Assistant Director of Procurement - University of Southern Mississippi

The University of Southern Mississippi is seeking an experienced procurement professional to join its team as Assistant Director of Procurement & Contract Services in Hattiesburg. This leadership role offers the opportunity to oversee a four-person team while helping guide procurement, contracting, competitive solicitations, purchasing card administration, and process improvement across the University. With broad exposure to departments and locations throughout Southern Miss, this is an opportunity to combine hands-on procurement expertise with people leadership and meaningful institution-wide impact.

Another Source's client, The University of Southern Mississippi, is recruiting an Assistant Director of Procurement & Contract Services to join their team in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

Here's a little about The University of Southern Mississippi:

The University of Southern Mississippi (Southern Miss) is a comprehensive public research university serving students and communities across Mississippi. With operations extending beyond its Hattiesburg campus to Gulf Park, the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, and other University locations, Southern Miss offers the scale and complexity of a multi-location institution and an environment where strong operational partnerships have University-wide impact.

Procurement & Contract Services plays an important role in supporting that mission, helping departments navigate purchasing, contracting, competitive solicitations, and purchasing card processes while maintaining compliance with University, Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL), and State of Mississippi requirements.

About this role:

This is an opportunity for an experienced procurement professional to step into a leadership position with broad exposure across the University. Reporting to the Director of Procurement and Contract Services, the Assistant Director helps lead day-to-day procurement operations while serving as an authorized purchasing agent for the University.

You'll have the opportunity to influence how procurement works across Southern Miss-from formal solicitations and contract negotiations to purchasing card administration, process improvement, and customer education. You'll also lead a four-person team consisting of two Buyers, a Procurement Card Administrator, and a Procurement Card Specialist.

The role combines hands-on procurement expertise with people leadership and University-wide partnership. You'll regularly work with departments to solve complex purchasing challenges, develop scopes of work, coordinate contracts, and identify ways to make procurement processes more efficient while maintaining compliance.

How you will spend your time

Lead and coordinate day-to-day procurement activities, including formal and informal purchasing, while supporting compliance with University, IHL, State of Mississippi, and other applicable requirements.

• Supervise, coach, and develop procurement and purchasing card staff, establishing priorities and supporting professional development and required state purchasing certifications.

• Evaluate complex and nonstandard purchasing requests, determine appropriate procurement methods, and review or recommend procurement and contract awards.

• Lead formal solicitations and competitive procurement activities, including bids and RFPs, from specifications and advertisements through bid documentation, tabulations, vendor communications, and required approvals.

• Review and help negotiate procurement contracts, develop scopes of work, investigate contract concerns, and partner with the Office of General Counsel when appropriate.

• Coordinate the University's contract management process, including intake, review, negotiation, execution workflows, compliance monitoring, records management, and communication with departments.

• Develop training and practical guidance that helps faculty and staff successfully navigate purchasing, contracting, and contract submission processes.

• Help oversee the University's purchasing card program and identify opportunities to strengthen compliance, purchasing practices, and program utilization.

• Serve as a procurement resource across the Hattiesburg campus, Gulf Park, Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, and other University locations, helping create consistent practices and responsive service.

• Identify opportunities to improve procurement processes, technology procedures, and operational efficiency.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field; or eight years of experience involving the acquisition of equipment, supplies, commodities, or services, including contract review within a purchasing or procurement program; or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.

• Advanced education may substitute for experience on a year-for-year basis.

• Ability to obtain Certified Mississippi Purchasing Agent (CMPA) certification within the first year of employment.

• Knowledge of public procurement principles, practices, methods, competitive solicitations, and applicable purchasing requirements.

• Experience with contract administration, including drafting, reviewing, interpreting, or negotiating contract terms, specifications, and scopes of work.

• Ability to analyze procurement, financial, technical, and contractual information and exercise sound judgment on complex purchasing matters.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide clear guidance and training to internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to manage multiple procurement activities, contracts, projects, and deadlines while maintaining accuracy and compliance.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop staff and build productive relationships with departments, vendors, regulatory entities, and other stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business, Supply Chain Management, or a related field.

• Eight years of professional-level experience in higher education or governmental procurement.

• Extensive knowledge of State of Mississippi purchasing laws and experience with State purchasing systems.

• Current Certified Mississippi Purchasing Agent (CMPA) certification.

• Professional certification such as Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.), Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM), Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO), or another nationally recognized procurement or supply chain credential.

What's in it for you:

The anticipated salary range for this position is $80,000-$90,000 annually.

Relocation assistance is not available at this time.

This is an onsite role based in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, offering the opportunity to take on meaningful leadership responsibility within a complex higher education procurement environment. You'll lead a team, work across multiple University locations, and have direct involvement in purchasing, contracting, compliance, training, and continuous improvement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The source position description provided for this search does not include The University of Southern Mississippi's Equal Employment Opportunity statement, so it has not been recreated or modified here. The University's current EEO statement should be inserted in this section before publication.

Another Source works with their clients, on a retained project basis. We are committed to building inclusive candidate pools as we partner with hiring teams. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us.

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