PURCHASING AGENT III (Multiple positions)

About the role

To coordinate, within assigned commodity responsibility, the professional purchasing of a variety of materials and/or services and to provide assistance in developing the appropriate procurement documents for the types of purchases required by The School Board of Broward County, Florida.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily purchasing functions for assigned commodities or services.
• Adhere to all policies, processes, procedures and protocols employed by the Procurement & Warehousing Services Department, District policies, State Statutes, federal and state rules, Department of Education rules, and School Board policies.
• Write, edit, recommend, and coordinate standard specifications and bid conditions in conjunction with school or department requests.
• Analyze price comparisons with market conditions, trends, economy, and availability of products and services to determine the best procurement process for obtaining optimal products at the lowest competitive cost.
• Assist in negotiating favorable purchasing terms and conditions of contracts.
• Conduct ongoing cost savings and cost avoidance processes through market trend analysis as allowed by State Law, School Board policies, and Department of Education rules.
• Develop bid and proposal documents for materials and services for District contracts and assist end users in negotiating contract terms, including pre-bid meetings, tabulations, evaluation, and recommendation.
• Solicit written and telephone price quotes.
• Develop and execute purchasing strategies that provide the best and most competitive products for the District and identify and eliminate non-value-added processes.
• Collaborate with committees of teachers, curriculum planners, principals, and department heads in formulating, developing, and upgrading specifications and requirements, and provide guidance in evaluating bids and proposals.
• Lead multi-functional problem-solving teams as required.
• Meet and deal effectively with the general public, staff members, administrators, and other contact persons using tact and good judgment.
• Initiate or lead meetings with internal and/or external customers, including vendors, to identify opportunities for improvements or resolve longstanding issues.
• Exercise direct contact with vendors to ensure performance agreement obligations, including delivery, quality, performance, and documentation requirements.
• Assume complete responsibility for the formal Bids and Request for Proposal process for assigned commodities and services.
• Maintain accurate and detailed records of spending levels for contracts authorized by the School Board for assigned commodities and services.

Requirements

An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a minimum of four (4) years, within the last seven (7) years, of satisfactory purchasing experience in a high-volume governmental or private sector purchasing environment.

OR

An earned associate’s degree from an accredited institution and a minimum of six (6) years, within the last eight (8) years, of satisfactory purchasing experience in a high-volume governmental or private sector purchasing environment.

OR

An earned High School diploma from an accredited institution and a minimum of eight (8) years, within the last ten (10) years, of satisfactory purchasing experience in a high-volume governmental or private sector purchasing environment.

Valid certification in a procurement discipline from an accredited institution. Certification may be obtained within the first twelve (12) months of employment.

Skills

• Knowledge and experience in preparing bid specifications for categories of standard and complex materials.
• Ability to communicate with a diverse group of requestors and vendors.
• Computer skills required for the position.
• Experience in Supply Chain Management & Logistics, Materials Management, and Spend Analytics (preferred).
• SAP experience in Procurement Modules (preferred).
• Bilingual skills (preferred).

Benefits

Salary and benefits shall be paid consistent with the District's approved compensation plan. Length of the work year and hours of employment shall be those established by the School Board.

Pay

Pay Grade 23 - $65,457.00 - $93,731.00

Schedule

244-day work calendar. Classification: Exempt.

Physical Requirements

Light work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force as needed to move objects.

Significant Contacts

Frequently works with District administrators, planners, principals, and department heads to develop bid specifications and obtain customer feedback for performance improvement. Frequently works with outside vendors to negotiate contract terms.