Professional Buyer: Roles and Responsibilities

Professional buyers receive purchasing authority by delegation from the UC San Diego Chief Procurement Officer, 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, and professional or personal services (independent contractors/ consultants)
• Total less than $4,999 and require unique administrative and financial processing 
• Total less than $4,999 and generate more than a single invoice over the term of the agreement
• Signature Authority for ALL Contracts and Agreement on behalf of the Regents of the University of California

Responsibilities

• Reviewing requisitions in Oracle
• Applying UC systemwide and UC San Diego-specific strategic sourcing contracts to purchases
• Establishing and managing contracts with suppliers
• Consulting with and supporting campus departments about their purchasing needs
• 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
• Signing contracts and agreements

Guidance for Responding to Supplier-Initiated Terms or Agreements:

If a supplier initially approaches you with terms, contracts, or agreements for review or signature, please respond providing the following message:

"Thank you for doing business with UC San Diego.

Please note that the University of California requires all suppliers to accept the University of California Terms and Conditions of Purchase as a prerequisite for doing business with us. While we understand that many organizations have their own standard terms, the UC terms have been carefully developed to meet our legal, regulatory, and policy obligations and therefore cannot be superseded by supplier terms.

If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding the UC terms, we are happy to review and discuss them with you.

We appreciate your understanding and value our continued partnership."

Contract Signature Authority and Supplier Agreement Protocol:

Only Procurement & Contracts specialists (professional buyers) are authorized to sign contracts and agreements on behalf of UC San Diego. These documents often contain terms and conditions that may conflict with the University's policies or obligations. Professional buyers are trained to recognize and address these issues and are best positioned to negotiate acceptable terms with suppliers.

If a supplier asks you to sign a document, please contact the Procurement & Contract Specialists assigned to your area within Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions (IPPS). The professional buyer can review the document, determine if it qualifies as a contract or agreement, assist with negotiations if necessary, and execute the agreement on behalf of the University. 

Delegation of Authority

UC San Diego Procurement & Contracts has the delegated authority for signing all contracts or agreements that commit UC San Diego to purchase, rent, lease, license, subscribe to, or use goods or services. This delegation comes from the president of the university through the UC San Diego chancellor. Unless specifically granted by the chancellor or a designee, no other UC San Diego entity, faculty, or staff has this authority.

Warning: If you sign a contract or agreement, you may be held liable for the purchase.

Proof of Insurance

Proof of insurance may be requested by a vendor or supplier when the university contracts for services or facilities. Read Proof of Insurance for information on obtaining a Certificate of Insurance from Risk Management.