Director, Procure to Pay

Cleveland Metropolitan School District

About The Position

Under executive leadership, oversee the end-to-end procurement and payment process for the District. Manages purchasing, receiving, invoicing, and payment activities to ensure efficient, effective Accounts payable and procurement operations. Ensures that goods and services are acquired in a timely and cost-effective manner, and that payments and 1099s are processed accurately and on time, while maintaining compliance with procurement policies and regulations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field from an accredited college or university preferred.
Minimum of five years of experience in accounts payable – 1099 processing, procurement/purchasing, procure-to-pay, or financial management and analysis, preferably in a large private or government organization.
Experience in a leadership or supervisory capacity, preferred.
Demonstrated knowledge of applicable regulatory standards and policies.
Knowledge of accounts payable and procurement best practices.
Demonstrated supervisory skills to effectively manage the daily operations and administration of assigned functional units, including providing objective coaching & feedback and having crucial conversations with assigned staff.
Interpersonal skills necessary to work productively with department executives and administrators in long-range strategic and business planning and decision-making.
Skilled in interfacing with District staff, students, parents, and the general public to address sensitive topics.
Project management skills are necessary to successfully implement a variety of complex finance projects, preferred
Proven record of championing continuous learning and professional growth, and demonstrated success in developing and retaining high performers.
Strong analytical, organizational, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
Strong customer service, verbal and written communication, and presentation skills.
Strong interpersonal relationship skills, including cultural sensitivity and competence.
Ability to lead with confidence and openness in the face of change, ambiguity, and uncertainty.
Ability to provide administrative leadership, decision-making, problem-solving, and delegation of authority.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other District departments and external stakeholders (i.e., parents, City legislators, and the general public).
Ability to efficiently multitask daily meeting deadlines, and produce quality results.
Ability to preserve the confidentiality of District information.
Mathematical aptitude to administer and monitor budgets.

Responsibilities

Directs the day-to-day activities and staff of the Procure to Pay functional area. Duties include hiring, training, coaching, counseling, evaluating educators’ performance, and, when necessary, disciplining and/or discharging staff. Identifies growth and development opportunities for staff. Develops processes to build the capacity of the team and other protocols to support schools, departments, and individual procure-to-pay questions. Develops and implements systems to effectively support team members while balancing autonomy and direction.
Administers and monitors the budget(s) of the assigned functional area(s) and develops budget proposals for consideration. Approves purchases and ensures expenditures are within approved budgets.
Manage strategic vendor partnerships by streamlining communication channels and fostering high-trust relationships. Proactively resolves conflicts to ensure consistent, high-quality service delivery.
Develops and analyzes data and metrics for the assigned functional area(s). Develops and extracts reports from databases for delivery to internal and external stakeholders. Gathers and organizes documents to satisfy public records requests or other reporting obligations.
Oversee the full P2P lifecycle: requisitioning, purchase order issuance, receiving, invoicing, and payment. Ensures standardized, compliant, and efficient workflows across all departments, funding sources, and operating units. Resolves systemic issues that create bottlenecks, exceptions, or compliance risk within the P2P cycle. Ensures purchasing activities comply with organizational policy, contract terms, grant requirements, and applicable federal, state, and local regulations. Oversees controls to prevent maverick spending and unauthorized commitments. Ensures accurate financial coding, three-way matching, and proper expenditures recognition in accordance with GAAP and organizational accounting standards. Oversees audit-ready documentation and supports internal and external audits related to procurement, AP, and disbursements. Leads fraud prevention, segregation of duties enforcement, and continuous control monitoring across the P2P process.
Oversee vendor onboarding, maintenance, payment integrity, and issue resolution across the P2P lifecycle. Serves as the senior escalation point of vendor disputes, compliance issues, and systemic payment challenges.
Acts as the business owner for P2P technology platforms (ERP, e-procurement, contract management, invoice automation). Partnering with the Systems Director relative to system configuration, enhancements, and user adoption to ensure workflows support policy, controls, and operational efficiency. Proficient with general office technologies, virtual meeting platforms (i.e., Zoom, Teams, etc.), and software packages (i.e., Microsoft Office). Proficiency with enterprise technologies and databases (i.e., Workday) preferred.
Ensures accurate and compliant processing of all 1099 forms. This includes vendor setup, payment review, form preparation, distribution, and adherence to IRS regulations. Supports the Finance and Accounts Payable teams by maintaining strong internal controls and ensuring timely reporting. Proficient with general office technologies, virtual meeting platforms (i.e., Zoom, Teams, etc.), and software packages (i.e., Microsoft Office, specifically Excel pivot tables). Proficiency with enterprise technologies and databases (i.e., Workday), preferred.
Provides enterprise-level visibility into spend patterns, vendor utilization, and contract compliance. Partners with Finance and Procurement leadership to identify cost savings opportunities, process efficiencies, and demand management strategies. Supports cash-flow planning by coordinating purchasing commitments and payment timing with accounting.
Performs other duties as assigned.