Procurement Administrator (Hybrid)

Department: Purchasing&Strategic Sourcing
Salary/Grade: EXS/7

Target hiring range for this position will be between $63,079-$90,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

Procurement and Payment Services (PPS) is the single point of contact for all centralized procurement and payment activities. Reporting to the Director of Purchasing and Strategic Sourcing, the Procurement Administrator is responsible for sourcing and administering contracts on behalf of the University. All functions are performed with a high degree of independence and must be performed with integrity and in a timely manner. This role maintains a close working relationship with Accounts Payable, Northwestern IT, the Office of General Counsel, other departments and schools, as well as the vendor community.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategically source on behalf of the University (perform Invitations to Bid for University wide contracts and assisting schools/departments with their Invitations to Bid). This includes managing the entire bid process:

• Develop specifications, requirements, terms and conditions
• Solicit bids
• Analyze bid responses for responsiveness to requirements
• Coordinate evaluation committee consisting of other departments and schools
• Solicit best and final offers and negotiate with finalists
• Award contracts to the vendor that offers the best value to the University
• Develop formal contract documents

Contract Administration.

• Monitor contract compliance
• Monitor and track discounts and the receipt of rebates and reports, when applicable
• Validate that the Univeristy is receiving correct pricing
• Issue change notices
• Assist in promoting agreements to departments/schools
• Generate spend analysis reports
• Regularly meet with contractors
• Mediate and resolve conflicts
• Work with eProcurement manager to enable and monitor catalogs in iBuyNU

Enforce, Develop, and Advise on Purchasing Policy and Procedures

• Review and approve requisitions, including Sole Source Justification and Bid Documentation Forms for department and school purchases
• Perform post auditing of procurement activity by departments and schools
• Assist in the development and conducting of internal information/training sessions and arrange for vendor presentations

Other duties:

• Negotiate non-exclusive price agreements
• Review spend reports and identify contracting opportunities
• Meet with vendors to review relative product information, price, and service
• Assist with content for Procurement events, newsletters and website
• Assist with documenting Procurement processes and procedures
• Assist in handling general issues and problems communicated to Procurement by departments and schools

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in business or related field required.

• Two to four years of purchasing experience preferably in higher education, or equivalent experience in a related service industry.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Strong organizational, time management, negotiation, and contract development skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills, demonstrable ability to effectively interact with internal stakeholders and suppliers.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional purchasing certification.
• Experience collaborating in a decentralized environment, including working closely with central IT to align sourcing strategies with long term institutional technology roadmaps.
• Experience in conducting and developing training sessions.
• Experience conducting bids and negotiations for enterprise-wide IT hardware acquisitions, including computer endpoints (laptops, desktops, tablets), peripherals, network infrastructure (routers, switches, wireless access points, etc.), and related services/warranties.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Exhibit continual improvement as a procurement professional by attending relative training courses and seminars/conferences.
• Advanced data analytics skills, demonstrable ability to compile, analysis and make sound business decisions based on data.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate software licensing models and negotiate favorable pricing and contract terms for institution wide software deployments.
• Ability negotiating enterprise level SaaS agreements, including terms related to data security/privacy, SLAs, web accessibility, and complex pricing structures. Familiarity with IT specific legal and compliance considerations when contracting for software solutions.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.