award).

RFCUNY stands between CUNY’s principal investigators (PIs) and the sponsors who support them and strives to fulfill its essential responsibilities to both groups. Working closely with individual PIs and Grants Officers on the campuses, RFCUNY oversees employment, accounting, audit, reporting, purchasing, and special responsibilities that include management of a planned giving program; liaison with governmental agencies and foundations; negotiation of agreements; facility construction and renovation; protection and commercialization of intellectual property; and compliance with applicable standards in research involving human subjects, animal care, environmental and radiological safety, and conflicts of interest.