Professional buyers receive purchasing authority by delegation from the purchasing director, who receives authority from the Regents and President of the University. With this authority, professional buyers must comply with all applicable federal, state, and University policies and procedures.

Professional buyer's role: On behalf of the University, a professional buyer can purchase goods and services that:

• Exceed department buyers' authority
• Require specialized expertise
• Are restricted commodities, including those defined as equipment
• Total less than $2,500 and require unique administrative and financial processing such as split funding or possible change in accounting distribution
• Total less than $2,500 and generate more than a single invoice over the term of the agreement

Professional buyers' responsibilities include:

• Using High Value Purchase Orders to buy goods and services
• Establishing and managing contracts with suppliers
• Advising departments about their purchases
• Soliciting competitive bids through requests for proposals (RFPs), requests for quotations (RFQs) and requests for information (RFIs)
• Maintaining a suitable and diverse pool of suppliers
• Providing effective business advice to the campus

Questions? Contact Purchasing, (858) 534-3084.