Procurement Specialist - Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation

About Us:

VT-ARC, a technical services and applied research company, has built an organizational culture marked by four primary values: Teamwork, Integrity, Excellence, and Service. Integral to our success is our staff’s enthusiasm for solving tough problems by working together in teams to get the job done. We foster a culture where every employee’s contribution is valued and performed with integrity while maintaining a fun work environment. VT-ARC strives for excellence in all that is done for our clients and such achievement is recognized through service/merit awards. Moreover, we promote a sense of community larger than VT-ARC alone, where staff and institutional resources can be applied in service to our country.

About You:

As a Procurement/Purchasing Specialist, you will support VT-ARC with a wide array of purchasing responsibilities, all of which will require coordination across multiple internal and external parties, keen prioritization skills and decision-making, attention to detail and consistent follow-up.

You will play a crucial role in the on-boarding of new vendors, managing purchasing and payment related activities, monitoring invoices and actual spend against both historical patterns and budget for vendors, products and services that are critical to our client's service, and therefore, our customers.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Review purchasing requests for completeness utilizing Corporate processes and documentation
• Research prospective vendors, develop and maintain knowledge of vendors/preferred vendor lists
• Issue purchase and sales orders for required program purchases in accordance with Corporation policies and contract requirements
• Serve as primary POC between vendors and Corporation, maintaining communication internally and externally through completion
• Negotiate purchase terms and pricing
• Collaborate with internal departments on order reconciliation and invoice approvals
• Maintain procurement recordkeeping in corporate database(s)
• Assist with Customer and Audit inquiries, as needed
• Interest in learning contract management functions and willingness to assist in procurement of professional services
• Assist in the development/improvement of procurement procedures
• Other duties as assigned

Required Education, Certification, Skills, Capabilities:

• Must be a highly organized and detail oriented to manage multiple areas of responsibility
• Basic knowledge of accounting principles and accounts payable practices/techniques
• Ability to proactively prioritize and handle numerous tasks daily
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience building & maintaining effective relationship with company vendors and subcontractors
• Experience with evaluating quotes, proposals and source justifications to ensure compliance with the procurement award type
• Familiar with FAR/DFARS and preferred experience with Uniform Guidelines (2 CFR 200) and Cost Accounting Standards
• Basic knowledge of accounts payable and contract management systems
• Experience with Microsoft Office suite of products including Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Word, and Excel as well as contract management system
• US Citizenship required (per contract)

Desired Education, Certification, Skills, Capabilities:

• High school diploma/GED
• Bachelor’s degree preferred (supply chain management, acquisition/purchasing, accounting, business administration or relatable programs of study)
• 3-5 years progressive experience preferred
• Certification by a nationally recognized professional procurement or purchasing organization.

Security:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation: VT-ARC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit R&D organization affiliated with Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech or VT). Our mission is to provide superior analytic and technology solutions across multiple domains by leveraging Virginia Tech’s multidisciplinary research and innovation ecosystem. With unique access to the broad and rich research enterprise found at Virginia Tech, VT-ARC forms multi-disciplinary teams to apply innovative solutions to the real-world problems that strain our social, political, industrial, and economic foundations.

To learn more about VT-ARC’s Benefits, Perks, Culture & more visit our Careers page: https://vt-arc.org/careers/

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation is an equal-opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, marital status, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.E-Verify.gov.