Procurement & Contracts Operations Associate

Teacher Retirement System of Texas•Austin, TX

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Procurement & Contracts Operations Associate provides operational and technical support to the Procurement & Contracts Department. The position supports department management, serves internal and external stakeholders, maintains data in accounting and contract administration systems, develops procedural and technical documentation, analyzes data and department metrics, and contributes to departmental projects and initiatives. The associate works with the Procurement & Contracts team, Contract Management Office, external vendors, TRS leadership, and agency staff. This is a TRS Fellowship Program position intended for individuals who graduated with a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited college or university within the last 12 months. It is a full-time, temporary, limited-term assignment that may not exceed three years from the date of hire. The target start date is January 2027. The role also includes participation in Fellowship Program training and learning activities, such as webinars, quarterly check-ins, classes, a book group, projects, and a mentoring program.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or master's degree from an accredited college or university earned within the last 12 months.
No prior experience required.
Ability to organize and prioritize multiple assignments, project tasks, deliverables, and deadlines while maintaining accuracy.
Ability to collect, validate, analyze, and summarize data from multiple sources to develop reports, dashboards, and recommendations.
Ability to conduct research, review processes, identify issues, and recommend practical solutions.
Ability to communicate information clearly and professionally through correspondence, reports, presentations, meeting materials, and verbal communication.
Ability to provide responsive customer and technical support, resolve routine issues, and escalate concerns appropriately.
Ability to track and communicate project status, risks, decisions, approvals, and action items.
Ability to maintain accurate, organized, and current data, digital content, documents, and records across department systems.
Ability to develop clear, creative, and effective prompts for AI tools.
Ability to coordinate multiple tasks, projects, deliverables, and deadlines with appropriate attention to detail.
Ability to identify issues, exercise sound judgment, and escalate concerns appropriately.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively while maintaining effective relationships with coworkers, management, agency staff, vendors, and other stakeholders.

Nice To Haves

Coursework in Business Administration, Finance, Data Analytics, or a related field.
Experience conducting research, data collection, data analysis, reporting, or business process analysis through academic coursework, internships, projects, or professional experience.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
Experience developing reports, dashboards, presentations, or analytical products.
Experience creating visual materials using PowerPoint, Canva, or similar design tools.
Working knowledge of formatting effective prompts for AI tools.
Experience using data analysis and visualization tools such as Power BI or similar platforms.
Knowledge of general office practices, administrative procedures, and business operations.
Knowledge of research, process improvement, quality review, and project coordination methods.
Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and AI productivity tools, such as Copilot.
Knowledge of data management, performance measurement, reporting, and visualization tools, including databases and Power BI or similar platforms.
Knowledge of SharePoint and shared-drive practices for document organization, version control, and records maintenance.
Skill in using Microsoft Office, SharePoint, data systems, dashboard tools, AI productivity tools, and visual design applications to produce accurate, professional work products.

Responsibilities

Provide administrative and operational support to Procurement & Contracts staff and management, including preparing correspondence, forms, meeting materials, agendas, presentations, executive summaries, and follow-up documentation.
Maintain and update policies, procedures, job aids, training materials, and recurring reports, ensuring accurate content, document control, and compliance support.
Support program development and operational improvement through research, trend analysis, benchmarking, quality reviews, and tracking procurement and contract requirements.
Compile information and coordinate responses to public information requests and inquiries from internal business units.
Coordinate meetings and track feedback, approvals, action items, and related records.
Coordinate Division travel, including preparing travel vouchers, reimbursements, and related documents.
Collect, validate, maintain, and analyze data and performance metrics; prepare recurring and ad hoc reports, dashboards, charts, summaries, and other analytical products.
Maintain department systems and digital content, including PAVES, SharePoint, shared drives, and the metrics dashboard.
Identify outdated, duplicate, or disorganized content and support review, cleanup, and records maintenance.
Document processes and develop guidance and training materials for department technologies and systems.
Provide responsive technical and customer support to internal and external stakeholders and collaborate with Procurement & Contracts staff on special projects.
Participate on division and agency-wide project teams.
Support project planning and execution by developing plans, timelines, task lists, materials, and deliverables; coordinating inputs; and monitoring deadlines.
Track and communicate project status, risks, issues, decisions, and action items to team members and stakeholders.
Identify project obstacles, recommend solutions, and facilitate meetings and discussions to maintain progress.
Manage assigned deliverables from initiation through completion, ensuring timely and accurate results.
Participate in TRS Fellowship Program trainings and projects, including webinars, quarterly check-ins, classes or other learning activities, book group, projects, and the mentoring program.
Meet Fellowship Program deadlines and goals for completing trainings and deliverables in a timely manner.
Perform related work as assigned.