Purchasing Coordinator

General Description

The purpose of this job within the organization is to serve as the City's procurement agent and assist the City Manager in all aspects of City business.

This job works under administrative supervision of the City Manager, developing and implementing programs within organizational policies and reports major activities to executive level administrators.

Duties and Responsibilities

The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of time spent working in this job/class. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the job as necessary.

Essential Functions
Fulfills the department's mission by continuously developing and implementing strategic goals and objectives that are linked to the City's vision.

Strives to be efficient and effective at balancing and meeting the common needs and reasonable expectations of core constituents.

Serves as the procurement agent for the City; supervises all Bids/RFQs; engages in contract negotiations; schedules all necessary meetings; reviews all purchase requests before presenting them to City Manager for approval.

Serves as focal point of purchasing for all City departments providing guidance to adhere to the City procurement ordinances and policies and applicable State laws and regulations

Obtains necessary signatures, bonds and insurance certificates to finalize contracts prepared by the City Attorney's office

Additional Duties

Facilitate and administer credit applications and accounts with vendors as needed.

Monitor State and Federal competitively sourced contracts for potential use by City departments for purchasing needs.

Develops, updates, and implements purchasing procedures in coordination with the City Manager.

Develops, updates, and implements purchasing training materials to assist all City departments with understanding and following the purchasing process.

Performs related work as assigned.

Responsibilities, Requirements And Impacts
Data Responsibility

Data Responsibility refers to information, knowledge, and conceptions obtained by observation, investigation, interpretation, visualization, and mental creation. Data are intangible and include numbers, words, symbols, ideas, concepts, and oral verbalizations.

Plans and directs others in the sequence of major activities and report on operations and activities which are very broad in scope.

People Responsibility

People include co-workers, workers in other areas or agencies and the general public.

Persuades or influences others in favor of a service, point of view, or course of action; may enforce laws, rules, regulations, or ordinances.

Asset Responsibility

Assets responsibility refers to the responsibility for achieving economies or preventing loss within the organization.

Requires responsibility and opportunity for achieving moderate economies and/or preventing moderate losses through the management of contracts and purchasing; handles supplies of high value or moderate amounts of money.

Mathematical Requirements

Mathematics requires the use of symbols, numbers and formulas to solve mathematical problems.

Uses mathematics involving the practical application of fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions; may use algebraic solutions of equations and inequalities, descriptive statistics, deductive geometry, plane and solid and rectangular coordinates; mathematical and classifications or schemes.

Communications Requirements

Communications involves the ability to read, write, and speak.

Responsible for communicating professionally and efficiently with all City departments to assist them in the procurement process as necessary to meet the needs of each department. Communicates with vendors doing business with the City to assist and answer questions related to purchasing and contracts. Communicate with vendors involved in competitive bid process, including communication of deadlines, meetings, and bid openings - this includes attendance at pre-bid meetings and other meetings with vendors where communication regarding project specifications will be critical.

Judgment Requirements

Judgment requirements refer to the frequency and complexity of judgments and decisions given the stability of the work environments, the nature and type of guidance, and the breadth of impact of the judgments and decisions.

Decision-making is a significant part of the job, affecting a large segment of the organization and the general public; works in a dynamic environment with a variety of departments and personalities, responsible to assist in developing policies and practices.

Complexity of Work

Complexity addresses the analysis, initiative, ingenuity, concentration and creativity, required by the job and the presence of any unusual pressures present in the job.

Performs coordinating work involving guidelines and rules, with constant problem solving; requires continuous, close attention to detail for accurate results or frequent exposure to unusual pressures.

Impact of Errors

Impact of errors refers to consequences such as damage to equipment and property, loss of data, exposure of the organization to legal liability, and injury or death for individuals.

The impact of errors is very serious - affects entire organization and the general public. Acute attention to detail is a mandatory skill and requirement.

Physical Demands

Physical demands refer to the requirements for physical exertion and coordination of limb and body movement.

Performs sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a regular and recurring basis or sustained keyboard operations.

Equipment Usage

Equipment usage involves responsibility for materials, machines, tools, equipment, work aids, and products.

Handles or uses work aids involving some latitude for judgment regarding attainment of a standard or in selecting appropriate items.

Unavoidable Hazards

Unavoidable hazards refer to the job conditions that may lead to injury or health hazards even though precautions have been taken.

None.

Safety of Others

Safety of others refers to the level of responsibility for the safety of others, either inherent in the job or to ensure the safety of the general public. (Does not include safety of subordinates).

Requires some responsibility for safety and health of others and/or for occasional enforcement of the standards of public safety or health.

Minimum Education And Experience Requirements
Requires a Bachelor's Degree with preference in Business Administration, Business Management, or other related field and four (4) years of experience in purchasing and procurement for or in relation to a government agency, and additional experience in management, leadership, financial/operational analysis, project management, or other closely related field; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience providing the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the job as the City's chief procurement agent.

Core Competencies

• Accountability - takes responsibility for own actions.
• Adaptability - responds positively to change.
• Communications - listens, speaks and/or writes in a clear, concise and respectful manner.
• Customer Service - provides courteous, accessible and quality assistance to internal and external customers.
• Initiative - takes proactive action to complete work or resolve issues
• Judgment & Decision Making - evaluates issues and makes sound factual decisions.
• Professional Development - seeks opportunities to enhance technical skills and job knowledge.
• Teamwork & Cooperation - collaborates with others to fulfill the City's vision and achieve departmental goals and strategic objectives.
• Leadership - effectively manages and guides group efforts; tracks team progress, adequately anticipates roadblocks, and changes course as needed to achieve team goals.
• Performance Management - clearly establishes and communicates expectations and accountabilities; monitors and evaluates performance.
• Attention to Detail - drafting of detailed specifications in procurement projects where every word is important.

Additional Qualifications

• Must have the ability to provide documentation verifying legal work status.
• Ability to read and speak the English language proficiently in order to communicate and interact with others; to understand and interpret safety instructions; and to respond to internal and external inquiries.
• Ability to understand and comply with City and departmental guidelines, policies, procedures and expectations.

This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work that may be performed by an employee. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory or list of all of the duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Supervisors/Managers and/or Department Heads may also assign additional or other lawful duties as may be necessary and/or required. The City reserves the right to modify or change this job description at any time, for any lawful reason, with or without notice. This job description is not, and should not be construed or implied to be a contract, promise or guarantee of continued employment.

Americans with Disabilities Act Compliance

The City of Charleston, WV is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management.