Senior Manager, Purchasing

WHO WE ARE The Regional Administration Division is accepting applications for a Senior Manager, Purchasing. We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 20 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional parks and trails, transportation, wastewater, and housing services. We are committed to hiring and supporting a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve. The Procurement Department supports internal Council units purchasing the goods and services necessary to conduct Council business. In carrying out this purpose, the department complies with Council policies and procedures, as well as the laws of federal, state, and local governments, and the requirements of grants the Council receives. How your work would contribute to our organization and the Twin Cities Region: The Senior Manager, Purchasing provides enterprise-wide strategic direction for the Council's procurement function, shapes long-range purchasing strategy, and ensures purchasing needs are met in compliance with legal requirements, Council policies and procedures, and customer service goals. This position leads purchasing supervisors and builds organizational capability in sourcing, contracting, procurement systems, and supplier performance. This position drives initiatives that modernize procurement processes, strengthen compliance, and elevate service delivery across all divisions. This position includes supervisory, strategic, and administrative responsibility. As the Council's senior procurement authority below the Deputy Chief Procurement Officer, this position influences executive decision-making, represents the Council to internal and external stakeholders, and ensures purchasing strategy supports long-term organizational effectiveness and risk mitigation. What you would do in this job Provide strategic direction, development, and support to the purchasing supervisors and the full purchasing team to ensure effective, compliant, and enterprise-aligned procurement operations across all divisions. Directly supervise purchasing supervisors, set purchasing goals, benchmarks, and performance metrics, drive performance management, and oversee hiring, onboarding, and succession planning. Serve as the final escalation point for complex procurement decisions, policy exceptions, vendor disputes, and compliance issues elevated by supervisors. Develop, implement, and oversee enterprise purchasing policies, procedures, and strategic frameworks to ensure legal compliance, operational effectiveness, and alignment with Council priorities, including the Council's Thrive principles and equity goals. Maintain adherence to state and federal requirements, oversee internal controls, review and approve high-value, high-risk, or policy-sensitive procurement actions, coordinate responses to internal and external audits, and advise divisions on best-practice procurement approaches, specifications, pricing, and contract terms. Lead strategic vendor outreach and supplier development initiatives to broaden the Council's qualified vendor base, strengthen competition, and advance equity and sustainability procurement goals. Coordinate with the Office of Civil Rights and Small Business Programs to implement the Council's Underutilized Business Program, track and report vendor participation metrics, and build relationships with businesses, trade organizations, and community partners. Collaborate with procurement leadership and the Contracts Management Support Unit to design and deliver procurement training programs that build staff competency, strengthen compliance, and support professional development across the purchasing team and internal customers. Work with the Compliance Manager to ensure training content reflects current legal and policy requirements, and lead curriculum development, facilitation, and ongoing learning initiatives. Serve as the procurement business lead for En…

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