Senior Buyer

Jobtailor; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University Housing and Dining is seeking an experienced procurement professional to manage complex purchasing, vendor sourcing, and contract administration within a higher education environment.

Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's degree, several years of purchasing experience, and familiarity with UT Austin policies and financial systems. The role emphasizes process improvement, staff training, and cross-department collaboration.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum 3 years of purchasing or relevant experience.
• 4+ years of purchasing experience preferred.
• Experience in a higher education setting preferred.
• Experience with UT purchasing policies or State procurement laws preferred.
• Experience using UT Austin financial systems (DEFINE, FRMS, Point Plus, UT Market) preferred.

Responsibilities

• Execute advanced purchasing and procurement duties for University Housing and Dining.
• Process requisitions and solicit bids in compliance with University and State guidelines.
• Oversee purchasing of supplies, materials, equipment, and services.
• Serve as departmental buyer and procurement resource for University Housing and Dining departments.
• Establish purchasing and procurement goals and objectives.
• Review processes, identify improvement opportunities, and evaluate technologies to enhance workflows.
• Perform advanced contract administration from vendor sourcing and drafting through final execution.
• Communicate purchasing details and status updates and resolve order discrepancies with requesters and suppliers.
• Process routine purchasing requests and determine priorities and timelines with other Senior Departmental Buyers.
• Provide guidance and support to Departmental Buyers.
• Coordinate, develop, and provide staff training on purchasing and procurement practices and policies.

Skills

Advanced Purchasing

Procurement

Vendor Sourcing

Process Improvement

Documentation Creation

Power Automate

Power BI

Certified Texas Contract Manager

Education

Bachelor's degree

Certified Texas Contract Developer

Certified Texas Contract Manager

Tools

Smartsheet

DEFINE

FRMS

Point Plus

UT Market

Job description

• Execute advanced purchasing and procurement duties for University Housing and Dining
• Process requisitions and solicit bids in compliance with University and State guidelines
• Oversee purchasing of supplies, materials, equipment, and services
• Serve as departmental buyer and procurement resource for University Housing and Dining departments
• Establish purchasing and procurement goals and objectives
• Review processes, identify improvement opportunities, and evaluate technologies to enhance workflows
• Perform advanced contract administration from vendor sourcing and drafting through final execution
• Communicate purchasing details and status updates and resolve order discrepancies with requesters and suppliers
• Process routine purchasing requests and determine priorities and timelines with other Senior Departmental Buyers
• Provide guidance and support to Departmental Buyers
• Coordinate, develop, and provide staff training on purchasing and procurement practices and policies
• Perform related functions as assigned

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum 3 years of purchasing or relevant experience
• Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate
• 4 or more years of purchasing experience preferred
• Experience working in a higher education setting preferred
• Experience using Power Automate, Power BI, and Smartsheet preferred
• Familiarity with UT purchasing and accounting policies and procedures and/or State of Texas procurement laws preferred
• Experience with UT Austin financial systems (DEFINE, FRMS, Point Plus, and UT Market) and/or similar preferred
• Experience reviewing processes and workflows and recommending and implementing improvements preferred
• Experience creating and maintaining documentation and training materials preferred
• Certified Texas Contract Developer or Certified Texas Contract Manager preferred
• Ability to work Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-5:00 PM, with hours varying based on business needs
• Criminal history background check required for finalists
• Must present acceptable original documents proving identity and authorization to work in the United States by the third day of employment
• Resume/CV, letter of interest, and 3 work references required; at least one reference should be from a supervisor

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in advanced purchasing and procurement processes, including contract administration and compliance with university and state guidelines. Proficient in utilizing technology to enhance workflows and provide training on procurement practices.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Advanced Purchasing
• Contract Administration
• Power Automate
• Power BI
• Certified Texas Contract Developer

Hard Skills

• Purchasing
• Procurement
• Vendor Sourcing
• Process Improvement
• Documentation Creation

Soft Skills

• Communication
• Guidance and Support
• Training Development

Certifications & Qualifications

• Certified Texas Contract Manager

Industry Keywords

• Higher Education
• UT Purchasing Policies
• State of Texas Procurement Laws

Tools & Technologies

• Smartsheet
• DEFINE
• FRMS
• Point Plus
• UT Market