Procurement Specialist (Central)

Procurement Specialist (Central)

The University of Southern California (USC) Procurement Services is seeking a strategic-minded and experienced Procurement Specialist (Central) to join its team. This position manages operational procurement processes and transactions, providing routine and non-routine services and activities. The Procurement Specialist (Central) is responsible for transactions of varying complexity, ensuring completion, accuracy, policy compliance, and utilization of best practices. Finally, this role ensures timely review and active communication with relevant stakeholders.

Job Accountabilities :

• Reviews, manages, and approves various operational requests, transactions, and related activities (e.g., requisitions, purchase orders, supplier agreements).
• Works directly with suppliers on behalf of customers and departments.
• Reviews proposals, quotes, and agreements to identify opportunities to add value.
• Maintains industry currency (e.g., key suppliers, pricing, trends) and understanding of all relevant policies and procedures.
• Manages contract review and redlining processes.
• Drafts agreements using approved internal templates.
• Constructs statements of work and / or ensures adequate completion.
• Signs agreements within designated authority thresholds.
• Regularly challenges suppliers to negotiate pricing and business terms while utilizing market intelligence, category expertise, and benchmarks.
• Solicits competitive proposals when possible.
• Facilitates and manages various request-for-X events and processes.
• Ensures overall process integrity, fair and equitable competition, timeliness, and accountability for all participants.
• Prepares necessary documentation, scoring / ranking, analysis, and comparisons.
• Seeks new ways to improve / assist with processes and negotiations.
• Provides information and training / guidance on any of the above to others as necessary.
• Ensures appropriate documentation and audit trail.
• Effectively communicates and coordinates with all appropriate relevant stakeholders.
• Ensures compliance with and advises faculty / staff on all applicable requirements, regulations, policies, procedures and best practices.
• Builds relationships with stakeholders.
• Balances policy enforcement, education, and advising on processes with meeting timelines and organizational demands.
• Problem solves for non-standard requests as well as internal / external policy deviations.
• Performs due diligence and conducts research on previous purchase orders, agreements, and other available resources (e.g., for history, comparison, benchmarking) to determine best course of action.
• Maintains understanding of all agreement types, their uses, and with all relevant systems and tools.
• Works collaboratively to maximize opportunities, implement strategic initiatives, develop category strategies, problem solve, and manage supplier relationships and performance when applicable.
• Provides backup support to peers when necessary.
• Promotes an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.
• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested.

The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Minimum Qualifications :

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC's Unifying Values.

Preferred Qualifications :

Salary Range : $70,304.00 / yr. When determining an offer, the University of Southern California considers factors such as the scope and responsibilities of the role, the candidate's experience, education, training, key skills, internal peer alignment, applicable laws, contractual requirements, grant funding, and market conditions.