Purchasing Specialist

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Purchasing Specialist serves as the main point person and subject matter expert on the procure-to-pay and contract processes for research in the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Electrical and Computer Engineering. This role involves navigating the contract process, understanding requirements for different payment types, and executing research purchases with accuracy and customer service. The specialist will partner with the post-award management team to ensure compliance with funding sources, create documentation for workflows, and provide reports. They will be trained in grant compliance to advise faculty and negotiate quotes and manage contracts. Analyzing purchasing data to identify trends and improve efficiency is also a key aspect of this role. The position is split evenly between the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, with Chemical Engineering as the home department. This is a hybrid position requiring at least 4 days a week in-person, with two days dedicated to each department.

Requirements

Associate's degree
Desktop software application skills in web browsers, Adobe, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Outlook
Excellent organizational, analytical, and interpersonal skills
Aptitude for accuracy and detailed work
Ability to prioritize work and multitask with ease and efficiency
Process-oriented, with the ability to work both independently and in a team environment
Ability to stay current with all new and existing regulatory requirements and institutional policies and procedures, and to keep faculty Principal Investigators (PIs) and department leadership informed of changes
Aptitude for treating sensitive information related to salaries in a confidential and professional manner
High level of customer service and boutique support

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree
Experience working with Smartsheet and Airtable

Responsibilities

Manage the procure-to-pay (P2P) process for research purchases, ensuring high accuracy and customer service.
Partner with the post-award team to ensure purchases comply with proposed funding sources.
Create documentation for existing and new workflows, and provide reports and statistics as directed.
Maintain training in grant compliance and problem-solve within grant regulations.
Use Workday Finance, IntelliBUY+, and Concur.
Manage the purchase order and contract process for research items from beginning to end.
Serve as a liaison between the Office of the General Counsel (OGC) and faculty, tracking and filing all contracts.
Act as an expert on contract and payment processes, proactively managing them.
Negotiate directly with vendors to address questions, problem-solve, set expectations, and organize required documentation.
Educate department faculty, staff, and vendors on processes and timelines, maintaining strong working relationships.
Continuously aim to improve existing processes to shorten processing timelines and increase overall efficiency.
Work with university, college, and department staff and faculty on purchasing projects, including business process improvements, workflow documentation, and training material development.
Seek improvements to optimize procurement workflow and best practices.
Perform other miscellaneous tasks as assigned.