Procurement Planner — Business Process Professional

Working/Functional Title

Procurement Planner

Position Summary

Help shape the future of campus procurement! As a Procurement Planner, you’ll partner with departments to turn budget plans into smart, forward-looking sourcing strategies. Drive process improvements, strengthen supplier partnerships, and reduce reactive buying, all while delivering high-touch support across campus. Join us and make strategic impact from day one.

The Procurement Planner is responsible for gathering, analyzing, documenting, and optimizing business processes associated with institutional procurement planning activities in order to improve operational efficiency, strengthen strategic sourcing outcomes, and support the University’s long-term financial and operational goals.

Serving as the “front door” for campus purchasing plans and major anticipated needs, this role acts as a strategic liaison between academic and administrative units and the central procurement office. The Procurement Planner translates departmental budget insights, multi-year spending projections, and programmatic plans into a structured, forward-looking procurement pipeline, which may include paths alternative to a requisition. Through proactive outreach and structured engagement, the Planner improves enterprise visibility into upcoming sourcing events, contract renewals, and major purchases—shifting the institution from reactive buying toward coordinated, strategic planning.

This position provides high-touch, consultative service to campus units, particularly those with limited administrative capacity. By reviewing planned purchases and funding timelines, the Planner identifies procurement channels, contract lifecycle milestones, consolidation opportunities, sourcing requirements, supplier-risk considerations, cooperative contract usage, and potential revenue-share or partnership opportunities. The role ensures procurement is engaged months in advance of critical deadlines, reducing emergency contracting, strengthening compliance, and enabling more effective negotiations.

Embedded within a mature procurement structure that includes Buyers, Expediters, Supplier Risk Analysts, and subject matter experts, the Procurement Planner focuses on planning, coordination, and process optimization rather than transactional execution. While the role does not carry signature authority, it requires expertise comparable to a seasoned sourcing professional, particularly in stakeholder engagement, contract lifecycle planning, business process analysis, and strategic forecasting.

All initiatives undertaken by this position are intended to streamline procurement-related workflows, enhance cross-functional coordination, strengthen supplier-risk management, and align campus purchasing activities with institutional priorities. Through structured process improvement and enterprise planning, the Procurement Planner increases operational predictability, improves service delivery to departments, and supports the University’s broader strategic objectives.

Work Modality

This position is "remote-friendly" within Michigan, with the expectation of weekly on-campus presence. This is typically referred to as "Hybrid", with the flexibility of regular remote work mixed with in-office work as mutually agreed upon with the supervisor.

Salary Expectations

Salary is commensurate with experience.

Minimum Requirements

Knowledge equivalent to that which normally would be acquired by completing a four-year college degree program in a business-related field or in a field which corresponds to the particular department of employment; three to five years of related and progressively more responsible or expansive work experience in office procedures and administration, or in performing responsibilities related to the operational activities of the employing unit; experience with word processing, database, spreadsheet, presentation software and/or desktop publishing, web page software; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience in procurement, strategic sourcing, business operations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to provide excellent customer service while ensuring compliance with established policies and procedures.
• Experience analyzing data to support planning and decision-making, including working with budgets, spend reports, dashboards, and forecasting tools.
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and reporting systems (e.g., Excel and data visualization tools).
• Proficiency with spreadsheets and reporting systems, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively across teams.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, citizenship, age, disability or protected veteran status.

Required Application Materials

To be considered for this position, your application must include all of the following:

Cover Letter

Resume

Applications that do not include all required materials will not be considered.

Work Hours

STANDARD 8-5

Website

https://procurement.msu.edu/

Remote Work Statement

MSU strives to provide a flexible work environment and this position has been designated as remote-friendly. Remote-friendly means some or all of the duties can be performed remotely as mutually agreed upon.

Bidding eligibility ends October 20, 2026, 11:55 PM