Buyer, Procurement and Contract Services

University of Tennessee•Chattanooga, TN

About The Position

The Buyer is responsible for general Buyer responsibilities and vendor recruitment for the Office of Procurement and Contract Services. Responsibilities 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 (PO’s) Places PO’s with vendors via telephone, fax, or electronically Solicits and analyzes bids and proposals, including preparing requests for quotes (RFQ’s) and requests for proposals (RFP’s) in the University ERP system Conducts pre-bid meetings, conducts bid openings, answers bidder inquiries, and issues addendums to RFQ’s/RFP’s when necessary Prepares bid tabulations in Excel or other electronic formats, prepares award memos to departments, and generates PO’s or contract documents from approved awards Works with vendors to resolve any issues related to PO’s Routes all PO’s 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 PO’s 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 PO’s and presents PO’s 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 PO’s 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 PO’s or statements of work to be attached to PO’s 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 begin December 29, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications received by this date will receive priority consideration.

Requirements

Typically requires a bachelor’s 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.
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

Nice To Haves

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

Responsibilities

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 (PO’s)
Places PO’s with vendors via telephone, fax, or electronically
Solicits and analyzes bids and proposals, including preparing requests for quotes (RFQ’s) and requests for proposals (RFP’s) in the University ERP system
Conducts pre-bid meetings, conducts bid openings, answers bidder inquiries, and issues addendums to RFQ’s/RFP’s when necessary
Prepares bid tabulations in Excel or other electronic formats, prepares award memos to departments, and generates PO’s or contract documents from approved awards
Works with vendors to resolve any issues related to PO’s
Routes all PO’s 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 PO’s 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 PO’s and presents PO’s 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
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
Assists with mailing or faxing RFQ/RFP notifications, addendums, change orders, and PO’s 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 PO’s or statements of work to be attached to PO’s
Carries out other purchasing or administrative/supervisory duties as assigned by the Director