Buyer (Purchasing Department)
On-site · Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
Job Summary
Buyer in the County Purchasing Department responsible for central procurement functions in accordance with department procedures, county code, policies, and state/federal regulations. Responsibilities include specification development, reviewing requisitions for accuracy, sourcing, soliciting quotations, price analysis, and procurement of goods and services. Manages RFQ/RFP/ITB processes, prepares bid documents and contracts, analyzes supplier bids, and ensures compliance with public procurement regulations. Independently coordinates with end users and vendors, trains end users on procurement processes in the ERP system, and supports post-award administration. Requires experience with ERP systems, competitive quoting, and familiarization with CPPB certification preferred.
Required Qualifications
- Associate degree in business administration or related field OR at least two years of equivalent experience
- Minimum of two years’ experience procuring goods and services, processing requisitions, and requesting competitive quotes, with responsibility for at least $2 million of purchases annually
- Certified Public Purchasing Buyer (CPPB) certification by The Institute for Public Procurement (NIGP) or other equivalent professional certification preferred
- Any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities
- Working knowledge of public procurement procedures, best practices and regulations
- General knowledge of contract law, and Article 2 of the Uniform Commercial Code
- Ability and willingness to communicate with tact and diplomacy and to establish and maintain cooperative and effective working relationships with internal and external customers, co-workers, supervisors, elected officials, other agencies, and the general public
- Ability and willingness to procure without prejudice, seeking to obtain the maximum, ultimate value for each dollar of expenditure
- Ability to speak, understand, read, and write English, knowledge and understanding of writing and grammar, and ability to perform basic and analytical arithmetic computations
- Ability and willingness to use good judgment in decision-making and to adhere to the highest ethical standard while performing purchasing functions
- Working knowledge in using PCs as well as Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, Access and Outlook), and the Internet
- Excellent oral and written communication skills
- Ability and willingness to multi-task in a stressful environment and set priorities and meet deadlines
- Ability and willingness to understand and follow oral and written instructions
- Decision-making, analytical, and problem-solving skills at the level required to effectively perform the position responsibilities
- Organized, self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to work independently
- Ability to handle stress
- Physical presence in the office is required
- MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Associate degree in business administration or related field OR at least two years of equivalent experience
- MINIMUM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES: Working knowledge of public procurement procedures, best practices and regulations
- PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Frequent sitting, standing, walking, talking or hearing; ability to lift up to 25 lbs
- WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Normal office environment
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