Purchasing Agent

Purchasing Agent

Join Our Team and Make a Difference in Higher Education! At the System Administration office at the University of Colorado, we are dedicated to building a workplace where everyone feels valued, supported, and empowered to thrive. Our office is committed to fostering a culture where employees find community, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to our mission and purpose.

By joining our team, you'll have a direct impact on shaping the future of higher education. In addition to the Office of the Board of Regents, the University of Colorado's system administration includes 19 units that provide essential services to CU's campuses in Aurora, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and Denver, as well as the Office of the President. While not a part of any one campus, we are proud to serve in the centralized office for the University system.

Together, we ensure CU continues to deliver outstanding education, groundbreaking research, and valuable service to our communities. We believe in creating an environment where the unique experiences and perspectives of everyone are embraced, enriching the work we do and the strategic outcomes we pursue. If you're passionate about making a difference, contributing to a dynamic team, and supporting a mission that matters, we encourage you to apply and be part of our journey.

Learn more about CU System Administration.

Position Summary:

The University of Colorado's (CU or University) Procurement Service Center (PSC) is one of the leading higher education procurement offices in the nation. The PSC supports the entire CU community, which includes four campuses and System Administration, by assisting customers with their purchasing, spend management, procure-to-pay, and travel management responsibilities. The PSC partners with CU constituents and suppliers to provide collaborative, innovative, and leading practices that deliver high quality expertise, significant value, and excellent customer service.

Procurement and Sourcing, a unit within the PSC, exists to procure goods and services for the CU community, which includes four campuses and System Administration, from the right source, and at the most reasonable cost possible. Additionally, Procurement and Sourcing assures accountability, integrity, and fairness to the public and business community through the interpretation and application of federal, state, and University procurement rules and regulations.

The Purchasing Agent procures goods and services in a timely manner, by specifying delivery from the right source to the right place and at a price consistent with the quality and reliability required by the user. Based on professional experience, knowledge, and using the highest ethical conduct, this position makes procurement decisions for the university community by clarifying requirements, investigating sources of supply, while interpreting and analyzing data and circumstances.

The successful candidate is an effective communicator committed to delivering the highest quality customer service. They are organized and are able to multi-task. The Purchasing Agent provides procurement leadership to university departments by guiding them through the procurement process in order to obtain the best value for the university. Judgment is used in the adaptation and skilled application of guidelines to solve the full range of problems related to each procurement.

This position reports to the Procurement Manager and is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff system.

Where You Will Work:
This role is eligible to work remotely within Colorado.

Procurement of Goods and Services

• Procures services using professional judgment to determine if competition is required. Procures goods and services pursuant to the University's Procurement Rules on a competitive basis by compiling and refining solicitation specifications, researching and identifying potential sources, and preparing formal solicitation documents.
• Independently determines the most appropriate method of acquiring goods and/or services by examining and evaluating the unique elements of each request which may include estimating the value, determining delivery requirements, researching sources of supply, and accessing and employs the on-line computerized purchasing system and multiple software packages as tools in the procurement process.
• Guides and assures the integrity of all aspects of the Documented Quote (DQ) process by researching and developing the DQ documents in collaboration with the requesting department(s). May use other sourcing methods at the direction of the Procurement Manager. Interprets and analyzes responses, communicates the results, and collaborates with the department on selecting awarded supplier(s) and awards the contract.
• Interprets, explains, implements, clarifies, counsels, and advocates courses of action, and advises the single or multi-campus evaluation committee of options and consequences by…