Purchasing Agent - City of Birmingham

Target Close Date: 09/25/2026 · Pay Grade: Grade 32 · Type: Full time

Job Summary

The City of Birmingham is seeking a well-qualified Purchasing Agent to oversee procurement operations and ensure departments have timely access to necessary products and services. Responsibilities include supervising procurement staff; developing specifications and bid proposals; soliciting, evaluating, and negotiating vendor bids and contracts; issuing purchase orders; and maintaining vendor relationships. The Purchasing Agent works with department heads to assess procurement needs, improve purchasing processes, and resolve supply issues. The position also assists with budget development and expenditure monitoring, identifies cost-saving opportunities, and ensures procurement activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and ethical standards.

Compensation & Benefits

The City of Birmingham provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more.

$81,057 - $125,736

Minimum Qualifications

The following are job-related qualifications that are required for employment consideration for this position:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, Purchasing/Procurement, or a closely related field of study.
• Experience in purchasing, procurement, and/or acquisition to include sourcing of materials and supplies, contract administration, negotiation, vendor management, inventory management, and implementation of cost-saving strategies.
• Experience supervising professional and clerical personnel (e.g., approving leave, counseling employees and taking disciplinary action, and conducting performance appraisals).
• Experience in creating specifications and bid proposals, awarding bids, and creating purchase orders.
• Experience in data analysis (e.g., forecasting, market trends, strategic vendor engagement).

Typical Job Duties

• Assists in directing the daily operations of the organization’s procurement activities by ensuring goods and services are procured and maximizing value from procurement activities through strategic sourcing and supplier management following established agreements, state and federal laws, and policies and procedures to support business success.
• Acts as a liaison by collaborating with other internal and external stakeholders and vendors, such as finance, legal, operations, and inventory management, to ensure alignment of procurement activities with overall business objectives and operational requirements.
• Establishes and maintains departmental policies, procedures and guidelines related to procurement activity (e.g., vendor selection, contract negotiation, purchasing processes) by reviewing and researching state and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines to ensure compliance when creating and updating new policies and guidelines, evaluating services, and establishing procedures.
• Procures and/or manages inventory (i.e., supplies and equipment) to ensure the products and services are available to meet the operational needs of each department.
• Assists in the development and implementation of the organization’s procurement strategies by analyzing market trends, assessing supply chain risks, and identifying opportunities for cost savings, efficiency improvements, and innovation to maintain alignment with the organization’s overall objectives.
• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.

Physical Demands

Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods.

Work Environment

Work is conducted almost exclusively indoors in an office setting. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc.