Procurement Buyer II - Supplier Relations and Negotiation

Overview

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.

At WGU, 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. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:

Grade:
Professional 309
Pay Range: $80,300.00 - $

As a Sourcing Specialist II focused on supplier relations and contract negotiation, you will help WGU maximize value, manage risk, and ensure reliable delivery of the goods and services that keep the university running. You will lead sourcing events, negotiate favorable terms, and build strong partnerships with suppliers and internal stakeholders so teams across WGU can focus on serving students.

• Evaluate new and existing supplier capabilities, including risk, quality, pricing, and delivery performance, to ensure they meet WGU standards.
• Lead sourcing efforts and RFx activity: invite and receive bids, evaluate prices, discounts, and delivery conditions, and make award recommendations and selections.
• Negotiate contracts, terms, SLAs, KPIs, and pricing with suppliers and service providers to secure the best combination of cost, quality, and service in your assigned categories.
• Partner closely with Finance and Legal to review, negotiate, and implement contracts and statements of work for curriculum, materials, equipment, facilities, supplies, and services.
• Review and process contract, bid, and purchase order requests; monitor purchase orders and contracts for conformance to company policies and resolve issues with POs, billing, and payments.
• Maintain accurate records of contracts and orders, administer purchasing systems, and keep purchasing instructions, policies, and procedures current while educating employees to ensure compliance.
• Monitor market conditions and trends, assist with forecasting and spend analysis, identify cost saving opportunities and adverse trends, and recommend process and policy improvements that reduce risk.

• Bachelor's degree and 4 years of current procurement or supply chain experience, or equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job.
• Experience using modern procurement or sourcing SaaS solutions (for example: supplier management, RFx automation, contract lifecycle management, or purchasing systems).
  Ability to analyze data and manage workflows within cloud based procurement tools.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of purchasing, including purchasing ethics, standards, and the competitive bidding process, as well as when to use POs versus contracts.
• Strong understanding of key PO and contract terms and conditions and more complex cost/pricing analysis to support sound sourcing decisions.
• Demonstrated negotiation and organizational skills, including the ability to negotiate business terms with suppliers such as price, delivery, quality, and payment terms.
• Ability to learn new technologies quickly, administer purchasing systems, and adapt effectively to changing priorities and business needs.
• Excellent decision making, attention to detail, and proficiency with Microsoft Office products to analyze data, prepare documentation, and communicate clearly.
• Strong communication and relation shipbuilding skills with the ability to coordinate across departments (e.g., Finance, Legal, and business…