Purchasing Agent

The City of Port Orange offers a competitive starting salary range of depending upon qualifications and experience. A generous benefits program including health, dental, and life insurance, paid vacation, sick leave, and other professional development assistance is included. The City offers a defined contribution retirement plan 401(a) with a 10% City contribution and an optional matching program (457 plan) which allows employees to earn up to an additional 3% contribution on a 2-1 match. The Purchasing Agent position also qualifies for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Normal office hours are expected (with occasional after-hours meetings), but there is no residency requirement for the position.

Duties and Responsibilities:

1. This position is responsible for cradle to grave procurements for architectural and engineering services, construction, and related supplies and services required by various departments in accordance with all applicable federal, state and local laws, policies and procedures
2. Prepare highly technical and complex specifications and solicitation documents, including all related research and value analysis.
3. Prepare and analyze competitive sealed bids, competitive sealed proposals, requests for quotations and requests for statements of qualifications.
4. Identify and notify potential sources.
5. Conduct pre-bid and pre-proposal conferences.
6. Coordinate and supervise activities of evaluation committees.
7. Recommend lowest responsive, responsible bidder on ITB’s, most advantageous offer on RFP’s and most qualified for architects/engineers.
8. Edit requisitions and confer with departments regarding requirements, specifications, quantity, quality and delivery. Recommend alternatives that would result in greater value.
9. Confer with consultants, contractors and suppliers in order to acquaint them with procurement policies and procedures and to obtain information on required products and services.
10. Review and approve purchase requisitions, change orders and other documents within delegated authority.
11. Maintain the integrity of the public procurement process.
12. Analyze current procurement activities and recommend improvements through more efficient procurement methods, e-procurement, privatization, quantity discounts, standardization, value analysis or cooperative purchasing.
13. Provide guidance and assistance to other employees, as required.
14. Research market sources and suppliers to locate and ensure most cost effective and competitive pricing for the purchase of supplies and services.
15. Engage in procurement planning with client departments. Routinely meet and communicate with client departments in order to identify and provide high quality service to meet client service delivery requirements on a timely basis. Provide accurate, complete and up-to-date information in a courteous, efficient and timely manner.
16. Effectively communicate purchasing policies and procedures to all personnel and interpret said policies and procedures as necessary.
17. Maintain individual workload statistics.
18. Prepare and maintain accurate records and documentation on all solicitations, responses, purchases, contracts, correspondence and related follow-up.
19. Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications:

Education and Training: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Business or Public Administration, Business Law, Finance, Purchasing, or closely related field.

Work Related Experience: Minimum three (3) years progressively responsible experience in purchasing (preferably in a municipality).

Required Certifications: Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) and the ability to obtain the Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) within two (2) years of hire.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Possess complete integrity and a high sense of personal and professional ethics.
• Considerable knowledge of business practices related to purchasing.
• Considerable knowledge of solicitation methods related to procurement.
• Good knowledge of laws, policies and procedures governing public procurement.
• Excellent math skills to perform computations and collect statistics for basic cost and price analysis.
• Excellent knowledge of infrastructure project delivery methods, including design-bid-build, design- build, construction manager-at-risk, and job order contracts.
• Good knowledge of cost accounting as it relates to price and cost analysis.
• Considerable skill in researching and preparing highly complex specifications, solicitations and contract documents.
• Working skills in project management.
• Excellent computer skills, to include automated purchasing systems, common office software and productivity tools.
• Ability to read, interpret, explain and properly apply rules, regulations, laws, policies and procedures.
• Ability to develop effective and cooperative working relationships with other departments, employees, suppliers and other public agencies.
• Ability to use judgment and initiative in making recommendations and resolving problems that are highly complex and sensitive in nature.
• Ability to effectively communicate orally and in writing, including the ability to convey complex and technical subjects in a clear, concise and positive manner.
• Ability to establish schedules and to complete projects on a timely basis.
• Ability to successfully deal with all persons in a fair and equitable manner.
• Ability to make difficult decisions and recommend contract awards impartially and objectively.