Overall Job Objective

Position Description

This position is in the Procurement Department.

OPEN UNTIL FILLED.

Salary Grade: 43

This entry-level professional buyer position is ideal for someone who has excellent communication and collaborative skills with the capacity to work with Procurement Officers and County departments performing procurement and purchasing-related functions. These include, but are not limited to, providing vendor assistance, creating bid tabulations, issuing purchase orders, establishing and maintaining contract documents, generating reports, etc. Must comply with County procurement code, policies and procedures, optimize County objectives including fair, ethical, and considerate treatment of others including members of the general public, and the prudent expenditure of public funds. Senior Buyers are typically paired with two-person Procurement Officer teams to uphold compliance, optimize productivity, and provide excellent customer service. This position provides an opportunity for the successful candidate to learn and grow within Pima County Procurement.

Please note: Successful candidates offered employment with Pima County, including current employees who have applied for new positions, are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to their scheduled start date. If you are unable to become fully vaccinated due to a medical disability or religious observance/practice, you must request an accommodation - accommodation forms are located online.

Duties/Responsibilities

(Work assignments may vary depending on the department's needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.)

Assists in studying market trends and comparative analysis of products to determine the best time to purchase a product;
Interviews and establishes contact with vendors interested in County business;
Provides information to vendors in resolving problems related to procurement such as tracing delayed or misplaced purchase orders and merchandise;
Advises departments of new/better products, availability, prices, and advantages compared to presently used products;
Keeps department informed of changes in product design, availability, and cost;
Answers questions presented by vendors and departments concerning County purchasing policies;
Receives and reviews purchase requisitions for completeness and accuracy of information for specialized commodities ordered by a department;
Issues purchase orders;
Issues renewals of active contracts after reviewing prior usage reports and determining the amount of additional funding required;
Conducts reviews of the Countys quarterly Purchase Request (PR) expenditures to identify and evaluate non-compliance and notifies departments of violations and provides proper instruction to establish a contract;
Conducts reviews of contract annual usage and collaborates with departments to prepare amendments to increase funding and/or extend contract term as required;
Conducts reviews of expiring contracts and collaborates with departments to establish suitable specifications for a replacement contract requisition;
Reviews delivery orders for design and construction projects for compliance pursuant to State Statute, County Code, Board of Supervisors Policy and Procurement Department Procedure and exercise delegated award authority to approve and finalize the contract;
Collects and reviews bonds and insurance certificates for compliance with contract terms and State Statue;
Locates supplies, compares costs, and purchases specialized supplies and equipment;
Assists in determining most efficient method for purchase and delivery of requisitioned supplies and equipment;
Assists client department in developing technical and specialized specifications and standards for supplies and equipment according to established County purchasing regulations;
Assists in conducting bid openings and provides information relevant to the specialty area.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Knowledge of:

• public purchasing practices and procedures;
• commodity markets, marketing practices, and pricing methods;
• principles and techniques of procurement research and analysis;
• office practices and procedures;
• laws, ordinances, codes, policies, procedures and regulations pertaining to County purchasing procedures;
• requirement and capabilities of automated systems.

Skill in:

• performing procurement and purchasing related functions such as solicitation development, evaluation of offers, creation of bid tabulations and award recommendations, etc.;
• communicating effectively, both verbal and written form;
• analyzing and anticipating the purchasing needs of departments and agencies;
• interviewing and negotiating with vendors and suppliers;
• using information technology such as an Enterprise system, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) applications, personal computers with office applications (i.e. word processing, spreadsheets, databases, etc.).

Minimum Qualifications

(1) A Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university with a major in business, purchasing or materials management or closely related field as defined by the appointing authority at the time of recruitment.
(Additional relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college or university may be substituted.)(2) Three years with the Pima County Procurement Department in a paraprofessional or professional administrative support classification preparing procurement related documentation and performing procurement related support services.(3) One year with Pima County as a Buyer.

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.

Preferred Qualifications: (Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.):

1. Minimum two (2) years procurement experience in a governmental or private environment.
2. Completed procurement-related classes and/or Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) certification.
3. Minimum one (1) year experience in Adobe and Microsoft Office, Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Selection Procedure: Pima County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the selection process only those candidates that meet the minimum/desired qualifications. All applications will be assessed based on an evaluation of the listed education and experience. Candidates meeting the minimum/desired qualifications may be further evaluated/scored against any advertised Preferred Qualifications. The hiring authority will interview and select the successful candidate from a referral list provided by Human Resources. Additional assessments/testing may be required as part of the selection process. Supplemental Information

Licenses and Certificates: Valid driver license is required at time of application. Valid AZ driver license is required at time of appointment. The successful applicant will be subject to a 39-month DOT Motor Vehicle Record review to determine applicant's suitability to operate county vehicles in accordance with Pima County administrative procedures. Failure to obtain and maintain the required licenses and certifications shall be grounds for termination. Any offer of employment resulting from this recruitment is contingent upon Risk Management's review and approval of the candidate's driving record.

Special Notice Items: The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education and criminal conviction history. A prior criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment with the County.

Physical/Sensory Requirements: Physical and sensory abilities will be determined by position. Successful candidates offered employment with Pima County, including current employees who have applied for new positions, are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to their scheduled start date. If you are unable to become fully vaccinated due to a medical disability or religious observance/practice, you must request an accommodation - accommodation forms are located online.