Senior Buyer
Job Description
Posting Number
20141912SPosition Title
Senior BuyerLocation
District OfficeDepartment
General Services DIST (DEPT)Position Number
1C0447Percentage of Full Time
100%FLSA
Non-Exempt (accrues overtime)Months per Year
12Min Salary
$94,224 (annual)Max Salary
$120,480 (annual)Position Type
Classified PositionsWho We Are
The San Mateo County Community College District is committed to achieving educational equity for all students. As outlined in the District’s Strategic Plan, “success, equity, and social justice for our students are longstanding goals.” The District’s “Students First” Strategic Plan is focused on "Student Success, Equity and Social Justice.” We provide students with a rich and dynamic learning experience that embraces our commitment to provide quality education and promote life-long learning — emphasizing collaboration and engaging students in and out of the classroom, encouraging them to realize their goals, and to become global citizens and socially responsible leaders. When you join our San Mateo County Community College District team, you can expect to be part of an inclusive, innovative and equity-focused community that approaches higher education as a matter of social justice. We achieve this through broad collaboration among faculty and classified staff, administration, students and community partners.
The College and the District
The San Mateo County Community College District is home to Cañada College, College of San Mateo, and Skyline College. All three of our colleges are designated as Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI) enrolling approximately 32,000 students each academic year. San Mateo County Community College District has a diverse student population that is a reflection of the communities that it serves. Detailed information about the student population, including data related to student success, can be found on the San Mateo County Community College District’s Educational Services & Planning website.
Who We Want
We value the ability to serve students from a broad range of academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic backgrounds. We prioritize applicants who demonstrate an understanding of the benefits that diversity brings to a professional educational community. The successful candidate will be an equity-minded individual who is committed to collaborating with faculty, classified staff, administration, students and community partners in strengthening the culture of equity and antiracism throughout the District. The San Mateo County Community District seeks employees who value mentorship and working in a collegial, collaborative environment, guided by a commitment to helping students achieve their educational goals.
The Position
This is complex lead level work involved in a central purchasing department related to the procurement of goods and services, including preparation of formal bid documents, facilitation of the activities of the bid process, selection of vendors, volume buying, inventory, assessing availability and quality of goods and services, and routine to complex procurements for the entire District according to prescribed methods. Public contact is extensive, primarily involving District and college staff at all levels, outside vendors, contractors, outside business representatives, other educational institutions, and external auditors for the purpose of exchanging product, procedural, timeline, and workflow information. A high degree of independent judgment and creativity are required to interpret policies and procedures, and to provide input into the resolution of frequent minor and occasional major problems that occur. Consequences of errors in judgment can be costly in terms of District resources, employee time and in public relations; however, supervisory controls limit the risk of serious errors. The Senior Buyer leads and trains student assistants as assigned.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties below are representative of the duties of the classification and are not intended to cover all of the duties performed by the incumbent(s) of any particular position. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the scope of work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to this classification.
- Exchanges professional information with District and college staff, vendors, contractors, business representatives, as well as educational and government institutions regarding purchasing policies and procedures, assistance with vendor selections, pricing, shipping, returns, invoicing, bid timelines and item specifications
- Develops and confirms product specifications and quality expectations and examines total cost of ownership
- Develops and prepares bid specifications and RFP, RFQ, and RFB documents, analyzes bid results, and prepares reports related to the formal bidding process
- Attends professional development related meetings, workshops and other events to stay current on public procurement code and District policies and procedures. Occasional mandatory participation in select professional development conferences requiring travel outside the Bay Area. Willingness to pursue professional certifications in the procurement field
- Attends and conducts meetings and consults with College and District staff, vendors, and others to provide information about the bidding process, development of bid procedures, clarification of product specifications, finalization of contractual agreements, and collaboration on the resolution of problems
- Administers and oversees administration of the procurement card program, including issuance and cancellation of cards and communications with cardholders and the bank
- Administers and oversees administration of other District-wide procurement tools, such as reverse auctions, gas cards, or contract management software
- Participates in and/or provides direction to staff on purchasing transactions requiring specialized technical knowledge or understating of specific commodities, materials, supplies, manufacturers, and District services
- Analyzes and maintains inventory records and performs fiscal year close activities related to fixed assets and communicates with District external auditors on the fixed asset program
