Purchasing Partner I

Crystal Equation Corporation; Bell Gardens (CA); Hybrid; USD 83,097,000 - 97,424,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Medical/dental/vision/Life insurance

401K

Parental leave

Job summary

Crystal Equation Corporation is seeking a Project Manager I to own a portfolio of UX Research vendor engagements from intake through SOW, PO, and invoicing, driving momentum and delivering results in a remote-capable role. You will coordinate researchers, vendors, and contract teams, reporting status daily and resolving blockers to keep cases moving.

Ideal candidates have a Bachelor’s degree and at least four years of cross-functional project management or procurement experience, with strong

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 4 years of experience in project coordination, project/program management, procurement, vendor management, or operations with end-to-end ownership.
• Self-starter capable of driving multiple cases to completion across cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to report status to a manager and stakeholders on a regular cadence.
• Experience using AI tools to increase throughput and scale coverage.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact and expert guide for UX Researchers navigating vendor and procurement processes.
• Own a portfolio of UXR vendor engagements end to end—from intake through SOW creation and execution, PO issuance, and invoicing—and drive each case to completion.
• Manage momentum on every case in your queue, advancing each request daily and creating urgency when the next action sits with another party.
• Act as the nexus across researchers, contract associates, vendors, and approvers/leadership, keeping the full picture of each case and alignment on what’s needed and by when.
• Proactively communicate status to your manager and stakeholders on a daily cadence, covering progress, risks, and blockers.
• Take ownership of resolving blockers, surfacing issues quickly and proposing paths forward through resolution.
• Anticipate stakeholder needs and blockers and mitigate up front rather than react to gaps.
• Own data integrity across KPI and SLA trackers, and maintain vendor resources and process documentation for the Research team.
• Identify recurring friction in the intake-to-contract pipeline and propose process improvements, managing projects to deploy fixes.

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Project Manager I Remote

Summary The Purchasing Partner owns a portfolio of UX Research vendor engagements end to end - from intake through contract execution and invoicing. This is an ownership role, not a support role. You are accountable for the momentum of every case in your queue: driving requests across the line, chasing down the stakeholders and approvals needed to close them, resolving blockers that sit outside your direct control, and reporting status to your manager and stakeholders proactively - before anyone asks.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact and expert guide for User Experience Researchers navigating vendor and procurement processes
• Own a portfolio of UXR vendor engagements end to end - from intake through SOW creation and execution, PO issuance, and invoicing - and drive each case to completion
• Manage momentum on every case in your queue, advancing each request daily and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with another party
• Act as the nexus across all parties on an engagement - researchers, contract associates, vendors, and approvers/leadership - holding the full picture of each case and keeping everyone aligned on what's needed and by when
• Proactively communicate status to your manager and stakeholders on a daily cadence, covering progress, risks, and blockers, without being prompted
• Take ownership of resolving blockers, including those caused by other teams or outside your control - surface them immediately, propose a path forward, and stay on them through resolution
• Anticipate what stakeholders will need and blockers that will arise and mitigate it up front rather than reacting to gaps after they've stalled a case
• Own data integrity across KPI and SLA trackers, and maintain vendor resources and process documentation (documents, team wiki, toolkits) for the Research team
• Identify recurring friction in the intake-to-contract pipeline and propose process improvements, manage projects to deploy fixes

Requirements

• Bachelors degree required
• 4 years of experience in project coordination, project/program management, procurement, vendor management, or operations, with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of your own workstream
• Self starter with demonstrated ability to drive multiple cases to completion simultaneously across cross-functional teams and external partners in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities - holding the full picture of every engagement, following up persistently, escalating when needed, and closing every loop
• Demonstrated ability to manage momentum across a portfolio of active projects with minimal day-to-day supervision - keeping every case advancing, and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with someone else
• Experience proactively reporting status to a manager and stakeholders through written updates on a regular cadence, without being asked
• Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to increase your own throughput and scale your coverage - identifying where they add value and owning the quality of the output
• Ability to communicate quickly and clearly with peers, cross-functional stakeholders, and senior management, adapting style to the audience
• Ability to make thoughtful judgment calls and act in ambiguous situations rather than waiting for direction
• Track record of being detail-oriented and organized under a high volume of work

Preferred Qualifications

• Project or program management experience, including formal PM training or certification (PMP, CAPM, or equivalent)
• Experience in procurement, sourcing, contracting, or vendor management - especially supporting research, R&D, or creative teams
• Experience with case, ticket, or workflow management systems
• Familiarity with UX research or research operations

How We Work

• Urgency over waiting - you take action rather than waiting to be told
• Over-communication - with your manager, your team, and your stakeholders
• Independent follow-through - you track your own commitments and close them out; your manager learns status from your updates, not by asking
• Empathy - internal stakeholders and external vendors are navigating complex systems under time pressure, and you help them through it

Pay range is $29 - $34 per hour with full benefits available, including paid time off, medical/dental/vision/life insurance, 401K, parental leave, and more. Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several US geographic markets. Pay is based on several factors including market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, and experience.

THE PROMISES WE MAKE: At Crystal Equation, we empower people and advance technology initiatives by building trust. Your recruiter will prep you for the interview, obtain feedback, guide you through any necessary paperwork and provide everything you need for a successful start. We will serve to empower you along the way and provide the path for your professional journey.

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