Senior Purchasing Coordinator

University of Texas at Austin

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Purchasing Coordinator manages departmental purchasing activities for Recreational Sports and serves as the lead departmental buyer and procurement resource. The role leads staff in purchasing goods and services according to established guidelines, provides purchasing guidance and recommendations, and ensures processes and documentation comply with applicable university, federal, and state policies and procedures. The coordinator serves as a liaison among the department, University Purchasing Office, and vendors, oversees purchase orders, generates correspondence about purchasing issues and procedures, and maintains accurate records. The position also oversees high-volume purchasing and accounting documents, reconciliations, departmental assets, and inventory. It assists with supervising the accounting team by developing job manuals, training and mentoring staff, and overseeing their work. The coordinator contributes to the Business Services area and performs other tasks as assigned. This is an in-person position at Gregory Gym on the UT main campus. The stated schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with overtime when necessary. Work is performed in standard office conditions and involves repetitive keyboard use, shared-office interactions, and possible exposure to alarms, crowds, dust, noise, construction noise, and occasional chemical fumes.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field, with at least three years of relevant experience and one year of direct purchasing experience; relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Strong Microsoft Office skills, particularly Excel, Word, and Outlook.
Demonstrated ability to process and reconcile high volumes of purchasing and accounting documents, maintain accurate financial records, and ensure compliance with university policies and procedures.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated ability to serve effectively as a liaison between departments and vendors.
Ability to work effectively under pressure, independently and as part of a team, while managing overlapping projects.
Ability to work independently with minimal direction and interact with many people in a shared office environment.
Ability to maintain cooperative relationships, communicate clearly, organize time and documents, multitask, and work within a complex, fast-paced organization.
Ability to follow supervision and university and divisional policies, safeguard confidentiality, make independent decisions, delegate tasks, provide leadership, and supervise others.
Regular and punctual workplace attendance; ability to work overtime when necessary.
Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis without sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field.
More than one year of relevant experience.
Experience working in a university or higher education environment.
Advanced knowledge and experience with university systems such as Workday, Banner, PeopleSoft, or DEFINE (Mainframe).
Experience with process modernization or system implementation.
Experience supervising student staff.

Responsibilities

Serve as lead departmental buyer and procurement resource for Recreational Sports, and liaise with staff, the University Purchasing Office, and vendors to fulfill procurement needs.
Meet with staff to determine purchasing needs, categorize purchases, establish requirements, anticipate needs, assist with timelines and planning, and coordinate timely action to meet university requirements and deadlines.
Track purchases and payments through resolution and exercise discretion throughout the purchasing process.
Oversee processing of high-volume purchasing and accounting documents, including purchase orders, payment vouchers, and interdepartmental transfers.
Maintain knowledge of university policies, procedures, and departmental accounts to support timely and appropriate purchasing decisions.
Prepare and maintain backup documentation in accordance with departmental and university requirements.
Reconcile departmental charges, post transactions as needed, and perform complex reconciliations for departmental, IT, sport clubs, and sport clubs travel credit cards.
Serve as backup for deposit preparation, including reviewing and reconciling daily reports and generating data-entry reports.
Ensure university documentation and paperwork requirements are satisfied.
Manage departmental assets and the annual inventory process in collaboration with the Director of Business Services, Facility Operations team, IT, and TRECs representatives.
Assist with supervising and overseeing the accounting team, develop and maintain job manuals, train and mentor staff, oversee their work, and model professional behavior and practices.
Contribute as a staff member in the Business Services area of the Division and perform other assigned tasks.