Program Operations Specialist, Department of Lab Medicine & Pathology Purchasing

University of Washington Medical Center • Seattle, WA

10d • $61,368 - $92,064 • Hybrid

About The Position

The UW Medicine - Department of Laboratory Medicine & Pathology (DLMP) in Seattle, WA has a fantastic opportunity for a Program Operations Specialist with the Purchasing Team at the downtown Seattle Financial Building. The Program Operations Specialist is responsible for the daily review and approval of purchasing transactions including requisitions, reimbursements, ProCard transactions, Supplier Invoice Requests, and other purchasing activities supporting the Department. The position is also responsible for coordinating purchasing workflows, intake processes, purchasing systems administration, operational documentation, and projects associated with maintaining and improving departmental purchasing operations. This position supports Purchasing leadership by assisting with process improvement initiatives, developing and maintaining Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), administering departmental purchasing platforms, coordinating equipment, contract, and other purchasing request intake, supporting staff and end-user training, and monitoring purchasing workflow activities. The Program Operations Specialist reports directly to the Assistant Director of Purchasing and serves as a departmental liaison by identifying operational issues, analyzing workflow trends, coordinating cross-functional purchasing activities, and supporting continuous improvement efforts. All actions are performed in collaboration with Purchasing leadership to ensure departmental processes are executed accurately, consistently, and in accordance with University and departmental policies.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and two (2) years of progressively responsible experience in Administrative or Procurement process OR Equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills have been acquired may substitute for degree.
• A track record of successfully managing multiple projects and delivering projects on schedule.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for a variety of audiences. Ability to lead meetings, give presentations; work with facts and be able to tell a story with numbers.
• Demonstrated success in building and sustaining positive customer and other relationships
• Commitment to working within an organizational framework of continuous process improvement.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with University of Washington financial and procurement systems.
• Experience coordinating purchasing, procurement, finance, or operational workflows in a higher education, healthcare, research, or public sector environment.
• Experience leading process improvement or operational efficiency initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Act as Cost Center Manager, reviewing and approving requisitions, reimbursements, ProCard transactions, Supplier Invoice Requests, and other Workday purchasing transactions to ensure accuracy and compliance with UW and DLMP policies.
• Review and Assign purchasing order requests to Buyers based on workload and departmental priorities.
• Manage intake and review of purchasing-related requests, including equipment purchases, capital equipment, contracts, agreements, standing orders, Sole Source Justifications (SSJs), and other purchasing requests to ensure required documentation, approvals, and supporting information are complete prior to processing.
• Monitor and manage purchasing workflow activity, monitor order volumes and trends, and communicate operational concerns and workload recommendations to Purchasing leadership. And assist with identifying workload forecasts and operational planning needs.
• Lead initial escalation for Buyers and Fiscal Specialists in resolving urgent purchasing requests, supplier issues, invoice discrepancies, damaged shipments, and other purchasing-related customer service concerns.
• Serve as a departmental resource regarding Purchasing platforms, procurement systems, purchasing procedures, and University purchasing policies by assisting customers, suppliers, and departmental staff with purchasing processes and system-related questions.
• Manage purchasing inbox workflow, customer communications, and request routing to ensure timely response and continuity of Purchasing operations along with Purchasing Manager.
• Serve as liaison between laboratories, departmental users, Fiscal, Procurement Services, and Purchasing staff to facilitate purchasing workflows and resolve operational issues.
• Develop, maintain, and update Purchasing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), workflow documentation, operational reference materials, and training guides.
• Administer departmental PurchasePath workflows, including users, approvers, organizational updates, worktags, cost centers, routing changes, and system maintenance.
• Maintain MediaLab purchasing documentation and ensure procedures remain current.
• Assist with onboarding new employees by coordinating purchasing system access, training, and operational readiness.
• Train Purchasing staff and departmental end users on purchasing systems, departmental procedures, workflow changes, and purchasing best practices.
• Lead ongoing process standardization, documentation improvements, and continuous process improvement initiatives.
• Lead the operational coordination of departmental purchasing projects, workflow improvements, and system enhancements under the direction of Purchasing leadership.
• Coordinate and execute departmental purchasing initiatives while maintaining project documentation, implementation timelines, and workflow tracking.
• Analyze and support Purchasing functions related to inventory management, purchasing readiness, and other departmental operational initiatives as assigned.
• Identify, implement, and recommend process improvements to enhance operational efficiency, workflow effectiveness, and customer service.
• Maintain purchasing records in accordance with University record retention requirements and applicable state regulations.
• Support travel, reimbursement, invoice processing, Shared Environment, and related operational workflow activities.
• Assist Purchasing and Fiscal teams during staffing shortages, high-volume periods, or operational needs.
• Coordinate operational communication between Purchasing, laboratories, Finance, Procurement Services, suppliers, and other University departments.
• Perform additional operational assignments supporting departmental continuity.
• Develop and maintain Workday reports, purchasing dashboards, and operational tracking tools.
• Analyze purchasing workload, transaction trends, operational metrics, and workflow performance.
• Identify opportunities for operational improvement through reporting and data analysis.
• Prepare operational reports and summaries for Purchasing leadership.
• Support data collection, reporting, and forecasting related to departmental operations and strategic initiatives.

Benefits

• Vacation time and sick time off that accrue monthly, including 12 paid holidays.
• State Employee Tuition Exemption Program covering up to 6 credits of qualifying coursework per quarter at the University of Washington or other participating colleges or universities.
• Fully subsidized public transit pass (U-PASS) that covers multiple forms of public transportation in the region.
• Excellent healthcare, dental, disability, retirement, and other plan options.
• Lots of free fantastic fitness, healthy eating, finance, and stress reduction classes offered through the Whole U.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level