Purchasing Representative (Procurement Representative)

---

Job description

Department

CHEMISTRY (BL-CHEM-IUBLA)

Department Information

Faculty and staff in the Department of Chemistry are committed to developing students' understanding of science and problem-solving skills and preparing them for careers in science and the health professions.

The Department of Chemistry is a part of the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University (IU) and offers a variety of outstanding employment opportunities such as academics, scientist positions, laboratory technicians, administrative and information technology support, fiscal services and purchasing, technical services (machinists, electronics, glass blowers), student and teaching services, and much more. Each and every individual in every role is integral to the success of the educational and research mission of the department, the College, and Indiana University as a whole.

Job Summary

This position is responsible for a variety of accounting transactions for the Department of Chemistry including purchase orders, travel, disbursement vouchers, payment requests, service billings, and direct vendor payments. This position reports directly to and works with the Business Operations Manager. This position's work may be predominantly focused in one area of finance or support or in a variety of different areas: areas may include accounts payable/receivable, grant-funded accounts, etc.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Performs financial and administrative support of the university's daily business operations.
• Verifies compliance with departmental, College, and University policies and procedures.
• Prepares purchase orders for goods and services used by 36 research labs and 8 research and analytical service centers; tracks and expedites orders, advises faculty on product availability and appropriate substitutions, prospective vendors, and pricing.
• Prepares purchase orders by determining best procurement solution and source (existing contract, quotations, single sourcing). Departmental approval authority to place orders up to a $5,000.00 limit.
• Advises department personnel of purchasing policies and procedures and consults on contract vendors and prospective vendors and pricing based on types of equipment and supplies requested.
• Uses history, best pricing, and services records to determine appropriate vendors.
• Maintains records for departmental purchase requests and prepares reports for the Business Operations Manager as needed.
• Coordinates renewal of service contracts for departmental equipment and blanket orders for the department.
• Maintains reporting to ensure service contracts are up to date and demurrage and gases are accounted for.
• Identifies and resolves issues with orders.
• Serves as a liaison between departments, vendors, and IU purchasing regarding products, pricing discrepancies, problems pertaining to orders and return of goods; verify credits are received for returns.
• Responds to inquiries from outside the department regarding department's policies and procedures and, if necessary, refers to appropriate office to handle the inquiry.
• Provides back up support for seminar scheduling, purchasing out-of-pockets reimbursements, and event management as needed.
• Arranges travel and prepayments for all departmental business-related travel for faculty, graduate students, and scientists including conference registration, air, lodging, and limousine.
• Processes travel reimbursements for faculty, graduate students, scientists, and visiting speakers/researchers.
• Audits and verifies receipts that are allowable and allocable to the funding source; verifies sufficient funds.
• Assembles travel expenses report, including encumbrances, for reconciling account expenses.
• Processes documents into the university's central information systems (Travel, KFS, HRMS, etc.) and verifies that information is correct.
• Investigates and resolves discrepancies in financial documents.
• Maintains records of financial transactions, compiles data, and prepares reports.
• Verifies accuracy of adjustments to payroll including supplements and garnishments.
• Confirms available accounts and ensures timely payments are made to payees.
• Responds to inquiries regarding financial and/or personnel policies and procedures.
• Serves as a backup to the Seminar Coordinator and supports tasks related to employee and non-employee travel.
• May provide guidance to lower-level employees on their day-to-day work.

General Responsibilities

• Performs routine and ad hoc administrative tasks under moderate supervision in support of the procurement function, administering the transactions associated with obtaining goods and services for the university.
• Serves as an informational resource for department or other departments in identifying appropriate vendors and suppliers.
• Responds to employee inquiries and requests and explains policies and procedures.
• Monitors procurement processes and communicates issues with supervisor to inform decisions.
• Oversees inventory of necessary items and coordinates reorder, inventory receipt, and/or returns as needed.
• Prepares reports to monitor outstanding procurement documents and payments.

Qualifications

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• High school diploma or equivalent (such as HSED or GED).

Preferred

• Associate degree.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 2 years in relevant field.

Preferred

• 1 year of experience in an office setting, preferably in an academic office.
• Experience with processing payments and reimbursements with IU systems such as KFS, BuyIU, Chrome River, and IUIE.

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient communication skills.
• Ability to build strong customer relationships.
• Instills commitment to organizational goals.
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents.
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment.
• Promotes information sharing.

Preferred

• Maintains a high degree of professionalism.
• Demonstrates time management and priority setting skills.
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality.
• Highly thorough and dependable.
• General knowledge or demonstrated ability to learn basic functionality of IU systems (KFS, HRMS, SIS).
• Experience in managing and documenting workflows, processes, and/or data entry.
• Basic understanding of technology.
• Ability to use standard office equipment such as phone, fax, scanner, etc.
• Proficiency in computer systems, including standard Office software.
• Basic accounting and financial skills; ability to reconcile accounts.
• Demonstrated ability to apply concepts and policies to daily work functions.
• Good oral and written communication skills.
• Effective communication skills.
• Attention to detail skills.
• Exceptional organizational skills.
• Good problem-solving skills (assertive, inquisitive, proactive).
• Ability to work as a team player and multi-task, while as others may be required to work autonomously with minimal direction.
• Ability to effectively prioritize to ensure all duties are accurately performed and all competing deadlines are met on time.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

Working Conditions / Demands

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. This positions requires the ability to move up to 25 pounds. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Work Location

Bloomington, Indiana

Advertised Salary

$19.23 - $20.19 per hour based on experience.

Benefits Overview

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Multiple plan options for medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Health Savings Account with generous IU contribution
• Life insurance, LTD, and AD&D options
• Base retirement plan contribution from IU, subject to vesting
• Additional supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition benefit for IU classes
• 10 paid holidays per year
• Generous Paid Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing our online Benefits Brochure.

Job Classification

Career Level: Intermediate

FLSA: Nonexempt

Job Function: Finance

Job Family: Procurement
Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

Posting Disclaimer

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

. click apply for full job details

<!– job description page –>