Administrative Secretary

Job Title:

Full- or Part-Time:

Exempt or Non-Exempt:

Hourly Rate:

Department:

Job Description:

JOB SUMMARY: Perform routine duties necessary to create and maintain supplier profiles, perform order follow-up duties, assist with monthly and year-end order closing and carryover processes,  other duties concerning the purchasing function, and provide clerical assistance to Business Services (Purchasing, Risk Management & Environmental Health and Safety).

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Create supplier profiles, maintain supplier database, perform supplier profile maintenance, assist with payment fraud prevention.
• Obtain Purchase Order confirmations from suppliers
• Initiate Purchase Order follow-up communications with suppliers for orders not received or in back-order status.  Inform requesting department of any questions, issues, or delays.  Assist requesting department with resolution of any order problems. Obtain and inform supplier of any requested clarifications regarding goods or services ordered.
• Perform any duties necessary to process requisitions and complete purchase orders.
• Work with suppliers to resolve order and billing problems.
• Under the direction of the Associate Director of Purchasing, research and obtain price quotations, determine availability of material and/or services from suppliers.
• Answer/refer telephone and email inquiries concerning purchases from faculty, staff, and suppliers. Monitor and maintain the Purchasing Department Group email inboxes.
• If assistance is requested by the End User or Buyer, contact suppliers for return authorizations for duplicate shipments, defective orders, etc.  Prepare packages and all required documentation for the return.
• Place purchase orders with suppliers, including online orders using the SVSU procurement card.
• Maintain, process, and reconcile procurement card by monthly deadlines.
• Process credit applications and tax-exempt forms necessary for existing and new suppliers.
• Assist with the coordination of the processing of vendor billing.
• Maintain all departmental files for purchase orders, quotations, bids, and general correspondence.
• Prepare and type invitations for bid and supplier correspondence as directed by Buyer(s).
• Maintain supplies for the department, including ordering forms from Graphic Center.
• Maintain and process department records.
• Call in repair orders for beverage and snack vending machines on campus.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:

Supervision is received from the Associate Director of Purchasing.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Two years of college education.
• Three to five years of office experience, one year of which must have been in a purchasing department.
• Above-average computer skills and the ability to become proficient in a variety of sophisticated software programs. 
• Must have the integrity to deal with information of a highly sensitive nature. 
• Superior interpersonal skills to interact with faculty, staff, students, and the general public.
• Ability to work independently with minimum supervision; to organize, prioritize, and expedite workflow under demanding circumstances. 
• Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Experience handling differing situations and problems in the work routine by exercising judgment based on standard operating policies and procedures.
• Experience and ability to positively interact with all members of the campus community.
• Excellent ability to communicate, both orally and in writing. 
• Ability to perform responsibilities of the position with or without accommodation.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Duties are generally performed inside and not exposed to adverse conditions.

The above reflects the general details considered necessary to describe the essential functions of the job, and shall not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities, or requirements that may be inherent in the job.  It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under his/her supervision.  The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of similar kind or level of difficulty.

About SVSU:

Saginaw Valley State University is a comprehensive university with more than 100 programs of study for its roughly 7,000 students. Located on a suburban campus in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region, SVSU is committed to a supportive and empowering environment for students, faculty and staff. For eight consecutive years, SVSU has been recognized as a “Great College to Work For” (2016-2023).

SVSU emphasizes undergraduate teaching and learning, and community-based research. SVSU earned the Community Engagement classification from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, a distinction achieved by only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities. By their senior year, 84 percent of students have engaged with community employers and agencies in internships, field placements or some other component of their academic preparation.

SVSU is establishing itself as a leader in STEAM education for the Great Lakes Bay Region, partnering with businesses, foundations and school districts to improve students’ performance in math, science and the arts at the middle school, high school and university levels.
 
More than 70 percent of SVSU freshmen live on campus in student housing that has been rated No. 1 among public universities in the U.S. (2018-2023). SVSU fields 19 varsity sports at the NCAA Division II level. The average class size is 23 students. For more information, please visit our website, http://www.svsu.edu.