ePurchasing System Officer

Date Posted: 05/21/2024
Req ID: 37413
Faculty/Division: Office of the Chief Financial Officer
Department: Procurement Services
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00042165

Description:

About us:

Procurement Services supports the University community by setting procurement standards through policies, procedures, and guidelines.  It administers central programs including the Vendor Master Data Creation and Maintenance, Purchasing and Travel & Hospitality cards,  uSOURCE (the electronic marketplace) and reviews Purchase Orders for compliance prior to release.  A team of procurement professionals conducts strategic sourcing initiatives including sourcing and adding approved suppliers to the Supplier Network, leading procurements over $100,000 on behalf of the downtown campus, and providing training, support and guidance when required.

The department is supported by a culture of teamwork, collaboration, continuous learning, and improvement that ensures accountability and transparency, as well as workplace diversity, inclusion, and mutual respect.

Your opportunity:

This is a 12-month term position in the Procurement Programs & Operations unit of the department. 

Reporting to the Manager, Procurement Programs and Operations and working closely with the Senior Procurement Analyst & System Administrator, the ePurchasing System Officer is responsible for: on-boarding and enabling suppliers and users on the University’s electronic purchasing marketplace e.g. uSOURCE; ensuring all system transactions are processed accurately and taking necessary steps to resolve errors including price discrepancies, invoice errors, resolving user/supplier configuration issues; and, managing the uSOURCE help desk and providing ePurchasing system information updates as required to both suppliers and users. 

This is a community (internal and external) liaison role, and as such, the incumbent is the Procurement Services representative responsible for ensuring that the ePurchasing system user experience (for suppliers and internal staff and faculty) is positive, and meets the requirements as established through standard business and ethical protocols and expectations. The incumbent will resolve issues, identify opportunities for improvement and support e-procurement needs in general including testing, training and roll-out of new features.

This includes:

For ePurchasing enabled suppliers: 
•    Analyzing data and recommending potential new suppliers to the Manager, Acquisitions and Sourcing for consideration
•    Ensuring suppliers have the technical ability to connect to ePurchasing system and have the ability to pass financial transactions through the system from accepting purchase orders to issuing invoices according system requirements
•    Working closely with enabled vendors to resolve functional issues impacting the order to invoice process to prevent unnecessary process delays and takes appropriate action
•    Resolving unusual situations by proposing creative solutions (i.e. end user set-up configurations not matching available system options)
•    Disseminating promotional supplier materials to the end user community, promote awareness and encourage user uptake as appropriate 

For internal ePurchasing users: 
•    Ensuring the on-boarding process including user profiles, roles and permissions are aligned with established guidelines and authorizations
•    Liaising with unit business officers, Research Services, or others with unit financial oversight responsibility to ensure user system access requests are appropriate
•    Identifying training needs and materials required to support new user on-boarding
•    Updating any related materials to ensure continued relevance or reflect system changes that will result from system upgrades or configuration changes
•    Addressing unexpected processing issues on behalf of the end user where necessary

Your responsibilities will include:
ePurchasing transaction oversight and problem resolution
•    Increasing user adoption by showing the value of the system to those users not currently using it and by leading the transition to uSOURCE
•    Analyzing department transactions to support user adoption initiatives
•    Providing analysis and gathering requirements for system and/or process improvements with a focus on enhancing business user experience and optimizing workflow and features to decrease bottlenecks and improve compliance
•    Ensuring compliance with the University’s Approved Supplier contracts and ensuring purchase requisitions comply with these requirements
•    Review department requirements and map to system capabilities, identify gaps and work with the department to build functional solutions, develop and monitor testing strategies and ensure resolution of any issues
•    Analyzing and testing of new system functionality as it becomes available
•    Monitoring the flow of electronic order-to-pay transactions to identify errors and taking corrective action
•    Addressing any issues that affect the efficient and effective operation of the “procure to pay cycle”
•    Resolving invoice discrepancy issues with the supplier to prevent overbilling or other financial risks
•    Conducting regular product/service price checks to ensure suppliers adhere to contracted terms and conditions
•    Working closely with the ePurchasing System Administrator/Senior Analyst to resolve complex issues related to configuration challenges and to recommend system changes to meet evolving needs
•    Liaising with Jaggaer (uSOURCE software provider) help desk support to resolve issues where required
•    Liaising with departments to ensure monthly and year end processes are completed within the specified time period
•    Participating in system upgrades and required testing to ensure desired results are achieved
•    Escalating technical system issues to the EASI team for SAP-related interface issues
•    Liaising with other central services units (e.g. Financial Services Division, Research Services) and
•    local business units to resolve issues
•    Referring on-going uSOURCE enabled supplier performance issues to the Manager, Strategic Sourcing for review and management

ePurchasing help desk and information services 
•    Managing the ePurchasing help desk by reviewing support requests, resolving enquiries, or escalating complex issues to the Manager or ePurchasing System Administrator/Senior Analyst
•    Reviewing and providing relevant information for posting on the Procurement Services web site as necessary
•    Ensuring all training materials and internal standard operating procedures are available and updated on a regular basis
•    Preparing and leading end user ePurchasing training
•    Preparing and posting system updates on uSOURCE for ready access by suppliers and users
•    Preparing reports and other documentation in support of efficient Source operations including tracking and managing to key performance indicators

Other Duties as Assigned 
•    Providing support related to issuing FIS Purchase Orders, Purchasing Card, or Travel Card program activities; creating new FIS suppliers.
•    Attending training programs offered to internal system users to provide additional information or clarification when necessary.
•    Participating at Jaggaer or other e-procurement system provider training or meetings to share information or acquire new product details and upgrades.

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in general business or information technology required, with a designation as a certified procurement professional or an acceptable equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Minimum of 4 years of related experience with electronic procurement systems and tools preferably in a public sector or higher education environment including general technical support, business analytics and training. 
• Proven customer service delivery experience, including responsive provision of support and information services. 
• Demonstrated experience with computerized purchasing, materials management and financial systems with SAP experience a definite asset. 
• Practical experience with project management tools and methodologies including business process design and implementation of new functionality.

To be successful in this role you are:

•    Resourceful
•    Flexible
•    Problem solver
•    Collaborator
•    Self Aware
•    Accountable

NOTE: This is a one (1) year term position.

Closing Date: 06/04/2024, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW
Appointment Type: Budget - Term
Schedule: Full-Time NOTE: This is a one (1) year term position.
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:
USW Pay Band 12 -- $78,308 with an annual step progression to a maximum of $100,144. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol.
Job Category: Finance/Budget/Planning/Audit
Recruiter: Blythe Campbell

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.