Assistant Manager of Purchasing and Accounts Payable

Position: Assistant Manager of Purchasing and Accounts Payable

             Finance Department

Overview of Cambridge Public Schools:

Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) serves approximately 7,000 students in grades JK–12 and employs more than 1,800 staff members across the district. The Purchasing & Accounts Payable Department, within the Office of Finance & Budget, supports schools and departments by facilitating timely and efficient purchasing, contracting, vendor management, and payment processes while ensuring compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and City of Cambridge and CPS policies.

The Opportunity:

Reporting to the Manager of Purchasing & Accounts Payable, the Assistant Manager supports the day-to-day operations of the department and serves as a key resource to staff, schools, departments, vendors, and City partners. The position helps oversee purchasing and accounts payable workflows, supports and develops department staff, ensures timely completion of contracts, requisitions and purchase orders, supports compliance with public procurement requirements, and assists with the administration and continuous improvement of financial systems and business processes.

The Assistant Manager will also serve as a resource to the department in the Manager's absence and will help ensure continuity, accuracy, responsiveness, and strong customer service across Purchasing & Accounts Payable operations.

Key responsibilities:

• Assist with the day-to-day management of Purchasing & Accounts Payable operations, including prioritizing workflow, monitoring deadlines, resolving escalated issues, and ensuring timely completion of departmental work.
• Oversee and support the preparation and processing of annual contracts, requisitions, purchase orders, vendor documentation, and related procurement transactions.
• Support accounts payable operations, including invoice and payment workflows, vendor inquiries, payment exceptions, documentation, and coordination with appropriate CPS and City departments.
• Assist with the supervision, training, onboarding, and ongoing development of Purchasing & Accounts Payable staff.
• Assign and monitor work as appropriate and provide guidance to staff regarding procedures, systems, deadlines, and customer service expectations.
• Support districtwide procurement activities and advise schools and departments regarding purchasing requirements, processes, timelines, contracts, and vendor-related matters.
• Assist with the planning, development, and delivery of purchasing and accounts payable training for CPS administrators and staff.
• Ensure departmental practices and transactions comply with applicable Massachusetts public procurement requirements, municipal finance requirements, and City of Cambridge and CPS policies and procedures.
• Maintain effective working relationships with City of Cambridge departments and other internal and external partners involved in procurement, contracting, auditing, finance, technology, and vendor services.
• Partner with the Manager of Purchasing & Accounts Payable to review, document, standardize, and continuously improve departmental policies, procedures, internal controls, workflows, and service delivery.
• Provide functional support for Oracle PeopleSoft and related financial systems, including troubleshooting user and workflow issues, supporting system upgrades and enhancements, creating and maintaining queries and reports, and coordinating with technical support personnel to identify and resolve system issues.
• Analyze purchasing and accounts payable data to identify trends, outstanding transactions, workflow issues, and opportunities to improve efficiency, accuracy, compliance, and customer service.
• Maintain appropriate records and documentation to support internal controls, audits, regulatory compliance, and departmental reporting.
• Serve as a resource to department staff and district stakeholders in the absence of the Manager, as assigned.
• Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.

Additional responsibilities may be assigned as necessary to meet the evolving needs of the schools, district, and finance department.

Your Skill Set:

As the incoming Assistant Manager, Purchasing & Accounts Payable you will possess many, though perhaps not all, of the following characteristics and qualifications:

The successful candidate will possess many, though not necessarily all, of the following qualifications:

• Progressive professional experience in purchasing, procurement, accounts payable, finance, business operations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of purchasing and accounts payable operations, including procurement, contracts, requisitions, purchase orders, vendor management, and payment processes.
• Knowledge of Massachusetts public procurement requirements, including M.G.L. Chapter 30B and other applicable state and municipal procurement requirements.
• Experience supervising, leading, training, or coordinating the work of staff in a deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, resolve operational issues, and maintain accuracy while working within competing deadlines.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Oracle PeopleSoft or comparable enterprise financial or ERP systems.
• Experience developing queries, reports, dashboards, or other tools used to analyze and monitor financial or operational activity.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and demonstrated ability to analyze and organize complex data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to provide responsive, professional service to a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, regulations, and internal controls consistently.
• Ability to identify opportunities for process improvement and support the implementation of new systems, procedures, and workflows.
• Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, supply chain management, or a related field preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official (MCPPO) designation or related public procurement training preferred, or willingness to pursue applicable certification following appointment.

Salary: Commensurate with experience, with an estimated projected salary range of $86,395.65 - $97,204.44

How to Join Our Team: 

Apply online at www.cpsd.us. Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter outlining how your skills, experience, and commitment to equity in education align with the qualifications of the position and indicating how you learned about this opportunity.

At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.

Salary : $86,396 - $97,204