Procurement Officer - 1025146-6689

at University of Illinois in Urbana, Illinois, United States

Job Description

• Reviews requisitions for accuracy/completeness and contacts departments for requisition clarification.
• Work with University departments to assist with the proper submission of contract requests in Contracts+ ensuring compliance with contracting and procurement standards, sourcing and contracting policies and procedures and applicable federal and state statutes.
• Review and approve University contract requests. Route contracts for departmental approvals and contract signatures. Communicate with University departments and outside parties regarding contract submissions and statuses.
• Investigates complaints from departments and vendors/contractors and problems arising from the procurement of commodities; determines an appropriate action to resolve vendor/contractor grievances and claims against suppliers.
• Serves as a general procurement resource person (answers questions regarding the characteristics, capabilities, and applicability of assigned commodities and services).
• Prepares reports and correspondence (such as the status of requisitions, purchase orders, shipments, and complaints) related to his/her assigned products.
• Notifies vendors/contractors that they need to provide various disclosure and/or certification forms relating to orders, such as certificates of insurance, vendor financial disclosure, and contract certification forms and evaluates for completeness.
• Assists in the analysis of requests for extensions or amendments to existing contracts and make recommendations of approval or alternative solutions to management; may participate in planning and negotiating sessions with suppliers and departments.
• Provides interpretation of policies and procedures, rules and regulations, revised statutes and internal guidelines to campus personnel and vendors/contractors. Follow established policies and procedures to ensure renewal options are handled in a timely manner prior to expiration date.
• Contacts vendors to verify pricing, delivery/lead terms, and to request required forms related to requisitions and potential orders.
• Prepares and solicits quotations, bids and requests for quotations, evaluates documents and forms for accuracy and completeness, recommends qualified vendors/contractors, and issues purchase orders with appropriate authorization authority. Assists user departments in preparing specifications for purchasing commodities, equipment, and services.
• Selects and/or recommends suppliers or contacts requisitioning departments to determine acceptable suppliers. Performs other related duties as assigned.

• Any one or any combination of the following, totaling one (1) year (12 months) from the categories below of which six (6) months must be actual work experience:
  • Work experience performing duties comparable to those performed at the Procurement Officer Assistant level of this series or in positions of comparable responsibility. AND/OR
  • College credit for course work in any field
    • 30 semester hours equals six (6) months
    • 60 semester hours or Associate's Degree equals one (1) year (12 months)
    • 90 semester hours equals two (2) years (24 months)
    • 120 semester hours or a Bachelor's Degree equals three (3) years (36 months)
    • Master Degree or higher equals four (4) years (48 months)
  NOTE: Possession of a current Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) or Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) from The Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC), or a current Accredited Purchasing Practitioner (APP) certificate, Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM) or Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) or equivalent certifications may satisfy the above requirements.

• Experience in public procurement.

• Ability to prioritize and work on multiple comprehensive projects concurrently.
• Ability to communicate effectively with a broad group of constituents to effectively resolve issues.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others and to effectively interact with university and departmental officials/staff.
• Solid organizational and analytical skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and to exercise good judgment and discretion in the performance of all work assignments.
• Ability to multi-task and prioritize work accordingly to meet deadlines while staying on task with daily assignments.
• Ability to review and evaluate proposals, contracts or similar documents, provide financial analysis, and render advice and assistance.