Procurement Operations Specialist (PACE Buyer)

About the Role

The Buyers Desk functions as a centralized unit handling procurement execution within the company's overall procurement structure. This team manages the complete cycle of purchase requests—from receipt through purchase order creation, liaison with vendors, and preparing for invoice processing—enabling business units to proceed efficiently without dealing with procurement systems directly.

As a PACE Buyer, you will be responsible for managing purchases throughout the entire Procure-to-Pay lifecycle. Although Coupa serves as the primary platform, your duties extend beyond just generating POs. You'll collaborate closely with vendors, Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), Accounts Payable, Sourcing teams, and other business stakeholders to ensure each purchase is compliant, correctly structured, and positioned for prompt invoicing and payment.

Your role bridges systems, stakeholders, and vendors, guaranteeing that procurement execution operates effectively beyond just the technical tools.

Key Responsibilities

• Assess incoming purchase requests, prioritize them, and accurately create Coupa requisitions on behalf of requesters.
• Assign correct commodity codes to purchases to ensure appropriate general ledger (GL) alignment and prevent financial discrepancies.
• Verify proper cost center and project codes before submission to streamline approval workflows.
• Extract service start and end dates from contracts or statements of work (SOW) and implement applicable prepaid accounting treatments.
• Manage PO modifications including amendments, renewals, monthly netting activities, and closures within your assigned portfolio.
• Coordinate with FP&A to confirm budget availability and correct project code assignments prior to requisition submissions.
• Partner on month-end accrual processes by validating prepaid flags, service periods, and purchase order structures against expected invoices.
• Identify and rectify coding errors (cost center, GL, project codes) to avoid extra processing later.
• Engage directly with vendors regarding PO setups, payment terms, and invoicing conditions to facilitate smooth invoice processing.
• Assist in vendor onboarding via the Vendor Assessment Process (VAP), ensuring completion before purchase requisition submission.
• Follow up on absent goods receipts which are necessary for invoice payments.
• Serve as the main contact for business requesters throughout the purchase process from intake to PO issuance.
• Proactively communicate to address incomplete or missing request information to meet service level agreements.
• Make the purchase process seamless so requesters aren’t required to learn procurement system details.
• Evaluate each purchase request for compliance issues such as after-the-fact buys, emergency exceptions, and blanket POs.
• Verify vendor assessments are completed when required and apply regional compliance rules including tax treatment, entity specifics, and currency restrictions.
• Document and escalate repeat non-compliances and exceptions appropriately.
• Work alongside Sourcing teams when necessary to support purchase order setup after contract execution.

Candidate Profile

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in procurement operations or procure-to-pay execution, including practical PO creation and request queue management.
• Understanding of the interplay between GL accounts, cost centers, project codes, and payment terms.
• Proficiency with Coupa or similar procure-to-pay platforms preferred.
• Capability to manage diverse request queues while consistently meeting response deadlines.
• Excellent communication abilities across Finance, Accounts Payable, Legal, and business units.
• Exceptional attention to detail regarding data accuracy before submission concerning commodity codes, entity, currency, and coding.
• Experience working within global or multi-entity environments with regional procurement variations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Direct experience with Coupa functionalities such as PO creation, invoice exception resolution, and supplier portal operations.
• Familiarity with procurement intake or vendor assessment software tools.
• Background in working with FP&A on accruals, prepaid treatments, and close processes.
• Experience in procurement within industries like media, technology, or entertainment, focusing on marketing, content, or talent expenditures.
• Exposure to shared services or centralized procurement frameworks.

Additional Details

• Employment status: Full-time, onsite role requiring presence three days per week.
• Duration: One-year assignment.
• Compensation: Hourly wage ranging from $28 to $33, paid via W2 with benefits including 401(k) matching.