Buyer, Procurement and Contract Services

The Buyer is responsible for general Buyer responsibilities and vendor recruitment for the Office of Procurement and Contract Services.

General Buyer Duties

• Assists campus departments with purchase requisitions
• Reviews requisitions to determine if they are completed correctly with proper specifications and returns to departments for corrections if necessary
• Makes awards on assigned requisitions by generating purchase orders (POs)
• Places POs with vendors via telephone fax or electronically
• Solicits and analyzes bids and proposals including preparing requests for quotes (RFQs) and requests for proposals (RFPs) in the University ERP system
• Conducts pre-bid meetings conducts bid openings answers bidder inquiries and issues addendums to RFQs/RFPs when necessary
• Prepares bid tabulations in Excel or other electronic formats prepares award memos to departments and generates POs or contract documents from approved awards
• Works with vendors to resolve any issues related to POs
• Routes all POs to campus departments with tracking orders
• Administers assigned departmental purchase agreements and resolves any issues raised by departments or vendors by reviewing correspondence and taking appropriate action
• Processes change orders to POs in accordance with current policies
• Interacts with purchasing personnel at other UT campuses TBR schools and Tennessee State Government entities concerning contract purchases and technical purchasing issues as required
• Reviews and processes POs and presents POs to the next approver in workflow as needed
• Assures that department records are maintained and that purchases are followed and expedited as when required
• Oversees and follows up with suppliers concerning order status and communicates delivery information to impacted departments faculty and staff
• Utilizes the University online sourcing system to input and manage bids
• Sends registration invites to potential bidders who are not already registered in the system
• Creates listings reflecting groups of potential vendors based on certain commodities and creates contact lists in the University sourcing system

Vendor Recruitment

• Participates with and assists the Assistant Director with vendor recruitment efforts between UTC and vendors which include external outreach to the community regarding conducting business with UTC and sharing information about bid opportunities

Additional Defined Duties

• Assists with mailing or faxing RFQ/RFP notifications addendums change orders and POs as needed
• Answers incoming calls to the main Procurement and Contract Services phone line in the absence of the Purchasing Specialist
• Assists campus departments with resolving questions related to requisition and NCJ submission
• Provides assistance as needed to the Director by contacting campus departments for information requesting information from vendors or assisting with POs or statements of work to be attached to POs
• Carries out other purchasing or administrative/supervisory duties as assigned by the Director

The ideal candidate will possess the following:

• Knowledge of Microsoft Word Excel and other Microsoft Office products
• Strong ERP system(s) skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Strong customer service skills
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Ability to maintain strong working knowledge of University policies and procedures
• Ability to multitask often with frequent interruptions
• Ability to work with little to no direct supervision
• Ability to exhibit strong attention to detail
• Ability to work well with others utilizing both a team focused and forward-thinking approach

Review of applications will beginDecember 29 2025and will continue until the position is received bythis datewill receive priority consideration.

Minimum:Typically requires a bachelors degree in a relevant field and one year of experience in a procurement buyer related role supply chain logistics or an equivalent combination of education training and experience.

Preferred:2 years of experience as a procurement buyer; strong knowledge of state purchasing requirements and fiscal policy in a higher education environment; and experience in an operation involving quick and accurate completion of assigned tasks in accordance with specific legal requirements is preferred.