Purchasing Agent

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation; Williamsburg (VA); On-site; USD 39,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, VA seeks a detail‑driven procurement professional to manage purchasing transactions, supplier communications, and purchasing card programs in a nonprofit setting. You will guide internal customers on compliant purchasing methods, resolve pricing discrepancies with Finance, and maintain accurate records while supporting spend analysis and internal audits.

The role requires two to four years in purchasing or accounts payable, strong attention to

Qualifications

• Two to four years of experience in purchasing, procurement, accounts payable, or related field.
• Working knowledge of purchasing transactions and financial controls.
• Ability to interpret and apply policies across organizational levels.

Responsibilities

• Process purchase requisitions, purchase orders, changes, cancellations, and closeouts.
• Review supplier details, pricing, terms, and required documentation.
• Guide internal customers on purchasing methods including purchasing cards and contracts.

Skills

Attention to detail

Strong communication

Confidential information handling

Education

Associate or bachelor’s degree in business/finance/supply chain

Tools

Workday

procurement-card platforms

Job description

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation.

Who We Are

Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world. Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse peoples who helped shape a new nation. Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 89 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research. The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library. Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area. Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on-site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over five million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

Key Responsibilities

• Process purchase requisitions, purchase orders, changes, cancellations, closeouts, and related purchasing transactions in accordance with policy and delegated authority.
• Review requests for completeness, approvals, supplier details, pricing, terms, delivery requirements, coding, and supporting documentation.
• Guide internal customers on the appropriate purchasing method, including purchasing cards, purchase orders, competitive quotations, contracts, and approved suppliers.
• Obtain and document competitive quotations; support sourcing events, quote comparisons, bid records, and supplier communications.
• Support supplier onboarding and maintenance and coordinate with Procurement on supplier selection, contracts, sourcing requirements, and exceptions.
• Research and resolve pricing discrepancies, invoice issues, purchase-order questions, disputed charges, and supplier concerns with Accounts Payable, Finance, and internal departments.
• Maintain accurate procurement and purchasing card records, reports, and audit documentation; support spend analysis, transaction reviews, and process improvement.
• Administer purchasing card issuance, replacement, cancellation, cardholder changes, spending limits, department assignments, cost centers, and authorized purchasing categories.
• Coordinate required approvals and card-provider activity, including account maintenance and disputed transactions, and promptly cancel cards when authority is no longer needed.
• Monitor purchasing card transactions for business purpose, receipts, documentation, limits, merchant restrictions, coding, duplicates, split transactions, personal purchases, unusual activity, and other policy exceptions.
• Follow up on missing documentation and unreconciled transactions; support timely reconciliation and prepare exception reports for Procurement and Finance leadership.
• Escalate suspected misuse, fraud, conflicts of interest, unauthorized purchases, control weaknesses, or significant policy violations to appropriate leadership.
• Maintain segregation of duties and comply with procurement, finance, ethics, confidentiality, and records-retention requirements.
• Provide training and responsive support to cardholders and internal customers while consistently applying procurement standards and financial controls.
• Perform procurement and purchasing card activities in the organization’s ERP, banking, and reporting systems; support testing, automation, and control improvements.

This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

This is a non-exempt position, eligible to receive overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This position may be subject to overtime during high peak times, etc. as directed and approved by the supervisor.

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Two to four years of experience in purchasing, procurement, accounts payable, financial administration, purchasing card administration, or a related field.
• Working knowledge of purchasing transactions and financial controls.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to identify discrepancies.
• Ability to handle confidential financial and employee information.
• Strong organizational, time-management, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to interpret and consistently apply policies and procedures and work effectively with employees at all organizational levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor’s degree in business, finance, accounting, supply chain, procurement, or a related field.
• Experience administering a corporate, nonprofit, or governmental purchasing card program.
• Experience with ERP systems such as Workday and with procurement-card banking platforms.
• Experience supporting competitive bidding, quotation processes, procurement compliance, or internal audit activities.
• AP, purchasing, procurement, or supply-chain certification.
• Familiarity with nonprofit or hospitality purchasing environments.

Physical and Environmental Demands

Physical Activity

Frequency

Stand

Occasionally

Walk

Occasionally

Sit

Constantly

Use hands/fingers

Constantly

Climb or balance

Rarely

Stoop/kneel/crouch/crawl

Rarely

Reach with hands/arms

Occasionally

Talk or hear

Constantly

Lifting up to 10 lbs.

Occasionally

Lifting up to 25 lbs.

Rarely

Lifting up to 50 lbs. (with assistance)

N/A

Lifting up to 100 lbs. (with assistance)

N/A

More than 100 lbs. (with assistance)

N/A

Wet/humid conditions

N/A

Work near moving mechanical parts

N/A

Fumes/airborne particles

N/A

Extreme cold

N/A

Extreme heat

N/A

Risk of electrical shock

N/A

Driving requirement

N/A

Compensation Disclaimer

Range: $28.00 - $32.00/hour