Procurement Officer

Position Details

Contact:
Mary Hardin, , mary.hardin1

Title:

Purchasing Agent (Procurement Officer)

Job Overview

MSU Procurement & Contract Services seeks a procurement professional to join a customer service-oriented team supporting MSU and its three satellite campuses. The individual will strive for efficiency while complying with Montana state rules and seeking maximum value for every dollar expended.

General Statement

MSU Procurement & Contract Services provides professional procurement services for instructional, research, and administrative components of the University. The applicant will process purchases for MSU departments across four campuses, including purchase requisitions, solicitations, administration, and payment review, ensuring compliance with state, federal, and MSU laws, rules, policies, and procedures.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead complex university procurement processes for high-cost items and services across all four campuses in accordance with state statutes, rules, and regulations.
• Collaborate with Contract Specialist and suppliers to negotiate terms and conditions meeting state requirements.
• Communicate with suppliers and departments during all phases of the procurement lifecycle to maximize collaboration and performance monitoring.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop requirements for both informal and formal solicitations of products and services.
• Develop complex Invitation for Bid (IFB) and Request for Proposal (RFP) documents, purchase orders, and contracts compliant with all laws, regulations, and policies.
• Guide departments toward best results to enhance the competitive bidding process for best value.
• Review accounting transactions to ensure compliance with procurement policies and work with departments to correct as needed.
• Manage encumbrances for issued purchase orders and contracts in Banner and Jaggaer Smart
  
  BuyMSU.
• Provide four-campus departmental guidance and training on procurement processes and policies in person and via Teams, phone, and email.
• Maintain current department procurement instruction websites, forms, and reference materials.

Required Qualifications – Education, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• Bachelor’s degree plus one year of full-time (or part-time equivalent) work experience in a customer service setting with technical document and presentation writing, research, and project management skills or an equivalent combination.
• Experience processing business transactions and preparing associated documents with a high level of attention to detail.
• Experience providing complex instructions and guidance, demonstrating strong communication skills both verbally and in writing.
• Experience using personal computers and extensive knowledge of Microsoft Office (Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, and Excel).
• Exceptional customer service experience.

Preferred Qualifications – Education, Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• Knowledge of Montana’s procurement processes, including MCA and ARM.
• Experience interpreting and applying state or other government laws, and administrative rules or department policies.
• Working knowledge of Banner Finance system.
• Experience delivering effective training one-on-one and in large group settings.
• Experience with e-procurement software such as Jaggaer.

The Successful Candidate Will

• Maintain professional communication and actions that are most likely to have the desired effect on individuals or a group of individuals.
• Be a critical thinker and identify strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to a problem and apply the most appropriate course of action.
• Be an active listener and provide full attention to individuals inside and outside the organization, understanding various points of view, and asking appropriate questions to gather pertinent facts for a course of action.
• Provide leadership and influence others to give guidance to committee/team players for best result.
• Be ethical, understand differing points of view and be fair to customers and vendors in bidding and contracting.
• Be responsive, coordinating many tasks at various stages of completion and acting timely on tasks when information is provided to move…