Purchasing: Operations Specialist

The University of New Mexico, Office of the University Controller, also known as Financial Services, located on Main Campus is responsible for all central accounting functions for the University.

It is the responsibility of the Controller's Office aka Financial Services to ensure compliance with all financial policies, rules, and regulations adopted by the University or imposed by external agencies, including state and federal audit requirements, following generally accepted accounting practices. Additionally, the Controller's Office oversees the maintenance of the official financial records of the University.

Within Financial Services is the Purchasing Department which has an exciting opportunity for an Operations Specialist!

The Strategic Purchasing Team within the Purchasing Department seeks a dedicated and reliable individual to join their team as an Operations Specialist This position is responsible for supporting the UNM procurement team by establishing a professional and positive attitude, the ability to multitask, meet deadlines, and work efficiently in a fast-paced environment.

In this role, the selected candidate will provide comprehensive support to the Purchasing Department by serving as a primary point of contact for customer service and operational assistance across campus. The position supports a variety of procurement and travel department related activities, including monitoring and responding to email inboxes, maintaining strategic partner agreements, and acting as a liaison between campus departments, suppliers, and Financial Systems Management.

This role also contributes to departmental communications and outreach by researching and analyzing data to drive strategic decision-making, hosts and distributes necessary training programs, and supports procurement system administration and integration.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide high-level customer service and daily support to campus departments and suppliers
• Researches, collects, and analyzes data; prepares scheduled and ad hoc reports; maintains records and analyzes statistical information for the office.
• Designs and develops training templates for programs and workshops; assists individuals in designing and formatting materials.
• Plans, coordinates, and promotes special procurement events, supplier engagement activities, programs, and/or activities.
• Designs, develops, and coordinates production of brochures, flyers, catalogs, social media content and web-based marketing, publicity, and promotional materials.
• Provides procurement systems administration and integration support
• Supports strategic supplier initiatives; maintain agreements and related documentation
• Assists with establishing objectives, timelines, and goal planning for strategic purchasing and travel related projects

The ideal candidate for the Operations Specialist position should have strong customer service skills and the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities in a fast-paced environment. This role requires a collaborative, self-motivated individual who is eager to learn and support team goals.

The preferred candidate will demonstrate strong attention to detail, effective communication skills, and the ability to prioritize tasks, meet deadlines, and manage multiple assignments with strong organization and coordination skills.

Why Join Us?
At UNM, you'll be part of a diverse and vibrant community dedicated to academic excellence and student success. UNM is one of the top employers in New Mexico and offers great benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, flexible spending accounts, discounts for sporting and other events, retirement plans, as well as generous leave allowances including paid parental leave.

If you're a dynamic, self-motivated individual, we encourage you to apply and be a part of the Purchasing Department team success!

This position may qualify for a hybrid schedule based on performance post probation/trial period. While on probation or during trial period, the expectation is to be in the office and on-site Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm.

Salary range is estimated, and actual salary will be determined after consideration of the selected candidate's experience and qualifications

See the Position Description for additional information.

High school diploma or GED; at least 7 years of experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified.

Completed degree(s) from an accredited institution that are above the minimum education requirement may be substituted for experience on a year for year basis.

Preferences should be supported in the resume.

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills both verbally and in writing
• Experience working effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Strong organizational skills with attention to detail
• Experience planning, developing, and coordinating multiple projects and events.
• Experience providing day-to-day support to campus departments and suppliers
• Experience with procurement and/or travel platforms (e.g., LoboMart and Concur)
• Skilled in database management, word processing, spreadsheet, and/or presentation software.
• Proficiency in databases, spreadsheets, and reporting tools
• Experience managing, analyzing and producing meaningful data reports and presentations

Only applications submitted through
the official UNMJobs site will be accepted. If you are viewing this job
advertisement on a 3rd party site, please
visit UNMJobs to submit an application.

Positions posted with a Staff Type of Regular or Term are eligible for the Veteran Preference Program. See the Veteran Preference Program webpage for additional details.

The University of New Mexico is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class.

The University of New Mexico requires all regular staff positions successfully pass a pre-employment background check. This may include, but is not limited to, a criminal history background check, New Mexico Department of Health fingerprint screening, New Mexico Children, Youth, and Families Department fingerprint screening, verification of education credentials, and/or verification of prior employment. For more information about background checks, visit https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3280.html. Refer to https://policy.unm.edu/university-policies/3000/3200.html for a definition of Regular Staff.