Buyer

About the Role

The Procurement Buyer fosters and maintains strong collaborative relationships with Vanderbilt's faculty, staff, and students, continually seeking innovative ways to enhance service delivery and ensure customer satisfaction. This position is pivotal to the success of a high-performing Procurement organization, driving excellence in the full procure-to-pay process and contributing to the university's strategic procurement objectives.

Key Responsibilities

• Efficiently process, dispatch, and manage purchase orders for goods and services, ensuring compliance with contract terms and university policies.
• Maintain accurate supplier records, oversee the onboarding of new suppliers, and foster strong, collaborative relationships with existing suppliers.
• Draft and negotiate contracts for goods and services, providing expert support in supplier negotiations, requests for proposals, and contract deployment.
• Function as the primary liaison between university customers and suppliers, ensuring seamless procurement transaction support and effective communication of specifications and sourcing options.
• Support stakeholders and Category Managers in evaluating supplier performance, ensuring adherence to quality standards and contractual obligations.
• Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities and process improvements to enhance procurement efficiency and value.
• Ensure all procurement activities comply with university policies, industry regulations, and best practices, mitigating risks and maintaining high ethical standards.
• Promote sustainable procurement practices and ethical sourcing, ensuring that all purchasing decisions align with the university's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
• Utilize procurement software to analyze procurement data, generate reports, and support informed decision-making processes.
• Provide exceptional service to university faculty, staff, and students, continually seeking innovative ways to enhance service delivery and ensure customer satisfaction.
• Actively seek opportunities for process improvement and capability enhancement within the Procurement Services Team and the broader Finance group.
• Promote a culture of innovation within the procurement function, encouraging creativity and experimentation. Identify, assess, and mitigate risks associated with procurement activities to ensure sustainable and resilient supply chains.

Supervisory Relationships

This position does not have regular supervisory responsibility. This position reports to the Senior Manager of Procurement Operations.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant procurement experience (e.g., five years of progressive procurement experience in lieu of a degree).
• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) or other purchasing professional certification preferred.
• Minimum of 2+ years of purchasing experience in a complex organization, demonstrating a thorough understanding of procurement processes and best practices.
• Proven attention to detail and a highly organized work style, ensuring accuracy and efficiency in all procurement activities.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders, suppliers, and cross-functional teams.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to articulate procurement strategies and requirements clearly and persuasively.
• Experience with electronic purchasing systems and eProcurement platforms, with a preference for proficiency in Oracle Cloud Procurement and Contract Management.
• Strong technical skills, with proficiency in procurement software and eProcurement platforms, such as Oracle Cloud Procurement.
• Advanced analytical skills, with the ability to interpret procurement data, generate insights, and support strategic decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to manage orders funded by federal, state, or private grants, ensuring compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines.
• Capability to challenge existing systems, processes, and people to facilitate optimal outcomes and drive continuous improvement.
• Ability to connect people, ideas, processes, and issues to foster innovative solutions and improvements.
• Openness to change, adaptability, and the ability to work effectively in a variety of situations, both independently and within teams.
• Experience in building and maintaining effective working relationships with a diverse range of individuals, understanding their needs and goals.
• Ability to foster creativity and experimentation, taking calculated risks, celebrating successes, and learning from failures.