Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.

While reporting to Service Center management, this position works independently with general supervision to provide support for the purchasing of quality, and cost-efficient, services and supplies for campus departments and provides campus departments support for business travel. The position provides some vendor and product research, and development of detailed bid specifications up to certain limits as specified in established SOU policies. Involved in the procurement of a wide variety of commodities, and needs broad technical knowledge when acquiring services and supplies. Works with Service Center management, Business Services, and Finance and Administration when looking to purchase more highly technical and sophisticated equipment, supplies and services, which require complicated vendor and product research and more complex bid and specifications writing, in situations where dollar amounts involve high levels of approval authority as specified in the SOU Contracting Signature Authority policies. This position will also provide assistance with negotiating and writing of bid specifications and contracting.

One year of full-time purchasing experience which must include purchasing practices, procedures, and techniques such as determining specifications, placing purchase orders, and processing requisitions.

Purchasing and Bid Specifications
In accordance with university policy and procedure, provide accurate and efficient purchasing of supplies and services to campus departments and staff. Services include:
- Assist departments with purchase of quality services and supplies by coordinating with vendors and SOU departments to determine appropriate specifications, quantities, product availability, and sources of supply.
- Coordinate with departments to locate sources of supply and assistance with evaluating and selecting those sources.
- Place orders with vendors utilizing appropriate method of purchase.
- Prepare, enter, and issue purchase orders when required. Ensure all underlying documentation is properly preserved (e.g. PO, quotes, approvals, receipt of goods/services, DeskPro communications, relevant emails) to comply with audit requirements.
- Act as administrator for vendor website account maintenance. This includes account set-up and removal as needed, as well as reporting and monitoring of account usage.
- Assist departments in resolving shipping, receiving, and billing discrepancies with users/vendors, including negotiating item returns, expediting orders, rescheduling deliveries, and canceling and renegotiating orders.
- Maintain and update catalogs and price lists and agreements.
- Assist departments in determining bid specifications and whether or not a formal RFP process is required and obtaining competitive bids by telephone or mail; evaluating bid responses for compliance to administrative requirements; reviewing summary of responses for approval of product specifications; awarding bid in accordance with SOU policy; and resolving vendor complaints that may arise about the bid and award process.
- Monitor and update, in coordination with Business Services and Contracting Officer, the