Purchasing Specialist

JobID: 996

**Position Type**:
City Manager's Office/Purchasing Specialist**Date Posted**:
4/23/2024**Location**:
Civic Center**Date Available**:
TBD**Closing Date**:
05/10/2024**Salary Range**:$39.1900 - $58.7900/hour**
**Starting salary is dependent upon qualifications, but in most cases is no higher than the midpoint for the range.**

**NATURE OF WORK**
Under the general direction of the Purchasing Manager, assists City departments with their procurement of goods and services, advising on items affecting the purchasing process, ensuring specifications are clear and complete, and developing Bids/RFP/RFQ. Maintains files and databases, tracks open Bids/RFP/RFQ documentation, and performs a variety of administrative duties related to purchasing and business development. The position requires division receptionist duties rotation.
**ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF WORK**
- Applies purchasing policies to assigned operating department purchases.
- Assists and guides departments through the purchasing procedures including, but not limited to, purchase orders processing and maintenance; vendor registration; RFP/Bid document preparation; updating content of City Outstanding RFP/Bid web page and DemandStar website; submitting information for inclusion on Council agendas; contract administration; ensuring receipt of required insurance documentation; and maintaining bid logs and files.
- Attends meetings with departments as necessary to respond to purchasing questions.
- Develops purchasing calendar for assigned departments.
- Works with departments to meet the City’s M/W/D/EBE goal of 25%.
- Prepares reports and recommendations to the City Council on bids and RFPs.
- Meets with vendors to answer questions regarding RFP/bid documents.
- Assists in credit card policy/implementation, contract database, and cell phone policy as assigned.
- Assists in updating and enforcing the Purchasing Manual policies and procedures.
- Attends bid openings and pre-bid and pre-proposal meetings for assigned departments
- Prepares responses to Freedom of Information requests.
- Covers front office; greets internal and external customers.
- Provides monthly M/W/D/EBE Committee assistance, helps analyze spend data and creates reports.
- Assists in annual year-end purchasing process.
- Develops and implements special projects as needed.
- Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

**MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF WORK**
- Must possess an Associate’s Degree or higher from an accredited college or university in Purchasing, Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or substantially similar area. Possession of a Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
- Must possess two (2) or more years of work experience in contract administration, purchasing, accounting, or finance.
- Must possess a valid driver’s license and safe driving record.
- Knowledge, skills, and abilities in the following areas:

- Ability to use accounting software and perform general accounting tasks.
- Ability to exhibit minimum mathematical skill usually associated with addition and subtraction with the skill level to multiply and divide all units of measure to perform the four operations with like or common decimal fractions; to compute ratio, rate, and percent; to understand budget analysis trends and expenditure predictions.
- Knowledge and use of personal computer and software, i.e., New World Systems Financial Software, and Microsoft Office Suite mainly, but not limited to Word, Excel, and Business Analytics.
- Familiarity with Minority/Women business program development and implementation. Familiarity with issues relative to Local Business Programs and Preferences.
- Strong communications, customer service, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong analytical skills necessary to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal staff as well as the City of Evanston as a whole at all levels including external partner organizations and vendors.
- Ability to handle daily, weekly, monthly, and annual calendars and scheduling.
- Ability to multi-task and meet deadlines.

**SUPERVISION**
This position reports to the Purchasing Manager. Work is assigned through special projects and supervisor requests. The employee is responsible for prioritizing work tasks and for identifying and utilizing the appropriate resources to resolve a problem or situation. Work performance is reviewed through ongoing observation, written and verbal communication, meetings, and feedback from supervisors and other department employees. Guidance is provided through rules and regulations, policies and procedures. Unified Work Rules, Union contract, Personnel Rules and OSHA. Work is evaluated at least annually for performance under this classification standard, communication skills, customer service, ability to work productively and effectively with employees at all levels in the organization, as well