Purchasing Buyer

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with University departments to identify and support procurement needs for goods, services, equipment, and construction-related purchases.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with internal departments, project managers, and campus stakeholders to promote communication, trust, and effective coordination throughout the procurement process.
• Review requisitions for accuracy, compliance, funding, and completeness; create and process purchase orders in a timely manner.
• Prepare, issue, evaluate, and award formal and informal solicitations including Requests for Quotes (RFQs), Invitations for Bids (IFBs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and sole source justifications.
• Develop specifications and scopes of work in collaboration with campus departments to ensure competitive and compliant procurements.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with vendors and suppliers while promoting fair and ethical procurement practices.
• Evaluate supplier performance and assist in resolving vendor concerns, discrepancies, or contract-related issues.
• Assist in administering the University Purchasing Card (PCard) program, including application review, cardholder support, training, compliance monitoring, and audit assistance.
• Provide guidance and training to faculty and staff regarding procurement procedures, State code requirements, and University policies.
• Research and identify cost-saving opportunities, cooperative contracts, and process improvements that provide added value to the University.
• Cooky/Campus stakeholders to promote communication, trust, and effective coordination throughout the procurement process.
• Coordinate purchasing activities with departments such as Accounts Payable, Budget, Finance, Legal Affairs, Information Technology, Facilities, and Internal Audit.
• Maintain accurate procurement records, contracts, supplier documentation, and purchasing data for reporting, audit, and compliance purposes.
• Analyze purchasing trends and spending data to improve operational efficiency and support strategic sourcing efforts.
• Cooky/Campus stakeholders to promote communication, trust, and effective coordination throughout the procurement process.
• Support implementation and utilization of procurement systems and technologies, including electronic sourcing and contract management platforms.
• Represent the Purchasing Office in a professional and service-oriented manner while maintaining confidentiality and ethical procurement standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Accounting, Public Administration, Finance, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of two (2) years of professional purchasing, procurement, contracts, or related experience required.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects, deadlines, and priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain policies and procedures to a variety of audiences.
• Demonstrated customer service and interpersonal skills with the ability to establish effective working relationships across campus and with external vendors.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and Adobe Acrobat.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Higher education, government, or public procurement experience preferred.
• Experience with procurement and financial systems such as Ellucian Banner, Chrome River/Emburse, Jaggaer/SciQuest, or similar ERP and eProcurement platforms.
• Knowledge of Utah State Procurement Code and public procurement practices.
• Experience drafting solicitation documents, specifications, and contract language.
• Familiarity with purchasing card administration, auditing, and compliance monitoring.