Vendor Engagements & Purchasing Project Manager

Linda Werner & Associates, Inc. is seeking a Vendor Engagements & Purchasing Project Manager to support procurement operations and vendor engagement for a technology organization. The role manages purchasing initiatives, improves procurement workflows, coordinates cross-functional projects, and develops AI-enabled automations and operational reporting.

Responsibilities:

• Guide UX Research teams through purchasing and procurement processes, including contract requests and purchase order creation for research projects
• Manage procurement initiatives and identify opportunities to improve purchasing processes and operational efficiency
• Monitor purchasing queues, vendor engagements, and project timelines to identify bottlenecks and ensure timely resolution
• Serve as a resource for purchasing and vendor related questions, providing guidance and support to internal stakeholders
• Maintain accurate vendor documentation, standard operating procedures (SOPs), team resources, and process guidelines
• Independently manage projects from initiation through completion, translating discussions and business priorities into actionable tasks, deliverables, ownership assignments, and timelines
• Identify operational challenges, investigate root causes, and recommend practical solutions
• Coordinate across Engineering, Research, Procurement, and other business teams to resolve purchasing and system related issues
• Track system issues, document defects, coordinate resolutions, and ensure successful follow through
• Gather stakeholder requirements and develop scalable solutions to improve procurement workflows
• Develop and maintain AI enabled automations to streamline purchasing operations, reporting, and workflow notifications
• Leverage AI tools to improve productivity, automate repetitive tasks, and expand operational capabilities while ensuring accuracy and quality
• Build and maintain trackers, dashboards, and reporting frameworks to monitor vendor utilization, purchasing activity, and operational performance
• Analyze procurement data to identify trends, process gaps, and opportunities for improvement
• Prepare weekly, monthly, and quarterly reports and presentations for leadership, highlighting key metrics, operational insights, and recommendations

Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required
• 4+ years of project management experience
• Experience in purchasing or procurement operations, including contract management and purchase order workflows
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple projects and competing priorities in a fast paced environment
• Hands on experience using AI tools to improve productivity, automate workflows, and support operational processes while maintaining output accuracy
• Strong proficiency in Google Workspace, particularly Google Sheets, or Microsoft Excel for data analysis, tracking, and reporting
• Experience gathering business requirements, identifying operational challenges, and developing practical solutions
• Strong analytical, organizational, troubleshooting, and problem solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across technical and nontechnical teams
• Demonstrated accountability, attention to detail, and ability to independently drive projects to completion
• Ability to investigate complex issues, recommend solutions, and appropriately escalate challenges
• Experience with data analysis, reporting, and business intelligence tools
• Experience supporting procurement operations within a large technology organization
• Experience working in evolving environments with ambiguity and changing priorities
• Background supporting UX Research teams, vendor procurement, operational risk, or compliance
• Experience developing AI driven workflows, automations, reusable reporting tools, or operational resources
• Proficiency in SQL and data visualization or business reporting platforms such as Tableau or Salesforce
• Experience troubleshooting procurement systems and collaborating with Engineering teams to resolve technical issues
• English (Required)