Procurement Manager

Full time Regular Employment at W. M. Keck Observatory

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Summary

What if your next procurement role wasn’t just about sourcing materials—but about supporting work that explores the stars?

Are you passionate about procurement and curious about the cosmos? Do you love procurement and geek out over space? Are you ready to launch your next adventure? If you're energized by procurement and excited by the idea of supporting astronomical science, we’d love to hear from you.

What we are seeking in a Procurement Manager:

We are seeking a detail-oriented and strategic Procurement Manager to lead sourcing and purchasing activities for our astronomy operations. This role is essential to ensuring the timely acquisition of equipment, materials, and technical services that support research and observatory operations. The Procurement Manager is responsible for overseeing the full procurement lifecycle, ensuring compliance with applicable federal regulations and internal policies, and supporting operational efficiency through strategic sourcing, vendor management, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate will have experience in scientific or technical procurement, strong vendor management skills, and a passion for supporting cutting-edge research.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as the Observatory’s procurement subject matter expert.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies for a wide range of goods and services.
• Source and evaluate suppliers based on technical capability, quality standards, and delivery performance.
• Negotiate contracts and pricing with vendors, ensuring compliance with technical and regulatory requirements.
• Collaborate with engineering, research, and project teams to understand technical specifications and procurement needs.
• Manage procurement timelines to align with project schedules.
• Monitor inventory levels and coordinate with logistics and facilities teams to ensure availability of critical components and materials.
• Maintain accurate records of purchases, contracts, and supplier performance.
• Ensure compliance with government regulations and institutional policies.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings, innovation, and supplier diversification.
• Helps manage risk by administering a suite of insurance coverages.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a related field.
• Five (5) years of recent, directly related experience in procurement management, preferably in a federally funded collaborative grants/contracts environment.
• Motivated, hands-on, self-starter who can work comfortably both independently and collaboratively to meet time sensitive deadlines within a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.
• Microsoft Office Proficiency.
• Possess superior oral communication and negotiation skills with the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse group of people in a helpful, effective, and informative manner in person/by phone/by email while demonstrating initiative, flexibility, promptness, tact, and diplomacy.
• Ability to interact effectively with senior-level management, with other staff at collaborative institutions, be a hands-on working supervisor, and be able to work in a team environment.
• Uphold self to strict ethical standards: integrity, objectivity, and confidentiality.
• Mature and sound judgment to provide timely advice as to potential contractual risks, compliance issues and business needs.
• Working knowledge of all aspects of contract life cycle, including negotiation, formation, administration, closeout, and, if necessary, termination in a regulatory environment.
• Ability to interpret laws, regulations, and apply them to sound businesses practices.
• Valid driver’s license and clean abstract.

Additional Information

Why Choose W. M. Keck Observatory:

• Competitive starting salary ranging from $106,779 to $129,799.
• Generous benefits package, including 4 weeks of annual paid vacation.
• A robust 8% 403(b) employer contribution (with a 4% employee contribution).
• Tuition assistance for dependent children grades K-12 attending private school on Hawai’i Island.
• Comprehensive, employer provided health insurance.
• Be a part of a dedicated team working on the frontiers of astronomy.

About W. M. Keck Observatory