Purchasing Assistant III

About the Role

Keep the science moving. As a Purchasing Assistant III, you are the person who gets researchers and staff the supplies and services they need, on time, on budget, and in line with Laboratory procurement policy.

This is a fully remote position at the most experienced level of the Purchasing Assistant career ladder. You will work with a high degree of independence, solve complex problems, take on special projects, and help train colleagues. You will work with a wide mix of internal customers and outside suppliers, so strong relationships and clear communication matter as much as attention to detail.

This role is fully remote

Salary Range: $25.34– $36.75 based on years of related experience and internal equity considerations

What You Will Do

• Place and manage orders. Review purchase requests for completeness and accuracy, prioritize them, and choose the best way to process each one based on cost, timing, and competitive bidding. Place orders with vendors, including orders for controlled substances, prescription drugs, and radioactive items, and confirm prices, availability, and delivery. All work follows Laboratory procurement policies and local, state, and federal guidelines.
• Keep accurate records. Update purchase orders in the computer system with a high degree of accuracy. Maintain records of supplies, amounts ordered and received, and actual sales for items and vendors.
• Follow through on delivery. Track orders so materials and services arrive on the promised dates.
• Work with vendors and end users. Coordinate, facilitate, and resolve day-to-day procurement issues. Coordinate on-campus vendor shows.
• Support and advise colleagues. Give routine advice and support to end users on the procurement process and documentation. Help with user training and problem resolution as needed.
• Find better sources. Seek new sources of supplies and services and secure favorable terms for the Laboratory.
• Support daily operations. Perform other duties as required, such as scheduling equipment maintenance and services, adjusting grant encumbrances and rolling them into the next year, maintaining the catalog library, and filing. Assist in the operation of a maintenance stock room and receiving dock.

Requirements

• Education: High school diploma or GED. A combination of education and experience may be considered. Associate or bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience: 5 + years in the same or a similar role.
• Ability to draw solutions from a wider range of experience, adapt methods to solve complex problems, and resolve them in a timely manner.
• Demonstrated ability to guide and train others.
• Ability to negotiate the best price and service while working within Laboratory procurement policies and procedures.
• Proven ability to organize time, work under time constraints, meet deadlines, and prioritize work.
• Demonstrated ability to take over special projects and follow through to completion.
• Ability to perform basic information research, gather and compile data, and prepare reports.
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and accurate data entry.
• Effective interpersonal skills for working with a wide variety of people and personalities, including internal customers and external suppliers.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to operate computer hardware and software applications normally found in a business setting.
• Team player with positive and professional behavior, and the judgment to recognize the limits of your responsibility and direct issues to the appropriate people.
• Ability to lift a minimum of 50 pounds when assisting in the maintenance stock room or receiving dock.

About JAX:

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California, New York, Florida), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.

Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community. For more information, please visit www.jax.org​​​​​​​.

EEO Statement:

The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws.

About Us

Bar Harbor:

The Jackson Laboratory's 43-acre scenic Bar Harbor campus is nestled between the Gulf of Maine and the mountains of Acadia National Park. Some of the best hiking and biking in the world (over 50 square miles of mountains, lakes, views, and dramatic coastline) is accessible from our campus. We are one mile from downtown Bar Harbor, which offers a vibrant downtown district with a plethora of restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries.

Ellsworth:

The Charles E. Hewett Center in Ellsworth, Maine, is a state-of-the-art facility that serves researchers world wide. The facility represents the culmination of nine decades of unmatched experience and leadership in breeding and caring for laboratory mice.

Ellsworth, Maine, is one of Maine’s fastest growing cities. With a growth rate of nearly 20%, Ellsworth is a bustling year-round community and acts as a hub for surrounding towns. It is located nearby Acadia National Park and hosts numerous special events, concerts and festivals each year. Residents have access to fabulous shopping, recreation, museums, galleries, and dining at a variety of independent restaurants.

Farmington:

JAX Genomic Medicine is transforming medicine by improving patient care, lowering costs, and increasing life span and health span. JAX Genomic Medicine’s research focuses on the complex genetic causes of disease and on the development of genomic solutions tailored to each person's unique genetic makeup.

JAX Genomic Medicine sits on a 17-acre site on the campus of the University of Connecticut Health Center. The 183,500-square-foot facility opened in the fall of 2014. Now, it houses over 300 biomedical researchers, technicians, and support staff in state-of-the-art computing facilities and laboratories.

In Connecticut, JAX resides in the scenic town of Farmington, in the state’s capitol region. The Hartford region, which offers some of the best public schools in the country, is made up of both bigger cities and smaller, charming historic New England towns. JAX Genomic Medicine is also geographically located within 2 hours of Boston and New York and is close to multiple transportation systems, including bus lines, highways, railroads and international airports.

Sacramento:

The JAX® Mice, Clinical and Research Services facility is located in Sacramento, the state capital of California. Sacramento is less than a two-hour drive from San Francisco, Napa Valley, and scenic Lake Tahoe, and a short flight to both Los Angeles and Orange County. Sacramento is the birthplace of the nation’s Farm to Fork movement, and offers excellent restaurants, gastro-pubs, wineries, theaters, and museums. Outdoor activities are plentiful: Boating, white water rafting, and riding the scenic bicycle trails are popular. Housing and other costs of living are more affordable in Sacramento and its surrounding suburbs than in most other neighboring areas in the North Bay, making Sacramento one of the hottest housing markets in the country year after year.

Augusta:

JAX’s Maine Cancer Genomics Initiative (MCGI) is located in Augusta, Maine, in the Harold Alfond Center for Cancer Care (HACCC), at Maine General Hospital. It began operations in 2016 with three overarching goals: to provide cancer genomic testing for Maine cancer patients; to develop and deliver physician education about clinical genomic cancer diagnostics; and to build a network in Maine of oncology practices conducting studies in genomic medicine.