NCHP Senior Buyer

University of California - Los Angeles Health
United States, California, Los Angeles
Jul 23, 2025
Description The Senior Buyer supports the procurement needs of UCLA Health's New Century Health Plan (NCHP) and Faculty Practice Group (FPG). This role focuses on the acquisition of a wide variety of services, from consulting and clinical services to equipment, software licensing, and infrastructure support. Reporting to the Procure-to-Pay (P2P) Manager, the Senior Buyer manages procurement activities, negotiates contracts, ensures compliance with UC policies and applicable regulations, and implements P2P systems. This position requires expertise in purchasing processes, vendor negotiation, customer service, and procurement systems. Key Responsibilities: Manage and execute negotiations and purchasing processes in compliance with the UC, state, and federal policies Lead purchasing activities related to professional services, clinical support, technology acquisitions, equipment, and other assigned commodities Evaluate quotes, negotiate price, terms, and conditions, and award purchase orders/contracts up to $100K Perform competitive bidding (RFP/RFQ), price analysis, and sole-source evaluations Establish and document procurement processes and controls for NCHP and FPG Manage vendor relations and identify new sourcing opportunities Facilitate purchasing activities including purchase requisitions, change orders, invoice processing, Pcard purchases, and reimbursements Provide oversight and support to Clinic Manager in placing orders of medical office equipment and supplies for FPG Offices using Hospital and campus online purchasing systems and a manual purchasing system Support clinics with equipment procurement, inventory tracking, and purchasing support Participate in contract negotiations and recommend policy improvements Ensure adherence to HIPAA, PHI, PII, and UC regulatory requirements in all procurement activities Salary Range: $68,800 - $141,000/Annually Qualifications Required: Detailed working knowledge of the overall purchasing process, the RFQ process including evaluating quality of proposals and soliciting price quotes; the use of purchasing systems; and the ethical standards, internal controls, policies and procedures related to purchasing and materiel management. Demonstrated working skill to negotiate pricing, terms and conditions, and exchange ideas with others to arrive jointly at decisions, conclusions, or solutions to deliver the best value product or service to the customer while maintaining the public's trust and fulfilling public policy objectives. Demonstrated experience in the procurement space for medical clinics, medical offices and health plans. Demonstrated experience dealing with third-party risk management assessments, managing PHI an PII along with the ability to review vendor redlines to UC approved standard documents. (e.g. T&Cs, BAA, etc.) Experience in analytical capabilities to achieve benefit to the University by identifying vendor cost drivers and critical terms and conditions and identifying opportunities to improve and streamline processes. Ability to manage and coordinate multiple complex projects and establish priorities which accurately reflect the importance of the job responsibilities, departmental objectives, customer demands, and the workload. Ability to deliver exceptional customer service and demonstrated skill in performing under the pressure of frequent interruptions, conflicting demands, changing priorities, and heavy workloads. Ability to organize and synthesize data, document decisions on the data, and provide accurate and timely information, projections, and recommendations Demonstrated interpersonal skills to develop and maintain professional, productive and cooperative working relationships with customers at all levels, co-workers, and vendors. Excellent writing and speaking skills to communicate effectively at all organizational levels. Extensive skill in using Microsoft Office Suite of Products, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, to communicate, perform calculations, and present and support recommendations. Detailed working knowledge of purchasing in the public sector, including Federal purchasing requirements for contracts (FAR) and grants (OMB Circular A110). Ability to negotiate contractual terms and conditions to protect the University and/or NCHP. Skill in handling work assignments independently or with minimal supervision. Interpersonal skills sufficient to interact daily on a one-to-one basis in person and via telephone with staff members, clinic personnel and other University staff while maintaining a calm and professional demeanor. Skill in prioritizing tasks and working productively under pressure of frequent interruptions/distractions and high-volume workload to meet deadlines. Preferred: Familiarity with online purchasing systems such as BruinBuy or Jaggaer.