Job Title: Project Manager I (Purchasing Partner) Duration: 12 Months (Potential of extension) Location: Remote (PST or CST required)
Summary The Purchasing Partner owns a portfolio of UX Research vendor engagements end to end - from intake through contract execution and invoicing. This is an ownership role, not a support role. You are accountable for the momentum of every case in your queue: driving requests across the line, chasing down the stakeholders and approvals needed to close them, resolving blockers that sit outside your direct control, and reporting status to your manager and stakeholders proactively - before anyone asks. Responsibilities
Serve as the primary point of contact and expert guide for User Experience Researchers navigating vendor and procurement processes.
Own a portfolio of UXR vendor engagements end to end - from intake through SOW creation and execution, PO issuance, and invoicing - and drive each case to completion.
Manage momentum on every case in your queue, advancing each request daily and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with another party.
Act as the nexus across all parties on an engagement - researchers, contract associates, vendors, and approvers/leadership - holding the full picture of each case and keeping everyone aligned on what's needed and by when.
Proactively communicate status to your manager and stakeholders on a daily cadence, covering progress, risks, and blockers, without being prompted.
Take ownership of resolving blockers, including those caused by other teams or outside your control - surface them immediately, propose a path forward, and stay on them through resolution.
Anticipate what stakeholders will need and blockers that will arise and mitigate it up front rather than reacting to gaps after they've stalled a case.
Own data integrity across KPI and SLA trackers, and maintain vendor resources and process documentation (documents, team wiki, toolkits) for the Research team.
Identify recurring friction in the intake-to-contract pipeline and propose process improvements, manage projects to deploy fixes.
Uphold and provide guidance as trusted a subject matter expert around compliance policies for engaging with vendors.
Minimum Qualifications
4 years of experience in project coordination, project/program management, procurement, vendor management, or operations, with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of your own workstream.
Self starter with demonstrated ability to drive multiple cases to completion simultaneously across cross-functional teams and external partners in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities - holding the full picture of every engagement, following up persistently, escalating when needed, and closing every loop.
Demonstrated ability to manage momentum across a portfolio of active projects with minimal day-to-day supervision - keeping every case advancing, and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with someone else.
Experience proactively reporting status to a manager and stakeholders through written updates on a regular cadence, without being asked.
Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to increase your own throughput and scale your coverage - identifying where they add value and owning the quality of the output.
Ability to communicate quickly and clearly with peers, cross-functional stakeholders, and senior management, adapting style to the audience.
Ability to make thoughtful judgment calls and act in ambiguous situations rather than waiting for direction.
Track record of being detail-oriented and organized under a high volume of work.
Preferred Qualifications
Project or program management experience, including formal PM training or certification (PMP, CAPM, or equivalent).
Experience in procurement, sourcing, contracting, or vendor management - especially supporting research, R&D, or creative teams.
Experience with case, ticket, or workflow management systems.
Familiarity with UX research or research operations.
How We Work
Urgency over waiting - you take action rather than waiting to be told.
Over-communication - with your manager, your team, and your stakeholders.
Independent follow-through - you track your own commitments and close them out; your manager learns status from your updates, not by asking.
Empathy - internal stakeholders and external vendors are navigating complex systems under time pressure, and you help them through it.
Story Behind the Need – Business Group & Key Projects Surrounding Team & Key Projects Supporting all UX research projects that come through the pipeline - high value, over 700 projects a year. Typical Day-to-Day See responsibilities in JD. How Will Performance Be Measured?
Urgency over waiting - you take action rather than waiting to be told.
Over-communication - with your manager, your team, and your stakeholders.
Independent follow-through - you track your own commitments and close them out; your manager learns status from your updates, not by asking.
Empathy - internal stakeholders and external vendors are navigating complex systems under time pressure, and you help them through it.
What Makes This Role Interesting? Every person on this team appreciates the support and welcoming attitude of the team, and they get first glance at what the Client is creating.
Candidate Requirements Must-Have Skills 1. Self starter with demonstrated ability to drive multiple cases to completion simultaneously across cross-functional teams and external partners in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities - holding the full picture of every engagement, following up persistently, escalating when needed, and closing every loop. 2. Demonstrated ability to manage momentum across a portfolio of active projects with minimal day-to-day supervision - keeping every case advancing, and creating urgency for others when the next action sits with someone else. 3. Experience proactively reporting status to a manager and stakeholders through written updates on a regular cadence, without being asked. 4. Demonstrated ability to use AI tools to increase your own throughput and scale your coverage - identifying where they add value and owning the quality of the output. 5. Ability to communicate quickly and clearly with peers, cross-functional stakeholders, and senior management, adapting style to the audience. 6. Ability to make thoughtful judgment calls and act in ambiguous situations rather than waiting for direction. 7. Track record of being detail-oriented and organized under a high volume of work. Nice-to-Have Skills
Project or program management experience, including formal PM training or certification (PMP, CAPM, or equivalent).
Experience in procurement, sourcing, contracting, or vendor management - especially supporting research, R&D, or creative teams.
Experience with case, ticket, or workflow management systems.
Familiarity with UX research or research operations.
Years of Overall Experience Required 4 years of experience in project coordination, project/program management, procurement, vendor management, or operations, with demonstrated end-to-end ownership of your own workstream. Degree/Certification Required Bachelor's degree.
Interview Process Number of rounds: 2 rounds Interview types: Screening / Behavioral Interview duration:
1st round – 30 minutes
2nd round – 90 minutes
Applicant Notices & Disclaimers
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At SPECTRAFORCE, we are committed to maintaining a workplace that ensures fair compensation and wage transparency in adherence with all applicable state and local laws.This position's pay range is $31.66/hr - $37.00/hr.
