Procurement and Reimbursement Manager

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary for this position at the time of its posting. The starting wage rate is $20.68 per hour, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.

The Procurement and Reimbursement Manager provides leadership and operational oversight for the department's end-to end purchasing, payment, travel and expense reimbursement activities and other related financial transactions. Working with a high degree of independence and general direction, this role is responsible for ensuring all transactions are completed accurately, efficiently, and in compliance with university policies, grant requirements, and departmental procedures, while proactively identifying opportunities for cost savings, risk reduction and process improvement.

The manager oversees daily procurement operations, vendor onboarding, PCard, purchase orders, invoices and reimbursements; serves as the primary liaison to central procurement, accounts payable, faculty, staff and students, and other relevant administrative units; and manages audit readiness and internal control frameworks. The Manager also handles unique and highly complex transactions and exceptions, develops and governs SOPs, dashboards, and KPI
¿ s and leads initiatives that support the department's academic, research, and operational goals. The manager is the primary point of contact for all procurement related items.

• Manage transactions. Provide managerial oversight of departmental purchasing, SmartCART and non-SmartCART requisitions, PCard activity, and vendor invoice processing to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with university policies, grant restrictions, and funding requirements. Establish and enforce internal controls and approval workflows for procurement and payment processes, including monitoring exception requests, special approvals, and high-risk or grant-funded transactions. Review and approve complex, high-value, or non-standard procurement requests and resolve escalated issues related to policy compliance, vendor discrepancies, tax errors, or billing disputes.
  
  Train procurement and accounts payable staff; provide guidance on policy interpretation, system use (e.g., SmartCART, PVSnet), and documentation standards. Oversee the monitoring and resolution of open purchase orders, backorders, credits, and vendor disputes, ensuring timely follow-up and minimal impact on departmental operations. Ensure the integrity of fiscal reporting by reviewing summary and exception reports, validating supporting documentation, and approving final submissions to departmental leadership and central offices.
  
  Analyze procurement and expenditure data to identify trends, risks, or inefficiencies and recommend process improvements to enhance compliance, accuracy, and operational efficiency. Serve as the primary liaison with Accounts Payable, Purchasing, and other campus partners to coordinate policy implementation, resolve systemic issues, and improve end-to-end procurement workflows. Ensure accurate account reconciliation and documentation retention in accordance with university records retention policies and audit requirements.
  
  Lead audit preparation and response efforts related to procurement, PCard usage, and vendor payments, including providing documentation, explaining processes, and implementing corrective actions as needed. Review, analyze, process, and audit departmental non-SmartCART (special requests) and SmartCART purchase orders in a timely and accurate manner. (45%)
• Oversee reimbursement and financial reporting. Provide strategic oversight of travel reimbursement, procurement, and accounts payable functions to ensure full compliance with university policies, grant requirements, and funding restrictions while supporting institutional goals. Establish, interpret, and enforce departmental procedures…