Technology Procurement Assistant (Part-Time)

The Technology Unit is integral to ongoing operations at New Visions, and the Support and Systems Team is a vital part of that, providing direct support to all of our colleagues in a hybrid working environment, as well as supporting remote service delivery to the New Visions Charter High School network.  We believe deeply in the core values and mission of New Visions for Public Schools, and the Technology Procurement Assistant role is vital in ensuring our colleagues have the technology that they need, when they need it, by providing administrative support for the lifecycle of technology procurement. Whether hardware or software, you will guide colleagues through the purchasing process, work with vendors to source standard items, track purchases through multiple stages and shipments and reconcile payments.

This position is a part-time placement of approximately sixteen (16) hours per week in a hybrid working environment (i.e. part hours in-office, part work remote). The schedule is flexible but consistent to ensure operational delivery and workload balancing amongst team members.

Who you are

• You have a passion for consistency, implementing and streamlining systems to maintain replicable and friction-free processes that maximise success
• You are methodical and process-driven, skilled in managing ongoing responsibilities to a high level of granularity and using existing process adherence as a guiding star
• You thrive in ownership, taking care to understand and reconcile issues autonomously, never leaving a stone unturned if something doesn’t feel right
• You enjoy change, recognizing that lifecycles in Technology aren’t always measured in years, and past solutions or standards shall be revisited to ensure they are fit-for-purpose
• You are an excellent communicator, both written and verbal, able to communicate in-person or remotely about any roadblocks and articulate thoughtful solutions
• You are curious, resourceful, and creative in your approach, able to think beyond existing systems and help develop improvements
• You are a continual learner, eager to continuously expand your skill set and knowledge

What you’ll do

• Facilitate the fulfilment of purchase requests from our colleagues

• Respond to requests for purchases of hardware, software and peripherals received through the Service Desk
• Gather quotes and appropriate approvals for purchases
• Purchase standard items when the reordering threshold is breached
• Track the purchase process from quote to shipment and update Service Desk records to reflect the purchase status

• Manage vendor relationships and process timely payments

• Ensure paperwork requirements are current (e.g. Tax-Free status, Vendor remittance)
• Resolve vendor issues regarding procurement availability, quantities, and specifications
• Collect all necessary paperwork and process invoices for payment
• Reconcile monthly Credit Card charges and all open invoices

• Maintain Procurement process integrity

• Carry out procurement activities in alignment with documented procedures
• Keep current the lifecycle status and detail of each purchase request in a centralized repository
• Track purchase orders, shipment delays, and communicate with team members on any impact
• Communicate, facilitate and integrate process improvements that streamline
• Ensure receipt of deliveries and accurate tracking within an asset management system
• Ensure that technology asset inventory is up to date

• Work as part of a team

• Follow up with colleagues where necessary to complete purchases or process payments
• Ensure documented and diligent handover to another team member as defined by the part-time schedule
• Provide regular updates on procurement issues that could impact the wider organization (e.g. sourcing shortages, shipment delays, product end-of-line)

Required Skills and Experience

• HS Diploma or equivalent required
• 2+ years of prior experience in procurement or accounting
• Comfortable with number-crunching, finances and book-keeping
• A high degree of organization, attention to detail, and systematic approach
• Skilled at using spreadsheets, including advanced formulae, queries, pivot tables and if-functions
• Diligent about following up and documenting handover tasks

Preferred Skill Set and Knowledge Base

• Our team uses the Google Workspace suite of products, with much procurement work completed within Google Sheets
• Familiarity with purchasing portals, invoice retrieval, payment reconciliation