Buyer (Procurement & Contracts Officer)

OUC - The Reliable One, is presently seeking a Buyer (Procurement & Contracts Officer) to join the Financial & Support Services division. At OUC, we don't just work - we're building a bright future of innovation and transformation for future generations.

We are looking for an experienced, analytical procurement professional with a strong background in public-sector purchasing to join OUC's Procurement team. The ideal candidate brings hands-on experience managing competitive solicitations from start to finish, along with strong contract negotiation, critical-thinking, and relationship-building skills. This role is best suited for someone who understands the structured and regulated nature of government procurement and is comfortable navigating procurement laws, policies, and procedures while partnering with internal stakeholders and suppliers.

In this role, you will manage moderately complex procurement activities throughout the full sourcing lifecycle, from developing and issuing solicitations and evaluating supplier responses to negotiating pricing and terms, drafting and administering contracts, and issuing purchase orders. You will analyze commercial offers, conduct market and supplier research, collaborate with business partners to define requirements and assess risk, and help identify cost-effective sourcing solutions while ensuring compliance with applicable procurement requirements. This is a hands-on role that combines strategic sourcing, contract development, negotiation, analysis, and supplier relationship management, making it an excellent opportunity for an experienced public procurement professional ready to take ownership of meaningful, complex purchasing initiatives.

OUC's mission is to provide exceptional value to our customers and community by delivering sustainable and reliable services and solutions. Click here to learn more about what we do.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Engineering, or related area of study from an accredited college or university (required). In lieu of a degree, equivalent combination of education, industry standard certifications (CPPB, CPSM, CPP) or experience may be substitutable on a 1:1 basis.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience working in Purchasing, Supply Chain or directly related field (required).
• Industry standard certifications such as CPPB, CPSM, CPP (preferred).

OUC offers a very competitive compensation and benefits package. Our Total Rewards package includes, to cite a few:

• Competitive compensation
• Low-cost medical, dental, and vision benefits and paid life insurance premiums with no probationary period. Retirement benefits include a cash balance account with employer matching along with a health reimbursement account
• Paid vacation, holidays, and sick time
• Paid parental leave
• Educational and Professional assistance programs; Paid Memberships in Professional Associations
• Access to workout facilities at each location
• Paid Conference and Training Opportunities
• Free downtown parking
• Hybrid work schedule

Click here to view our Benefits Summary.

Salary Range: $33.462 to $41.827 per hour commensurate with experience (estimated $69,600.96 to $87,000.16 annually)

Location: 6003 Pershing Ave., Orlando, FL 32822

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. This organization does not offer or sponsor employment visas for internship or full-time positions.

Please see below a complete Job description for this position.

Job Purpose:

Procures supplies, equipment, materials and services in the most cost-effective manner. Administers moderately complex purchasing processes in accordance with OUC policies and procedures. Act as a liaison between internal and external customers, such as suppliers and internal departments. Negotiates pricing, contracts and builds strong professional relationships with both internal and external customers.

Primary Functions:

• Receive, review, and understand specifications related to moderately complex procurement requests; evaluate responses from suppliers and make recommendations to management; notify suppliers of award and complete the contract(s);
• Collaborate with internal teams and external suppliers for purchasing supplies, equipment, materials, and services that are moderate in size, scope, risk and cost;
• Serve as the subject matter expert in the notification systems (e.g. Vendorlink) and utilize appropriate financial and sourcing systems for tracking and managing contracts and purchases.
• Create and process contracts, extensions and amendments; review contracts and purchase orders for items that are moderate in cost and complexity; research and update delivery timelines for materials to support end-users with project planning;
• Create Purchase Orders (PO) from order requisitions; review and manage order requisition report to area business unit; issue PO to suppliers for acknowledgement; process change orders and administrative changes;
• Review market research and supplier information for most cost-effective and competitive pricing for materials and services;
• Create evaluation criteria matrix, analyze commercial offers and make recommendations;
• Identify new business opportunities consistent with business short and long-term strategies;
• Manage purchasing activities for materials and services, both indirect and direct that have moderate levels of risk;
• Collaborate with end users to plan projects, establish goals/requirements, best project approach, assess risks, develop strategies, establish terms and schedule material and service needs;
• Utilize a variety of reports to track the status of purchasing activities and outcomes;
• Maintain vendor and supplier databases and logs, collect historical data, and identify trends in supplier costing and performance;
• Coordinate and lead the evaluation committee meetings; prepare documents, spreadsheets and correspondence to provide feedback on best practices and evaluation decisions;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Technical Requirements:

• Working knowledge of all, but not limited to, the following:
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems
• Purchasing practices
• Contract basics
• Financial acumen as it relates to price and cost analytics
• Applicable statues, industry regulations and company policies and procedures
• Keep current on public procurement best practices and trends;
• Continuous learning in all, but not limited to:
• Purchasing laws
• Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems
• Contract Administration
• Negotiations
• Apply working knowledge of Florida Statutes;
• Ability to make quality decisions that keep the project moving forward while maintaining safety and integrity;
• Ability to research and evaluate product specification, quality and performance;
• Ability to communicate both verbally and in writing;
• Effective negotiation skills;
• Ability to build effective professional relationships with both internal and external customers;
• Ability to collect statistics to perform basic cost and price calculations;
• Ability to use Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and standard office equipment (telephone, computer, copier, etc.).

Education/ Certification/ Years of Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Finance, Business, Accounting, Engineering, or related area of study from an accredited college or university (required). In lieu of a degree, equivalent combination of education, industry standard certifications (CPPB, CPSM, CPP) or experience may be substitutable on a 1:1 basis.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience working in Purchasing, Supply Chain or directly related field (required).
• Industry standard certifications such as CPPB, CPSM, CPP (preferred).

Working Conditions:

This job is absent of disagreeable working conditions.

Physical Requirements:

This job consists of speaking, hearing and reading. This job may consist of repetitive motions, typing and writing. This job may consist of standing, walking, sitting and bending/ stooping. This job may occasionally consist of lifting up to ten (10) lbs.

OUC-The Reliable One is an Equal Opportunity Employer who is committed through responsible management policies to recruit, hire, promote, train, transfer, compensate, and administer all other personnel actions without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information and any other factor prohibited under applicable federal, state, and local civil rights laws, rules, and regulations.

EOE M/F/Vets/Disabled