Procurement Manager

XQ Institute is the nation's leading organization dedicated to rethinking the high school experience so that every student graduates ready to succeed in life. We work in communities nationwide, with individual schools and entire school systems, to help them dream big about what high school could be, turn their innovative ideas into action, and create more rigorous and equitable schools.

The Opportunity

XQ Institute is seeking a Procurement Manager, based in Oakland, CA, to lead the organization’s end-to-end procurement-to-payment function, ensuring a seamless connection between vendor sourcing, contract lifecycle management, purchasing, and accounts payable processes. As an individual contributor reporting to the Finance Manager, this role will design and oversee P2P processes that are efficient, compliant, data-driven, and customer-centric, tailored to the needs of a nonprofit environment.

The ideal candidate will bring expertise in procurement and contracting, a strong understanding of AP/accounting workflows, and the ability to work cross-functionally across finance, legal, and program teams to ensure timely and accurate vendor engagement, contracting, invoicing, and payments.

This role offers significant exposure to the full procure-to-pay lifecycle, providing a unique vantage point across procurement, contracting, and finance operations. The Procurement Manager will play a critical role in shaping organizational systems, improving vendor accountability, and ensuring fiscal stewardship, while gaining direct experience with financial strategy and operations leadership.

Key Responsibilities

P2P Process Design & Management

• Design, implement, and continuously improve procure-to-pay workflows, integrating procurement, contracting, and payment processes into a unified system.
• Develop and maintain policies that align P2P activities with organizational priorities, compliance requirements, and fiscal controls.
• Partner with Finance leadership to ensure procurement activities align with cash flow, budgeting, and forecasting cycles.

Contract Lifecycle & Procurement Oversight

• Manage all phases of the procurement lifecycle—from intake, evaluation, drafting, negotiation, leadership review & approvals, and execution to contract closeout and archive.
• Collaborate with legal counsel and finance to ensure contractual compliance, risk mitigation, and budgetary alignment.
• Track and manage contract timelines, renewals, and milestones, ensuring timely actions and fiscal accountability.
• Manage and maintain comprehensive contract records and documentation.

Accounts Payable & Vendor Payment Management

• Oversee the invoice-to-payment process in coordination with the Finance team, ensuring accurate coding, approvals, and timely vendor payments.
• Ensure all procurement and payment data flows accurately into the organization’s financial systems (e.g., Bill.com, ERP, or accounting software).
• Establish strong controls around payment authorization, fraud prevention, and audit readiness.

Vendor Management & Reporting

• Evaluate vendor performance and ensure deliverables are met through structured metrics and feedback loops.
• Support vendor selection and negotiation by conducting market research and comparative analysis.
• Maintain centralized P2P records (procurement, contracts, invoices, payments) to support audit, compliance, and financial reporting needs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Act as the liaison between program, legal, and finance teams to streamline vendor onboarding, contract execution, and invoice processing.
• Provide high-quality customer service to internal stakeholders by tailoring P2P solutions to programmatic and operational needs.
• Train staff on P2P policies, procedures, and tools to foster consistency and compliance across the organization.

Qualifications

Required

• Minimum of 5 years of professional experience, including 2–3 years of direct P2P experience.
• Demonstrated experience managing procurement and/or P2P projects with cross-functional teams.
• Strong understanding of invoice processing, payment cycles, and AP systems.
• Experience with contract management, procurement and financial systems (Bill.com, Ironclad, or equivalent).
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to manage multiple workflows simultaneously.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex processes clearly to diverse audiences.
  High level of discretion, integrity, and professionalism in handling confidential and financial information.
• Familiarity with legal agreements, including commercial vendor contracts.
• Comfortable working with flexibility in an agile customer-service-oriented environment.

Preferred (Not Required)

• Professional certifications such as CPSM (Certified Professional in Supply Management), CPM, PMP, or AP/P2P-focused certifications.
• Experience in finance, contracts and procurement, or accounting.
• Familiarity with budget management and financial reporting.

Compensation

XQ offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience, along with a comprehensive benefits package that supports employee health, well-being, and financial security. This is a full time exempt position. This includes a 6% employer 401(k) match and robust health benefits.

Salary range: $135,000 to $150,000

Location

XQ is headquartered in Oakland, CA with offices in Washington DC and New York City. This role will be based in Oakland, working out of our Oakland office.