Senior Purchasing Coordinator

The University of Texas at Austin•Austin, UT

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Purchasing Coordinator manages departmental purchasing activities for Recreational Sports, leads staff in purchasing goods and services under established guidelines, and advises on the procurement of supplies, materials, equipment, and services. The position ensures purchasing processes are documented and compliant with applicable federal, state, university, and departmental policies. It serves as a liaison among the department, University Purchasing Office, and vendors, oversees purchase orders and related documents, maintains accurate records, and prepares correspondence concerning purchasing issues and procedures. The role serves as the lead departmental buyer and procurement resource, coordinating with staff to define purchasing needs, establish requirements and timelines, anticipate needs, and ensure purchases and payments are completed. It oversees high-volume purchasing and accounting documentation, including purchase orders, payment vouchers, and interdepartmental transfers; maintains departmental account knowledge and supporting documentation; reconciles charges and transactions; and performs complex reconciliations for departmental and sport-club credit cards. It also provides backup support for deposit preparation and manages departmental assets and the annual inventory process in collaboration with relevant teams. The coordinator assists with supervising the accounting team by developing job manuals, training and mentoring staff, overseeing their work, and modeling professional practices. The position is part of the Business Services area of the Division and performs other tasks as assigned. This is an in-person position in standard office conditions at Gregory Gym on the UT Main Campus. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with overtime when necessary. The role requires regular and punctual attendance, working effectively under pressure and with overlapping projects, independent work with minimal direction, and interaction with staff, participants, customers, vendors, and others in a shared office environment. Duties may involve repetitive keyboard use, manual dexterity, lifting and moving, and occasional exposure to alarms, crowds, dust, noise, construction noise, and chemical fumes. The position is security-sensitive, exempt, a Campus Security Authority, and a Responsible Employee.

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 skills in Microsoft Office, 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 work effectively as a liaison between departments and vendors.
Must be eligible to work in the United States full-time without sponsorship.
Regular and punctual workplace attendance; ability to work overtime when necessary.
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 space.
Ability to communicate clearly, maintain cooperative relationships, organize time and documents, multitask, follow supervision and policies, safeguard confidentiality, make independent decisions, delegate tasks, provide leadership, and supervise others.
Ability to perform work involving repetitive keyboard use, manual dexterity, and lifting and moving.

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, system implementation, and supervising student staff.

Responsibilities

Serve as lead departmental buyer and procurement resource for Recreational Sports.
Liaise among department staff, the University Purchasing Office, and vendors to fulfill procurement needs.
Meet with staff to establish the scope and requirements of purchases, anticipate needs, and assist with purchasing timelines and planning.
Coordinate with staff to ensure timely action on university requirements and deadlines, and track purchases and payments through resolution.
Oversee high-volume processing of purchase orders, payment vouchers, interdepartmental transfers, and other purchasing and accounting documents.
Maintain knowledge of university policies, procedures, and departmental accounts to guide purchasing decisions and ensure timely, compliant work.
Prepare and maintain supporting documentation in accordance with departmental and university requirements.
Reconcile departmental charges and post transactions as needed.
Perform complex reconciliations for departmental, IT, sport-club, and sport-club travel credit cards.
Provide backup support 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’s work.
Develop and maintain effective 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.
Perform other tasks as assigned.