Buyer, Supply Chain​/Logistics

As an integral member of the Procurement Services Team, the Procurement Buyer fosters and maintains strong collaborative relationships with Vanderbilt’s faculty, staff, and students, continually seeking innovative ways to enhance service delivery and ensure customer satisfaction. This position is pivotal to the success of a high-performing Procurement organization, driving excellence in the full procure-to-pay process and contributing to the university's strategic procurement objectives.

The Procurement Buyer is responsible for the management of purchase orders, solicitation of quotes, negotiation of terms and conditions, maintaining accurate supplier records, sourcing, and onboarding new suppliers in strict accordance with governing contracts and university policies. Acting as the primary liaison between university customers and suppliers, the Procurement Buyer ensures efficient and effective procurement transaction support. This role also involves drafting and negotiating contracts for goods and services while providing robust support to both stakeholders and Category Managers in supplier negotiations, requests for proposals, supplier performance evaluations, and contract deployment.

This role is instrumental in shaping the university's procurement strategy, driving cost-effective and value-driven purchasing decisions, and contributing to the overall financial sustainability of the institution.

The Procurement team serves as the centralized point of contact for all supplier information management, procurement, and travel activities at Vanderbilt University. As part of the Division of Finance, our team is pivotal in shaping and executing the university's purchasing strategy. We collaborate closely with Payment Services to ensure seamless integration between procurement activities and supplier payments. Our team provides robust resources for sourcing, contracting, ordering, and purchase order processing, as well as managing the university’s travel program.

We are dedicated to sourcing top-tier suppliers to meet the diverse needs of the university, ensuring quality, compliance, and value in every purchase.

• Order Management:
  Efficiently process, dispatch, and manage purchase orders for goods and services, ensuring compliance with contract terms and university policies.
• Supplier Relationship Management:
  Maintain accurate supplier records, oversee the onboarding of new suppliers, and foster strong, collaborative relationships with existing suppliers.
• Contract Negotiation:
  Draft and negotiate contracts for goods and services, providing expert support in supplier negotiations, requests for proposals, and contract deployment.
• Stakeholder
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Function as the primary liaison between university customers and suppliers, ensuring seamless procurement transaction support and effective communication of specifications and sourcing options.
• Performance Monitoring:
  Support stakeholders and Category Managers in evaluating supplier performance, ensuring adherence to quality standards and contractual obligations.
• Cost Optimization:
  Identify and implement cost-saving opportunities and process improvements to enhance procurement efficiency and value.
• Compliance and
  
  Risk Management:
  
  Ensure all procurement activities comply with university policies, industry regulations, and best practices, mitigating risks and maintaining high ethical standards.
• Sustainability and Ethical Sourcing:
  Promote sustainable procurement practices and ethical sourcing, ensuring that all purchasing decisions align with the university’s commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
• Data Analysis and Reporting:
  Utilize procurement software to analyze…