Purchasing Operations Specialist (Contract Talent)

Robert Half•San Ramon, CA

About The Position

Robert Half is seeking a contract Purchasing Operations Specialist to support the operations of the Procurement team. Coordinator roles are responsible for daily transactions related to the processing of orders for Corporate and branch offices. This includes reviewing incoming purchase requests for proper authorization, preparing requests in the purchase order (PO) system, processing orders with no sourcing activities, assisting with change orders as necessary, and completing transactions in the Pcard system. The role is responsible for research and resolution of aged PO and invoice match issues. The specialist will prepare reporting for all accrual entries to ensure proper accounting of company expenses, manage item maintenance in department systems, and assist with system enhancements and testing. The role will also partner with financial teams as necessary for downstream PO interface issues.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent required.
3+ years working in an accounting/finance or purchasing position required.
Experience with all Microsoft Office applications, specifically Word, Excel and Outlook.
Strong understanding of business and general accounting principles.
Thorough understanding of company controls and accounting rules and ability to use them to guide actions.
Effective communicator, both written and verbal.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
Strong problem-solving and time management skills.

Nice To Haves

Degree in Business or related field preferred.

Responsibilities

Review and analyze purchase requests before PO creation for proper account coding, shipping, item standards, approvals, and related transaction detail, using pre-defined company guidelines.
Communicate with requestors to validate information as needed.
Review quotes and make corrections to, or add to orders as necessary to ensure they meet requestor requirements and make them ready for PO creation.
Process orders and/or transactions not requiring sourcing/bid activities including recurring parking, postage, and related Blanket Purchase Order requests.
Assist AP Specialists with downstream system errors and coding questions, analyzing scenarios to determine resolution and allow for system processing.
Analyze complex invoices not matched in procurement/AP systems to identify issues and determine resolution to facilitate invoice processing.
Work with suppliers to obtain credits, reconcile account statements, or provide guidance on proper invoicing procedures.
Review and analyze special handling non-PO and summary invoices to ensure accuracy and format for AP processing.
Manually enter invoices that are received hard copy.
Review monthly reports to research and resolve orders with no delivery/receipt/invoice activity.
Communicate directly with suppliers to confirm order status.
Reconcile the Purchase Card (Pcard) transaction paperwork for all department cardholders.
Ensure all transaction coding is complete and accurate and reconcile monthly statements to Pcard system reports.
Monitor cardholder activities to ensure transactions were properly approved and statements submitted timely.
Monitor team inbox and respond to inquiries.
Serve as the initial point of contact for all customer inquiries regarding system use, order status, or delivery issues.
Assist customers with login or order issues for national accounts.
Communicate directly with suppliers to resolve delivery or order issues.
Communicate with customers to assist/train on system use.
Input address updates into the procurement system and notify suppliers.
Review and analyze monthly reports to reconcile orders with receipts and invoices.
Conduct research and determine appropriate actions to close out aged or unused orders.
Run weekly reporting and maintain reporting files/folders.
Compile and analyze documentation for testing activities and respond to auditor questions when necessary.
Run monthly reports/queries for receipt accrual process.
Review and analyze data to confirm and/or calculate necessary accruals.
Communicate with purchasing team, requestors, and accounting teams to validate appropriate accruals.
Prepare accrual spreadsheet with PO and accounting information in preparation for journal entry.
Prepare other reports as needed.