Buyer, Senior (Full-time)

The Senior Buyer serves as a senior procurement professional within George Mason University's Purchasing Department, and is responsible for independently managing complex public procurements from planning through award and contract administration. This position leads competitive solicitations, strategic sourcing initiatives, contract negotiations, and high-impact purchasing activities for a diverse portfolio of goods and services. The successful candidate will exercise substantial independent judgment, provide expert procurement guidance to university stakeholders, and collaborate with departments across the institution to develop procurement solutions that balance cost, quality, risk, compliance, and operational needs. The Senior Buyer serves as a strategic procurement advisor and, in consultation with their supervisor, manages complex, high-value, and high-visibility procurements from planning through contract execution. This position is ideal for a procurement professional who enjoys managing complex procurements, negotiating contractual terms and conditions, partnering with senior stakeholders, and working in a fast-paced, high-volume environment. This position reports to the Director of Purchasing and is currently specified as hybrid eligible, with on-site expectations of two to three days per week.

The successful candidate will be a self-directed procurement professional requiring minimal supervision; demonstrated professional procurement writing experience capable of producing high-quality solicitation, contract, and award documentation; and ability to exercise sound judgment in situations involving competing priorities, compliance requirements, and institutional risk.

Responsibilities include independently planning, developing, administering, evaluating, negotiating, awarding, and administering complex procurement contracts and high-value purchasing actions in accordance with applicable law, policy, and delegated authority; conducting complex procurement activities frequently in excess of $200,000 per procurement, including procurements with significant institutional visibility, operational importance, or contractual complexity; applying advanced public procurement knowledge to determine the appropriate procurement method and manage competitive bids, competitive negotiations, sole source procurements, emergency procurements, contract renewals, and related procurement actions within delegated authority; leading RFPs, IFBs, and other solicitations from planning through award, including drafting solicitation documents, managing addenda and evaluation processes, analyzing responses, supporting evaluation committees, negotiating when appropriate, and preparing award documentation; preparing purchase orders, contract documents, negotiation records, cost savings or cost avoidance documentation, and associated procurement file materials in a timely, accurate, and legally defensible manner; executing contracts and purchase orders within delegated signature authority and routes documents for additional approval when required; maintaining complete procurement files and reviewing, approving, or disapproving purchase order pricing changes and related contract administration matters; reviewing spending within assigned commodities to identify sourcing opportunities, improve compliance with Mason and state policies, and strengthen use of existing contracts and supplier relationships; leading sourcing activities in partnership with departmental stakeholders to achieve an appropriate balance of service, quality, price, risk mitigation, and operational effectiveness; providing customer service, vendor assistance, contract administration, order expediting, receiving coordination, returns support, invoice-resolution assistance, and problem-solving for complex supplier or stakeholder issues; advising university customers and vendors regarding procurement processes, procedures, policy interpretation, and best practices to reduce cycle time, improve compliance, and enhance service; acting as liaison between suppliers and the university on procurement and contractual matters; advising and encouraging SWaM vendors to certify with the Virginia Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity, where appropriate; providing contract administration for assigned orders and contracts to confirm goods and services are delivered in accordance with contractual requirements and supporting university departments, Central Receiving, and Accounts Payable in resolving delivery, order status, receiving, material return, and invoice issues; resolving vendor performance issues, recommending or executing appropriate cure actions, and initiating timely contract renewals, extensions, reconciliations, or rebids; encouraging use of SWaM vendors where appropriate and consistent with procurement requirements; developing alternative, reliable, and responsible sources of supply through market research, source lists, supplier engagement, vendor visits, trade shows, exhibits, professional purchasing organizations, and collaboration with other purchasing offices; and encouraging participation by small, women-owned, and minority-owned businesses, assisting suppliers with certification information as appropriate, and networking with other purchasing offices and universities.

Required qualifications include a minimum of seven years of full-time professional procurement experience in a public-sector environment serving as a senior buyer, warranted contracting officer, procurement officer, senior acquisition professional, or substantially equivalent procurement role (with delegated authority) with responsibility for independently managing or materially leading procurement actions for goods or services.

Preferred qualifications include a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in Business, Public Administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Contract Management, or a related field. Professional procurement, purchasing, acquisition, sourcing, or contracting certification preferred, including VCO, CPPB, CPPO, CPM, CPSM, FAC-C, CFCM, NIGP-CPP, CUPO, or equivalent certification. Ten or more years of progressively responsible senior buyer, contracting officer, procurement officer, acquisition, strategic sourcing, or public purchasing experience strongly preferred. Experience as a warranted contracting officer or equivalent delegated procurement authority strongly preferred. Experience independently managing complex procurements from planning through award and contract administration strongly preferred. Experience using eVA, Ellucian Banner, or comparable procurement/financial systems preferred. Ability to almost entirely independently run competitive or complex procurements across the procurement lifecycle, including solicitation development, evaluation, negotiation of business or contractual terms and conditions, award, contract issuance, purchase order issuance, or other final procurement processing; and expert in professional procurement writing, including the ability to produce clear, accurate, and complete procurement-related documents.

Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.