Sourcing Specialist - University Services

Western Governors University; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 68,000 - 103,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Tuition discounts

Flexible PTO

Job summary

Western Governors University in Raleigh, NC is seeking a Sourcing Specialist to drive efficient procurement operations and support sourcing strategies across university teams. You will evaluate suppliers, manage bids, analyze pricing, and collaborate with finance, legal, and cross-functional partners to secure the best value.

This full-time, in-office role offers growth opportunities within a mission-driven online university.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2 years of procurement, supply chain, or business experience.
• Understanding of purchase orders versus contracts and when to apply each.
• Familiarity with competitive bidding processes and procurement workflows.
• Strong organizational and negotiation skills; ability to manage supplier discussions.
• Effective decision-making in a dynamic environment.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate supplier capabilities, including risk and quality assessments.
• Manage the bidding process, including inviting and receiving supplier bids.
• Analyze pricing, products, discounts, and delivery terms to support sourcing decisions.
• Communicate with suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers to gather market insights.
• Resolve purchase order, billing, and payment issues with internal stakeholders.
• Maintain accurate records of contracts, orders, and supplier performance.
• Partner with finance, legal, and cross-functional teams to support contract negotiation and implementation.

Skills

Negotiation skills

Organizational skills

Analytical mindset

Communication skills

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Purchasing software

Job description

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Professional 307 Pay Range: $68,300.00 - $102,500.00

Join our team as a Sourcing Specialist and play a key role in driving efficient, high-quality procurement operations. In this role, you will support sourcing strategies, evaluate suppliers, and help ensure the organization secures the best value for goods and services for the University teams. You will build your expertise while contributing to increasingly complex purchasing initiatives that directly impact business performance.

What You’ll Do

• Evaluate supplier capabilities, including risk and quality assessments
• Manage the bidding process, including inviting and receiving supplier bids
• Analyze pricing, products, discounts, and delivery terms to support sourcing decisions
• Communicate with suppliers, manufacturers, and service providers to gather market insights and product information
• Resolve purchase order, billing, and payment issues in partnership with internal stakeholders
• Maintain accurate records of contracts, orders, and supplier performance
• Partner with finance, legal, and cross-functional teams to support contract negotiation and implementation

What You’ll Bring

• Bachelor's degree
• 2 years of procurement, supply chain, or business experience
• Basic knowledge of purchasing principles, ethics, and standards
• Understanding of purchase orders versus contracts and when to apply each
• Familiarity with competitive bidding processes and procurement workflows
• Foundational knowledge of contract terms, pricing structures, and cost analysis
• Strong organizational and negotiation skills with the ability to support supplier discussions
• Effective decision-making skills and ability to prioritize in a dynamic environment
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office tools
• Bonus Points Experience with purchasing software in categories such as HR, Finance, Marketing, etc.
• Experience supporting contract negotiations or supplier management
• Exposure to forecasting or trend analysis in a procurement environment
• Familiarity with market analysis and pricing benchmarking
• Experience in Lieu of Education Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this role may substitute for education requirements. Generally, one year of experience may be considered in place of one year of education, at the discretion of the hiring manager.

Work Location

This is a full-time, in-office position at WGU’s office in Raleigh, NC.

Visa Sponsorship

While we welcome applicants from all backgrounds, WGU is not able to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

Accommodations

Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail].

Equal Employment Opportunity

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law. In 1997, a coalition of 19 U.S. governors founded Western Governors University with a singular vision: to make higher education more accessible by offering full degree programs online. Starting small, we quickly expanded. Today, we’re one of the largest accredited online universities in the U.S.