Purchasing Agent
First seen by Alion on Sep 17, 2026.
Purchasing Agent
Remote | Contractor
Annualized Equivalent: $62,400-$135,200/year based on 40 hours/week
Hourly Rate: $30-$65/hour
About the Role
Apply your procurement expertise to complex sourcing, supplier evaluation, bid analysis, and contract reasoning. This opportunity is suited to experienced Purchasing Agents and procurement professionals who can translate real-world purchasing challenges into structured tasks, defensible recommendations, and rigorous evaluation standards.
You’ll contribute to a project focused on advancing AI systems in the procurement domain by creating realistic procurement scenarios, artifacts, and grading frameworks that reflect sophisticated purchasing decision-making. Prior AI experience is not required.
Key Responsibilities
Procurement Task Design
Design and author expert-level procurement tasks reflecting real-world complexity.
Develop scenarios involving RFP drafting, bid evaluation, supplier scoring, and contract negotiation.
Ensure procurement tasks accurately reflect practical sourcing and purchasing challenges.
Bid & Supplier Evaluation
Analyze non-standardized vendor submissions and create detailed comparison matrices.
Evaluate supplier quotations, specifications, pricing, and technical documentation.
Develop defensible sourcing recommendations supported by clear and well-reasoned justification.
Apply procurement judgment to vendor comparison and bid analysis.
Procurement Artifacts & Scenarios
Source, create, and format realistic procurement artifacts.
Work with supplier quotations, specifications sheets, pricing tables, and technical documentation.
Represent procurement information across multiple inconsistent formats.
Develop scenarios relevant to specialized procurement environments, including IT, industrial, and professional services.
Rubrics & Evaluation Standards
Develop comprehensive grading rubrics for evaluating procurement-related AI performance.
Establish clear standards for vendor comparison, bid analysis, and contract reasoning.
Review and validate tasks and rubrics for accuracy, quality, and relevance.
Communication & Collaboration
Clearly articulate procurement challenges, task context, and evaluation standards.
Produce well-structured written procurement documentation.
Communicate procurement reasoning effectively in written and verbal formats.
Collaborate with project teams to refine and validate tasks and evaluation frameworks.
Required Skills & Experience
4+ years of experience in corporate or public-sector procurement.
Direct experience with supplier analysis, bid matrices, and contract negotiation.
Strong expertise in analyzing non-standardized vendor submissions.
Experience developing detailed supplier and bid comparison matrices.
Strong knowledge of procurement best practices and supplier evaluation methodologies.
Understanding of relevant procurement regulatory frameworks.
Category expertise in IT, industrial, or professional-services procurement.
Strong contract reasoning and ability to explain procurement decisions.
Exceptional written English and ability to produce technical procurement documentation.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
High attention to detail and commitment to accurate, high-quality deliverables.
Ability to work independently and collaborate effectively in a project environment.
Core Skills
Procurement
Purchasing
Bid Analysis
Supplier Evaluation
Vendor Comparison
Bid Matrices
Supplier Scoring
Contract Negotiation
Contract Reasoning
RFP Development
Sourcing Strategy
Procurement Documentation
Supplier Analysis
Pricing Analysis
Procurement Best Practices
Regulatory Compliance
Analytical Problem-Solving
Technical Documentation
Evaluation Rubrics
Preferred Experience
Experience creating or assessing complex procurement scenarios or benchmarks.
Specialized procurement experience in IT, industrial, or professional services.
Experience developing structured evaluation frameworks for procurement decisions.
Compensation
Annualized Equivalent: $62,400-$135,200/year based on 40 hours/week
Hourly Rate: $30-$65/hour
Role Details
Role Type: Contractor
Work Arrangement: Fully Remote
Focus: Procurement task design, supplier evaluation, bid analysis, sourcing recommendations, contract reasoning, procurement artifacts, and evaluation rubrics
AI Experience: Not required