The Great Re-skilling

Enabling higher education procurement

When Brie Matier describes the day-to-day grind of working in today’s higher education procurement landscape, she doesn’t reach for  buzzwords or analogies. She reaches for lived experience. Matier grew up during those old school unprecedented times — world-changing events like 9/11 and the 2009 recession. Today, there are a whole new set of quagmires to navigate, including artificial intelligence (AI) disruption, tariffs and broader economic uncertainty.

To stay the course in higher education procurement, Matier, Director of Procurement at the University of South Florida, believes you have to come to terms with the totality of it all. “I feel like my generation has grown up with the term ‘unprecedented times’ our entire lives. We’re honestly exhausted by that phrase. What feels different now is the pace of change.”

The changes Matier references are not just federal or state policies shifting, but change happening simultaneously at every level. Government. Institutions. Departments. Even down to individual teams. That urgency is reshaping procurement across higher education. Once viewed narrowly as a transactional function—crunching bids, pushing paperwork—procurement has emerged as a strategic lever for colleges and universities. Supply chain disruption, staffing shortages and economic uncertainty have elevated the role.

Today’s procurement professionals must not only negotiate contracts and manage risk, they must also interpret data, embrace technology and lead cultural change on their campuses. “Procurement is never boring. If you want a job where you’ll constantly be challenged and surprised, this is it. Every day is different. One week I’m sourcing surgical gloves, the next I’m negotiating for an unmanned drone. The variety is endless.”

The stress, Matier admits, is what makes it exciting. Procurement enables her to pull together all of her aforementioned skills into one role. Truth be told, procurement professionals must think like salespeople. “You’re constantly ‘selling’ your ideas, initiatives and value to leadership. If you can’t communicate and persuade, you won’t get a seat at the table. That’s a key part of the job.”

The future of higher education, in many ways, depends on how universities and their teams adapt. For Matier, the profession begins and ends with relationships. “Coming out of COVID, when we were all so isolated, being back at events feels like our ‘Super Bowl.’ You’re running through the aisles hugging colleagues, catching up with supplier partners—it reminds you how critical human-to-human connection really is.”

That renewed emphasis on interpersonal skills is one of three critical shifts Matier sees defining procurement’s future, alongside technology awareness and data analytics. “Too often, higher education relies on suppliers for data rather than taking ownership of analytics ourselves. That’s something I’m very passionate about—helping institutions take the next step in truly understanding and using their data.”

“You’re constantly ‘selling’ your ideas, initiatives and value to leadership. If you can’t communicate and persuade, you won’t get a seat at the table.” 

— Brie Matier, Director of Procurement, University of South Florida

If there is one part of the job Matier says outweighs the rest, it is that showing up authentically for your people matters. Some days you’ll be stronger than others, and that’s okay. Her three-point plan for staying on task and grounded includes: finding time to recharge outside of work, leaning on a peer community for perspective, and listening to mentors who remind you that better cycles will come again.

Service as strategy

At the University of Utah, Contract Specialist Polly Alles views procurement through a similar lens of resilience and redefinition. Working in an environment where no two procurements are alike, Alles says the procurement team is the one that connects to everyone on campus—a connection that requires flexibility and the ability to manage constant change.

For Alles, that flexibility starts with perception. While departments often see procurement as a roadblock, she works deliberately to reposition the team as a partner. “Sometimes that means joining a department’s meeting so they’re informed in real time, even if the contract isn’t ready yet. When people know they can count on you, they stop seeing procurement as a barrier and start seeing you as a partner.”

Alles calls her approach “CXL”—customer service on steroids. As she warns, empathy, trust and perseverance are not soft skills in her world. They’re essential to building credibility in a profession where rules, policies and funding realities can quickly frustrate stakeholders. “We manage contracts, but we’re also managing people and relationships every day. Being successful takes perseverance, positivity and problem-solving. This is not a competitive industry—it’s collaborative.

The key to success rests in how procurement specialists connect each and every dot in the process. As connectors, procurement specialists sit at the intersection of policy, funding and campus needs. They are translators between faculty expectations and supplier realities. Protectors of institutional integrity, even when that role is misunderstood.

“We manage contracts, but we’re also managing people and relationships every day. Being successful takes perseverance, positivity and problem-solving.” 

— Polly Alles, Contract Specialist, University of Utah

“For me, procurement is about relationships and service,” Alles says. “Sometimes that means going the extra mile—like engaging with other department teams ahead of the project and keeping them up to speed. When people see you involved at the front end, they look at you more like a collaborator and less like a gatekeeper.”

The path forward will require today’s higher education institutions to not only invest in systems, but in people. Training in data analytics, exposure to AI, and opportunities for relationship-building are all critical. “You need people who will lift others up, not drag them down,” Alles says. “At the end of the day, procurement is vital. Institutions can’t function without it. So my advice is not to take criticism personally, but keep perspective and kill negativity with kindness. The work matters—and so do you.”

SIDEBAR

5 ways procurement specialists can thrive

1. Lead with relationships – Build trust by showing up authentically and positioning procurement as a partner, not a barrier.
2. Own your data – Don’t rely solely on suppliers; develop internal expertise in analytics to make smarter decisions.
3. Use AI as an assistant, not a replacement – Leverage tools for efficiency, but keep judgment, instinct and empathy at the core.
4. Prioritize self-care – Recognize signs of burnout, set boundaries and find ways to recharge outside of work.
5. Stay collaborative – Focus on perseverance, positivity and lifting others up in a field defined by constant change.

Sources: Polly Alles, Contract Specialist, University of Utah; Brie Matier, Director of Procurement, University of South Florida