Purchasing Specialist

Position Title: Purchasing Specialist
Location: Gainesville, FL
Salary: $20/hour | Non-exempt

For over 50 years,
Meridian Healthcare has been a trusted provider of compassionate care for individuals facing mental health and substance use challenges. With service centers across 13 counties in North Central Florida, we are committed to transforming lives and communities from the inside out.

We live by our core values:
Hope, Empathy, Accountability, Resilience, and Teamwork (H.E.A.R.T.). If these resonate with you, we invite you to become part of our dedicated and mission-driven team.

As the Purchasing Specialist
, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the operational excellence and strategic direction of Meridian. You will:

• Collaborate with leadership to ensure that Meridian policies as they relate to purchasing and travel are comprehensive and aligned with Uniform Grant Guidance (UGG), federal Cost Principles, Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance, and all applicable federal, state, and local requirements, as well as those of our funding agencies.
• Develop and execute purchasing strategies that reinforce best practices.
• Aid Meridian with anticipating and mitigating potential risks.
• Ensure that all employees are aware of purchasing and travel requirements and are well-trained in following the required policies and procedures.
• Develop and maintain forms and processes that support the goals of this position.
• Provide ongoing support to Meridian programs and staff as it relates to purchasing and travel.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of Meridian programs and funding sources.
• Sustain advanced knowledge of Chart of Accounts at all times.
• Receive and process all purchase requests to ensure prior approval of all costs incurred.
• Ensure each purchase or travel request is coded in a manner that directs the cost to the appropriate funding source and General Ledger (GL) identifier.
• Maintain regular communication with employees requesting travel/purchases.
• Retain familiarity with budgets and track expenses to ensure costs are within allowability guidelines.
• Become knowledgeable regarding the fiscal requirements of funding sources, and ensure those requirements are met.
• Collaborate with hotels and event planners to ensure employees attending large professional development events or business meetings are efficiently set up for their participation, including the facilitation of registration, lodging accommodations, air travel, and prepayment or reimbursement of mileage/meals or other travel costs.
• Ensure that Meridian is not charged tax as a part of purchasing or travel transactions.
• Facilitate the process of p-card sign-out and tracking.
• Ensure that receipts are provided for every transaction approved.
• Gather backup documentation required for payment of assigned p-cards (i.e., AP, APII, Meridian Travel, POS Travel), code, and approve payment prior to submission to Accountant.
• Enter invoices/prepayment requests/reimbursement requests for payment in our accounting software, print checks as needed, apply credits to open invoices, when necessary, etc.
• Track and report key functional metrics to reduce unnecessary expenses and support strategic spending.
• Maintain business accounts with purchasing partners, such as Amazon Business and Office Depot Business Services Division.
• Participate in audits and assist with records as required.
• Assist in developing and maintaining internal financial control procedures.
• Ability to work cross functionally with all levels to perform job duties.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting/Finance OR a Bachelor's degree in a related field with a minimum of three years of experience that aligns with the position's duties and responsibilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills will be required, as well as technology literacy including advanced skill in Microsoft Excel (formulaic automation, pivot tables), proficiency in the daily use of Adobe Acrobat (not Adobe Reader), and ability to use Microsoft Office software as needed.

• Nurse Corps Loan Repayment Program- 60% of…