Purchasing Coordinator

Company Description

About KIPP New Jersey

KIPP TEAM & Family is our network office that includes support teams - such as Leadership Development, Recruitment, Advocacy, Facilities, Finance, HR and more - dedicated to empowering our schools and ensuring the success of KIPP students throughout New Jersey and Miami. Our schools are part of the nationally recognized “Knowledge Is Power Program” network of free, open-enrollment, college-preparatory public schools dedicated to preparing students for success in college and in life. The first KIPP New Jersey school opened in Newark in 2002 and since then our school network has expanded to educate 8,135 students in grades K-12. By 2025, KIPP New Jersey will provide a world-class education to over 10,300 students across fifteen schools in Newark and five in Camden.

In 2018, we grew our KIPP community in response to a need for high-quality school options for students in Greater Miami’s Urban Core communities. That led to the creation of KIPP Miami, which currently educates more than 1,000 students in four schools, with plans to reach 5,800 students by 2025. By offering highly effective educators with strong bonds to families, more time in school learning, services that support a variety of student needs, and a culture focused on achievement, our students in New Jersey and Miami are on the path to and through college, career, and choice-filled lives.

Job Description

We are seeking a Purchasing Coordinator to join the KIPP TEAM & Family purchasing team. In this pivotal role, you will collaborate with directors of school operations, budget managers, other operations teammates and vendors to ensure that teachers and staff can access essential goods and services efficiently and promptly. This includes maintaining compliance with procurement policies and public-school regulations. The Purchasing Team plays a crucial role in the operational excellence of our schools, empowering instructional and support staff to focus on their primary mission: guiding students toward academic achievement and lifelong success.

Key Responsibilities

As a Purchasing Coordinator, you will take on a range of critical responsibilities, including:

• Purchase Order Management: Ensure the accurate and timely processing of purchase orders in alignment with our service-level agreements.
• Compliance Enforcement: Uphold organizational policies and ensure adherence to public school procurement regulations.
• Communication & Collaboration: Foster strong working relationships with school and department operations teams and build productive vendor partnerships.
• Order Tracking: Provide clear and consistent updates regarding the status and delivery of goods and services.
• Financial Coordination: Collaborate with the Accounts Payable team to ensure seamless purchasing-to-payment workflows and assist the accounting team in maintaining accurate and compliant purchasing records.
• Data Maintenance: Regularly review and manage aged encumbrance reports to ensure data accuracy and integrity.
• Problem-Solving: Resolve issues proactively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
  
  

Qualifications

We’re looking for an enthusiastic, detail-oriented professional with a passion for operational excellence. The ideal candidate will possess:

• Experience: At least three years of experience in purchasing, procurement, or similar operations or financial functions.
• Technical Skills: Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, Word) and Google Workspace (Sheets, Docs, Forms). Experience with purchasing/procurement platforms such as Coupa is highly valued.
• Organizational Skills: Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational capabilities.
• Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a customer service mindset.
• Adaptability: A proactive problem-solver who thrives under deadlines and can manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Technology Proficiency: Experience with Zoom and helpdesk platforms like Zendesk (nice-to-have).
• Mission Alignment: A team-oriented individual who is driven by KIPP’s mission to prepare students for success in college and life.
  
  

Additional Information

Location

This is a hybrid role. At this time, we typically work from the office 2 days per week (Wednesdays and Thursdays) and work remotely 3 days per week. Therefore, this role requires teammates to live within commuting distance of one of the three cities within which we work: Newark, NJ, Camden, NJ, or Miami, FL

Compensation & Benefits

The salary range for this role is $65,000 - $75,000, depending on related experience.

In addition to a competitive salary, KIPP NJ offers a full comprehensive benefits plan, including health care, retirement, a laptop and transportation benefits for TEAMmates commuting into New Jersey from the New York City area.

KIPP New Jersey | KIPP Miami is an equal opportunity employer