About the Obama Foundation

At the Obama Foundation, we are guided by a core belief: that ordinary people working together can change history. Our mission is to inspire those people to take action, empower them to change their world for the better, and connect them so they can achieve more together than they can alone.

We were founded by community organizers, so when we seek change, we do it by bringing people together.

That approach begins at home, on the South Side of Chicago, where we are building the Obama Presidential Center. The Center represents a historic opportunity for Chicago: a chance to build a world-class museum and public gathering space that celebrates our nation's first African American President and First Lady, steps away from where he began his career, where she was raised, and where—together—they made their home.

But that approach extends to all our work, whether it's holding leadership training sessions in communities throughout the U.S., bringing local leaders together in countries around the world, working to support the global education of girls, or ensuring young men of color have pathways to opportunity.

As President Obama has said, "we cannot solve the challenges of our time unless we solve them together." So join us.

For more information, please visit www.obama.org.

Purpose of the Role

The Procurement Associate will assist the Director of Procurement and Business Diversity in ensuring that the Foundation has effective processes and systems to efficiently source goods and services for both the Foundation operations as well as the Obama Presidential Center construction project. You will be responsible for streamlining processes related to the purchase of goods and services, assisting with the completion of RFPs and other competitive processes for securing goods and services and taking an active role in working towards the Foundation's business diversity goals.

Core Job Responsibilities

• Work with Foundation departments to scope departmental needs and identify diverse vendors.
• Assist in procurement processes (i.e. RFQs and RFPs) in accordance with the Procurement Policy, and ensure that staff effectively performs the following functions: ascertaining departmental needs, preparing applicable procurement documents, advertise and solicit responses/proposals, and evaluate response/proposal packages for business requirements, facilitate evaluation committees and proposer interviews, as needed.
• Streamline reporting of Foundation's diverse supplier efforts and issue quarterly reporting.
• Periodically review the Foundation's procurement policy and procedures, provide suggestions on updates as needed. Provide guidance to Foundation personnel as needed on the policy and procedures.
• Conduct market research, best practices investigations, and industry trends analyses for specific procurement and contracting efforts.
• Vendor management onboarding and maintenance through active contracts.
• Perform reviews and develops and updates solicitation and contract related information in various systems/applications
• Participate in special projects/initiatives under the supervision of a senior staff/manager
• Assist with negotiating pricing and business term negotiations.
• Facilitate and coordinate review by other departments such as Finance and Legal as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Key Deliverables / Outcomes

• Procurement policy and procedure training for departments and onboarding personnel
• Procurement policy adhered to that enables the Foundation to source goods and services in an efficient, transparent and financially responsible manner while ensuring maximum participation for Diverse Suppliers at every spending tier. Ensure purchasing timelines are established and adhered to.
• Vendor database/portal of qualified and certified Diverse Suppliers that is maintained and is accessible to Foundation staff in addition to providing vendor sourcing support to staff.
• Quarterly reports that summarize trends and progress toward maximum Diverse Supplier participation.

Required Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience, preferably 3-6 years in purchasing, procurement or supply chain consulting with an emphasis on driving increased supplier diversity, Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) or Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) a plus.
• Experience creating and implementing innovative solutions to increase supplier diversity.
• Strong aptitude for technology with the ability to develop technology-based solutions to streamline and improve processes.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Strong project management skills.
• Proven ability to build effective relationships at all levels of the organization and across teams.

In the interest of employee health and safety during the pendency of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Obama Foundation is requiring that all prospective employees present proof that they are fully-vaccinated against COVID-19, or seek a reasonable accommodation for religious or medical reasons, prior to their first day of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Foundation is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. The Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply. If you are a qualified candidate with a disability, please e-mail us at careers@obama.org if you require a reasonable accommodation to complete this application.