Procurement Assistant

We are searching for a Procurement Assistant to join our Purchasing Department at the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL) at Penn State. The mission of the ARL Purchasing Office is to support procurement activities by managing the end‑to‑end process including ensuring maximum value for dollars spent, adhering to government and university procurement and contracting regulations and policies/procedures, assuring timely delivery of goods/services, ensuring proper record‑keeping and safe custody of procurement and procurement‑related documentation, facilities procurement training, and managing relationships with all stakeholders in the procurement process.

The Procurement Assistant position will lead Requests for Quotations (RFQs) from cradle to grave and will also focus on expediting open purchase orders which will include training others that come onboard to assist with these activities. The Procurement Assistant will interface with a variety of roles including internal ARL technical and administrative roles, supplier representatives, ARL Purchasing Office staff, ARL Supply Chain staff, and ARL Accounting staff.

• Lead processing of Requests for Quotations for the Purchasing Office (Cradle to Grave Concept)
• Expedite open purchase orders
• Work closely with Supply Chain group on various activities and actively participate in and contribute in being involved with various groups and meetings
• Work closely with technical office personnel relative to RFQs and expediting of orders
• Maintain a good working relationship with suppliers in order to get information on deliveries and or reasons for delays
• Coordinate and collaborate with the ARL purchasing and accounting offices
• Work in a secure computer network environment
• Prepare, edit, and process low-dollar purchase orders within established dollar limits and in accordance with government procurement regulations and per University policies/procedures
• Contact vendors and suppliers for quotations, responding to questions related to RFQs or other inquiries, and follow up on outstanding purchase orders as may be needed
• Ensure all transactions meet government regulations and University policies and procedures
• Assist Procurement Managers and Agents with vendor research and negotiations; obtain information on price, delivery, payment, specifications, and purchase order terms as may be required
• Use a variety of electronic systems and databases to import and create documents, track vendor information and payments, create auctions, compose correspondence, create and process purchase orders, requests for proposal, and various financial transactions
• Identify and resolve order discrepancies; obtain vendor certifications and certificates of liability insurance or other documents as may be required and requested
• Assist in monitoring internal and external customer satisfaction
• May perform general office duties such as mail distribution, answering phones and greeting visitors
• May supervise staff members, including hiring, development, and performance management
• Work with and train student interns or others that may be hired to assist position responsibilities

• Active security clearance, at the Secret level or higher
• Documented 2+ years of actual experience in working with controlled drawings relative to issuing Requests for Quotations (cradle to grave – issuance of RFQ, answering/responding to questions, receiving responses, tabulating responses, working with requesters/engineers/other personnel as may be required)
• Experience with classified computer networks and understanding roles and responsibilities associated with such
• Documented 2+ years of actual experience expediting open purchase orders including running reports, sorting information out of reports, updating information, relaying information in an understandable and useful manner
• Previous success with collaborations in a multi-disciplinary, team-oriented culture in an environment consisting of mostly remote employees
• Past success in an office environment, where various forms of communication and organizational skills were crucial to be effective
• Excellent time management skills,…