Senior Departmental Buyer

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Departmental Buyer is the lead procurement specialist for the Bureau of Economic Geology, overseeing the acquisition of goods, services, equipment, and materials supporting research and operations. The position ensures purchasing complies with university, state, and federal procurement policies and procedures, and serves as the primary liaison among the Bureau, the University Purchasing Office, vendors, and internal stakeholders. It manages complex purchasing transactions, vendor relationships, procurement issues, purchasing records, inventory support, contract negotiation, and procurement strategies aligned with the Bureau’s mission and budgetary goals. The role also leads the Bureau’s purchasing staff by providing guidance, training, and oversight. This is an in-person position at the J.J. Pickle Research Campus in North Austin, with 40 scheduled hours per week. The position is expected to continue and has an earliest start date of immediately.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, or a related field, with at least three years of experience; relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Several years of purchasing experience in a complex organization.
Knowledge of procurement policies and procedures.
Experience with vendor negotiations and contract compliance.
Proficiency with enterprise financial systems; examples listed include DEFINE, Contracts Plus, and the UT Handbook of Business Procedures.
Strong organizational and communication skills.
Ability to interpret and apply state and university purchasing regulations.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education or state agency procurement.
Familiarity with Texas state purchasing laws and HUB (Historically Underutilized Business) requirements.
Experience managing complex or high-dollar procurements and vendor relationships.

Responsibilities

Coordinate and execute the full procurement lifecycle for goods, services, and equipment, including vendor selection, bid solicitation, contract review, and purchase order processing.
Perform purchasing, receiving, and reconciliation for supplies, materials, equipment, and services using the Bureau’s internal Purchasing System.
Conduct purchasing activities using the UT ProCard, PointPlus, and UT Market.
Submit agreements to UT’s Business Contracts Office and serve as the Senior Departmental contact for contract negotiations and final signature.
Provide guidance on contract negotiation, including basic review of contract terms.
Ensure purchasing activities comply with UT Austin, UT System, and State of Texas procurement policies and procedures.
Maintain accurate purchasing documentation and audit readiness.
Locate products and services needed to meet contractual requirements.
Provide pricing for contract cost estimates and planning.
Provide advance planning and guidance concerning approvals and procedures.
Collaborate with financial staff to align purchases with budgetary constraints and grant requirements.
Monitor expenditures and assist with financial reporting.
Serve as team lead for departmental purchasing staff, providing training, mentorship, and oversight to ensure consistent application of procurement standards and best practices.
Support inventory management and contribute to procurement strategies aligned with the Bureau’s mission and budgetary goals.