DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:  This is important work involving the purchasing of a wide variety of equipment and supplies for the school district. Careful judgment must be exercised by the incumbent of this position since their decisions may have an impact on expenditures of large sums of money. Work is performed under the general supervision of the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business Affairs. Supervision may be exercised over clerical employees. Performs related work as required.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:  (Illustrative only)

• Determines needs for formal bidding, purchasing through state contracts, sources exempt from bidding law, and those items obtainable by direct purchase;
• Composes specifications based on requests for supplies, services and equipment, and consultation with users, to assure correct vendor delivery of bid and non‑bid items;
• Directs the receiving, processing, routing, and filing of all approved requisitions and standardized bid lists;
• Develops standard centralized purchasing procedures to facilitate communications with principals, directors, supervisors, department heads and other personnel to meet the needs of the educational program of the district;
• Establishes a calendar of purchasing activities to assure timely ordering and delivery of goods and services;
• Schedules purchase orders to assure that proper supplies, materials, equipment and services are available when needed;
• Confers with the district clerk to place bid advertising in accordance with law to develop competition among vendors and secure lowest acceptable cost;
• Opens and analyzes bids to determine lowest bidder conformance to specifications and recommends bid awards to the Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Business Affairs;
• Directs the issuance of purchase orders to vendors;
• Interviews vendors to discuss product lines, quality levels and product availability;
• Assures conformance with specifications by establishment of inspection, receipting and reporting procedures for deliveries from vendors;
• Initiates, where appropriate, and participates in cooperative bidding/purchasing efforts;
• Keeps abreast of current price trends, market conditions, and new and improved items of supply and service;
• Cooperates with staff of the business office to maintain Fixed Assets Inventory as required by the Uniform System of Accounts;
• Performs a variety of related activities as required.

Typical Work Activities are intended only as illustrations of possible types of work that might be appropriately assigned to an incumbent of this title. Work activities that do not appear above are not excluded as appropriate work assignments, as long as they can be reasonably understood to be within the logical limits of the job.

FULL PERFORMANCE KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:  Thorough knowledge of markets, trade conditions, business methods and purchasing practices in general, including a knowledge of wide range of commodities; thorough knowledge of current practices dealing with preparation of purchase specifications; familiarity with current studies and literature in the field of large‑scale industrial and governmental purchasing; ability to supervise the work of others; ability to understand technical oral and written directions; integrity; good judgment; initiative; resourcefulness.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:  Either

1. Bachelor's degree, and four (4) years of experience in business or government which entailed responsibility for large scale sales/purchases and/or sale/purchase of a variety of products; or
2. Associate's degree, and six (6) years of experience in business or government which entailed responsibility for large scale sales/purchases and/or sale/purchase of a variety of products; or
3. An equivalent combination of the training and experience as described in a) and b) above.

PLEASE NOTE: Your degree must have been awarded by a college or university accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education.

4/92; 9/97; 5/09

Competitive Class