Professional Buyer: Roles and Responsibilities
These guidelines clarify the roles and responsibilities of professional buyers.
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.
The University of California requires all suppliers to accept our UC Terms and Conditions of Purchase as a prerequisite for doing business with us. While we recognize that many organizations have their own standard contractual terms, UC’s terms have been carefully developed to meet the University’s strict legal, regulatory, and policy obligations as a public institution. As such, they must take precedence over any supplier-submitted agreements and are generally non-negotiable. This ensures consistency with state and Federal law, UC systemwide policy, and audit requirements, while providing a clear foundation for successful collaboration.
If you have any specific questions or concerns regarding the UC terms, please submit an email to pohelp@ucsd.edu for assistance.
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.