- Administers surplus and records retention activities throughout the District, arranges for document shredding, and manages disposition of surplus through auctions and private sales
- Reviews and issues purchase orders for complex procurements and cooperative purchasing agreements and audits and approves routine purchase orders prepared by staff
- Uses a variety of computer software to research, enter, format, modify, and retrieve data for special and regular reports, documentation, vendor files, trend analysis and presentations, and to perform administrative tasks, such as scheduling meetings and arranging meeting logistics
- Composes and prepares correspondence and announcements to District staff
- Analyzes data and systems available to retrieve desired information
- Maintains online purchasing resource pages, such as forms, purchasing policies, contracts library, training materials library, and other web-based resources
- Develops training materials on purchasing procedures and delivers one-on-one or group training to District-wide staff
- Participates in District-wide finance user groups, safety committee, and emergency operations committee
- Performs other related duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a closely related field OR an equivalent combination of education and experience
- Successful work experience of increasing responsibility in purchasing and volume buying, specification development, securing and evaluation of bids, commodity pricing methods, discounts and selection of various supply sources
- Possession of working knowledge of bidding, public contract code, and purchasing policies and procedures
- Demonstrated cultural competence, sensitivity to, and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds of community college students, faculty, and staff
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, including demonstrated skill in giving clear and concise instructions
- Demonstrated advanced skills in composing business correspondence and other documents using Microsoft Office Suite software
- Demonstrated skill in training, leading, and coordinating the work of others
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Knowledge of accepted standards of, and resources for, purchasing and materials management and professional purchasing practice and conduct
- Knowledge of District purchasing policies and procedures
- Skill in written communication (including correct English usage, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and punctuation)
- Skill in use of the Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Creative Suite, web-based content management systems software and internet tools to compose business correspondence and documents, develop spreadsheets, research, enter, modify, format and present statistical, financial and other data for reports
- Skill in the use of spreadsheets and other software instruments to analyze trends and data and to report findings
- Skill in project management
- Skill in training, leading, and coordinating the work of others
- Skill in oral communication, including public and persuasive speaking
- Skill in respectful, sensitive communication with people who are diverse in their academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds
- Ability to strategically plan, organize, prioritize, and implement multiple-tasked projects with similar timelines and anticipated outcomes
- Ability to multi-task and work on several different projects with similar timelines
- Ability to understand the value of competition and exercise sound judgment to obtain the best price quote for the District in the purchase of a variety of materials, supplies, and equipment
- Ability to work effectively as part of a dynamic customer service team which maintains a standard of excellent customer service to internal and external customers in a variety of business situations
Physical Requirements
This classification requires oral and written communication, ability to analyze data, logical and sequential thinking, good memory, tact, patience, creativity and the ability to work closely in team settings with others, possession of a valid California Driver’s License and the ability to drive a motor vehicle to off-site locations in order to perform the essential functions, flexibility and adaptability to change, use of keyboard for extended periods of time, pushing, pulling, reaching, and moving objects of moderate weight.
Benefits
Benefits include paid holidays, vacation and sick leave. The District pays all or a portion of monthly medical plan premiums (depending on the coverage) and pays all of the monthly dental and vision plan premiums for employees and eligible dependents. Additional paid benefits include life insurance, salary continuance insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program. Classified employees participate in the Public Employees’ Retirement System, a defined-benefit retirement plan through the State of California. Optional tax-deferred 403(b) and 457 retirement plans are also available.
Open Date
12/12/2024First Review Date
01/09/2025Open Until Filled
YesSpecial Instructions Summary
Required Application Materials All applicants are required to submit:
1. A completed online District application form (go to https://jobs.smccd.edu to complete the application and to apply for this position).
2. A resume that details all relevant education, training, and other work experience.
3. A cover letter of no more than 3 pages that addresses the applicant’s cultural competence, sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff as well as the applicant’s qualifications as they relate to the requirements, knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in this announcement.
Candidates for interview will be selected from among those who most closely meet the requirements and knowledge, skills and abilities. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an interview. As part of the interview process, candidates may be asked to demonstrate job-related knowledge and skills.
For questions related to this posting, please contact:
SMCCCD Office of Human Resources
3401 CSM Drive
San Mateo, CA 94402
Tel.: (650) 574-6555
Fax: (650) 574-6574
Email: smccdjobs@smccd.edu
Web Page: https://smccd.edu/humanresources/
1. A completed online District application form (go to https://jobs.smccd.edu to complete the application and to apply for this position).
