Purchasing Agent II

About the role

The Kentucky Education and Labor Cabinet advances education, workforce development, and economic opportunity across the Commonwealth. The Cabinet provides education and training programs, employment and reemployment services, unemployment insurance, and disability determination services to help Kentuckians gain skills, find work, and maintain economic stability. It partners with education providers, workforce boards, and employers to align training with labor market needs and oversees labor programs that promote fair and safe workplaces. This position is in the Office of Administrative Services, working in the Division of Fiscal Management, Procurement Branch as a Purchasing Agent II at the Education and Labor Cabinet. The position is located at 500 Mero Street, 4th Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601.

Responsibilities

• Establishes and monitors professional contracts, Memorandum of agreements, and personal service contracts (PSCs) in accordance with KRS 45A.
• Uses the statewide accounting and procurement system to develop and issue requests for proposals (RFPs) to advertise and request vendors to submit proposals, through execution of contract and award.
• Creates requisitions (RQS) to request proposals for complex non‑professional services that exceed the agency’s small purchase authority.
• Interprets, implements, and enforces state purchasing regulations.
• Develops and leads committees to evaluate vendor solicitation responses by reviewing, analyzing, and ranking against all other responses.
• Reviews the work of other purchasing staff and works with vendors, other agencies’ purchasing staff and offers purchasing advice.
• Responsible for gathering, reviewing, developing, and maintaining highly sensitive and often technical information, records, and reports.
• Obtains management and legal services involvement as necessary.
• Researches variances in contract budget versus year‑end spend and makes recommendations for future contract amounts based on results.
• Serves as liaison between Executive Staff and other offices, agencies, departments, and organizations with respect to procurement issues.
• Researches, reviews, interprets and maintains an advanced knowledge of federal and state statutes and regulations, grant requirements, and procurement policies and procedures and advises management of any changes and/or implications of proposed legislative changes, and makes recommendations to remain in compliance.
• Provides strategic planning for long‑term planning and coordinating future procurement needs.
• Works with OPS on renewing Master Agreements.
• Creates Purchase Orders (POs) and Delivery Orders (DOs) for non‑professional services and commodities.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

Minimum Requirements: Graduate of a college or university with a bachelor's degree. Five years of purchasing experience.

Substitutions: No substitution for education. Additional experience in purchasing, administrative, accounting, procurement or a related field will substitute for the required education on a year‑