PURCHASING AGENT III

POSITION GOAL

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.

ESSENTIAL PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES

The Purchasing Agent III shall carry out the essential performance responsibilities listed below. 

• This position does not have supervisory 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 as well as District policies, procedures and State Statutes by which the Procurement & Warehousing Services Department operates and adhere to all federal, state and Department of Education rules, as well as School Board policies. 
• Write, edit, recommend and coordinate, in conjunction with the request of school or department, standard specifications and bid conditions. 
• Analyze price comparisons with market conditions, trends, economy and availability of products and services, to determine the best procurement process for obtaining the best product, at the lowest most competitive cost of assigned commodities. 
• Assist in negotiating favorable purchasing terms and conditions of contracts. 
• Conduct ongoing cost savings/cost avoidance processes through market trend analysis as allowed by State Law, School Board policies, Department of Education’s rules and contracts, and provide guidance to the end user of potential opportunities. 
• Develop bid and proposal documents for materials and services for District contracts and agreements and assist the end user in the negotiation of contract terms and conditions, 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 providing assistance and 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 conduct or lead meetings with internal and/or external customers, to include vendors, to identify opportunities for improvements or to resolve longstanding issues affecting the business operations. 
• 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.
• and more! (For the full job description: https://www.browardschools.com/jobdescriptions. Search under job code: DD-086.3)

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• An earned bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.

And

• Valid certification in a procurement discipline from an accredited institution. Certification may be obtained within the first twelve (12) months of employment.
• Knowledge and experience in preparing bid specifications of categories of standard and complex materials.
• Ability to communicate with diverse group of requestors and vendors.
• Computer skills are required for the position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

• Experience in Supply Chain Management & Logistics, Materials Management and Spend Analytics.
• SAP experience in Procurement Modules.
• Bilingual skills.

SIGNIFICANT CONTACTS-frequency, contact, purpose

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

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.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT

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.

LINK TO JOB DESCRIPTION

To review the complete job description for this position access the following website: https://www.browardschools.com/Page/36072 and search by Job Code. The Job Code for this position is:  DD-086.3

LOCATION PREFERENCES/ADDITIONAL INFOR