Purchasing Agent

JOB SUMMARY:

Join NORC’s Contracts and Grants team as a Purchasing Agent, responsible for maintaining system processes to provide efficient and effective procurement of goods and services. Establish the foundations of your career path with hands-on learning opportunities in the presence of industry experts and strong mentors for those looking to bolster their experience.

Leverage your education in business, accounting, finance, purchasing, procurement, or a related field to develop deep knowledge within the Purchasing department, a subset of the Contracts and Grants team. Gain unique exposure within our non-profit social science research organization to make an impact by assisting and supporting the organization’s purchasing needs. Learn from seasoned professionals, including attorneys and social science researchers, and work directly with stakeholders across the organization. Take advantage of this opportunity as a strong initial step within your purchasing career.

Location: This hybrid role is based in NORC’s downtown Chicago office, with a minimum of six in-office days per month for collaboration, client development, and team connection.

DEPARTMENT: Contracts and Grants, Purchasing

The NORC Contracts and Grants team provides oversight for all client contracts, and third-party agreements, keeping internal stakeholders informed and trained on obligations and federal regulations, as well as internal policies and procedures, driving NORC’s federal compliance and reporting activities.

Purchasing is responsible for the negotiation and procurement of materials, equipment, and supplies from third parties. The team coordinates sourcing activities, including competitive bidding, and develops and maintains supplier relationships in compliance with NORC policies and federal, state and/or local requirements.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Process, monitor, and expedite purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and other procurement requests
• Reconcile procurement card purchases
• Ensure employees and procurements adhere to NORC’s procurement policies, guidelines, and client requirements
• Develops and maintains supplier relationships, assists requestors in identifying sources, and actively identifies potential new suppliers of goods and services.
• Reviews and revises internal procurement functions and processes to gain efficiency and increase internal customer satisfaction.
• Liaise between vendors and internal departments to ensure effective procurement of goods and services
• Manage tracking and reporting of purchasing process status and metrics
• Update databases, monitor small business usage, and manage department mailbox

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• High school diploma is required, with a preference for a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or similar discipline
• 3 years of related experience is required
• Knowledge of practices and procedures for procurement of materials, components, equipment, and services
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, time management, personal organization, attention to detail, discretion, and negotiating skills
• Comfortable creating and maintaining physical and electronic filing systems
• Ability to work in an accurate and timely manner, prioritizing multiple tasks from different projects
• Capacity to handle sensitive and confidential material in a discreet manner

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The pay range for this position is $60,000 - $90,000

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC’s comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment
• Dental and vision insurance
• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program
• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance
• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate’s placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs.

WHAT WE DO:

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE:

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO STATEMENT:

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.