2. A resume that details all relevant education, training, and other work experience.
3. A cover letter of no more than 3 pages that addresses the applicant’s cultural competence, sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, ethnic, neurodivergent, and LGBTQIA+ backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff as well as the applicant’s qualifications as they relate to the requirements, knowledge, skills, and abilities listed in this announcement.
Candidates for interview will be selected from among those who most closely meet the requirements and knowledge, skills and abilities. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an interview. As part of the interview process, candidates may be asked to demonstrate job-related knowledge and skills.
For questions related to this posting, please contact:
SMCCCD Office of Human Resources
3401 CSM Drive
San Mateo, CA 94402
Tel.: (650) 574-6555
Fax: (650) 574-6574
Email: smccdjobs@smccd.edu
Web Page: https://smccd.edu/humanresources/
Conditions of Employment
Prior to employment, the selected candidate will be required to complete the following:
1. Submit official transcripts (applies to all faculty or educational administrative positions)
2. Submit verifications of prior employment
3. Satisfactory references
4. Successfully being cleared for employment through the background checking process
In addition to background checks, the District may review publicly available information about a candidate on the Internet. If a candidate is aware of incorrect or inaccurate information that is available on the Internet, the candidate is welcome to address such an issue with the Office of Human Resources.
5. Present original documents for proof of eligibility to work in the United States
6. Approval of your employment by the SMCCCD Board of Trustees
7. Provide a certificate of Tuberculosis exam for initial employment.
8. Have fingerprints taken by a Live Scan computer (Clearance must be received prior to first day of employment). Please note that the California Education Code requires, in part, that community college districts shall not employ or retain in employment persons in public school service who have been convicted of certain felonies, a misdemeanor drug charge (including alcohol offenses) or misdemeanor moral turpitude (sexual offense) crime. However, consideration may be given to those whose drug convictions occurred more than five years ago. A conviction for other crimes may not necessarily disqualify you from the job for which you may be applying.
1. Submit official transcripts (applies to all faculty or educational administrative positions)
2. Submit verifications of prior employment
3. Satisfactory references
4. Successfully being cleared for employment through the background checking process
In addition to background checks, the District may review publicly available information about a candidate on the Internet. If a candidate is aware of incorrect or inaccurate information that is available on the Internet, the candidate is welcome to address such an issue with the Office of Human Resources.
5. Present original documents for proof of eligibility to work in the United States
6. Approval of your employment by the SMCCCD Board of Trustees
7. Provide a certificate of Tuberculosis exam for initial employment.
8. Have fingerprints taken by a Live Scan computer (Clearance must be received prior to first day of employment). Please note that the California Education Code requires, in part, that community college districts shall not employ or retain in employment persons in public school service who have been convicted of certain felonies, a misdemeanor drug charge (including alcohol offenses) or misdemeanor moral turpitude (sexual offense) crime. However, consideration may be given to those whose drug convictions occurred more than five years ago. A conviction for other crimes may not necessarily disqualify you from the job for which you may be applying.
EEO Statement
The San Mateo County Community College District is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to employ individuals who represent the rich diversity of cultures, language groups, and abilities of its surrounding communities.
Accommodations
Applicants who have disabilities may request that special accommodations be made in order to complete the selection process. Accommodation requests and a copy of the Americans with Disabilities Act applicant procedures can be made by completing our: Applicant Reasonable Accommodation Request Form
Annual Security Report
San Mateo County Community College District’s (SMCCCD) 2024 Annual Security Report (ASR), required by the Clery Act, includes statistics for the previous three years (2021–2023) concerning reported crimes that occurred on campus; in certain off-campus buildings owned or controlled by SMCCCD; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from SMCCCD. The 2024 Annual Security Report also outlines various campus safety and security policies concerning crime reporting, prevention and response to sexual and gender violence, alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, emergency response and evacuation procedures, and other matters. The Annual Security Report also includes important tips to help every community member remain safe and avoid becoming a victim of crime. The 2024 Annual Security Report is now available on the Public Safety website. You can also obtain a copy of this report by contacting the Department of Public Safety at the District Office or any of the three Campuses (650) 738-7000. The report includes information about criminal activity on our campuses, emergency procedures, and resources.
*Please mention you saw this ad on AcademicJobs.*
