Purchasing & Contract Specialist

Position Overview

• Department: Business Office
• Position: Purchasing & Contract Specialist
• Position Type: 12 month, Part-Time (25 hours/week)
• Reports To: Controller
• Location: On-Site
• FLSA Status: Non-Exempt (hourly)
• Rate: $20.00 - $22.00/hour

Job Summary: Purchasing & Contract Specialist

The Purchasing & Contract Specialist is a newly created staff position responsible for organizing, formalizing, and executing the school's end-to-end purchasing and contract management workflows. Reporting directly to the Controller, this role will initially focus on a major foundational project: collaborating closely with both the Controller and the current Accounts Payable Specialist to design and implement a brand-new internal Purchase Order (PO) system.

The Specialist will assist in mapping out step-by-step requisition workflows, creating standard templates, and establishing clear compliance checklists to ensure strong internal financial controls. Once this new system and its supporting procedures are launched, the position will transition into the primary day-to-day operator—managing the daily purchasing pipeline, tracking contract lifecycles, verifying vendor compliance, and maintaining audit-ready records to support the overall efficiency of the school’s Business Office.

Key Responsibilities

Purchasing & Procurement

• Requisition Processing: Review purchase requisitions from internal departments for accuracy, budget compliance, and proper authorization.
• Purchase Orders Execution (POs): Create, process, and issue routine purchase orders based on internal requisitions.
• Vendor Sourcing: Request price quotes, compare vendor bids, and assist in evaluating and choosing potential suppliers.
• Order Tracking: Monitor open orders, track shipments, and follow up with vendors on backorders or delivery delays.
• Invoice Verification: Provide receiving documents and purchase orders to Accounts Payable to facilitate timely payment processing.

Contract Administration

• Coordination, Compliance and Review: Ensure contract terms are clearly stated and fully executed by all parties.  Collect and track applicable insurance certificates.
• Lifecycle Management: Track key contract milestones, renewal dates, expiration notices, and deliverables.
• Record Keeping: Maintain centralized physical and digital contract repositories, ensuring files are audit-ready.
• Stakeholder Liaison: Serve as a point of contact for internal departments and external vendors (where applicable) regarding contract interpretations, performance issues, or dispute resolution.

Qualifications & Requirements

• Education: High school diploma required; Associate or Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain or related field is ideal. Equivalent professional experience will be accepted.
• Experience: 2 years of professional office experience and familiarity in procurement, purchasing, or contract administration.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (advanced Excel capabilities preferred); experience with Blackbaud a plus.
• Core Competencies: Strong attention to detail, excellent written and verbal communication, and the ability to work effectively with a large constituent base.