Purchasing Manager

The Purchasing Manager will inspire and prepare each and every scholar with the confidence, courage, and competence to achieve their dreams; contribute to community; and engage in a lifetime of learning by managing and administering district-wide purchasing activity to ensure application of legal requirements, Board Policy, and Administrative Procedures, and to develop and implement tools and processes for efficient requisitioning. The manager is responsible for supervising and coordinating purchasing workload, daily transactional operations, sourcing, and supervision of purchasing department staff.

Provide Strategic Leadership by:

• Aligning function with mission and core values of the organization.
• Acting as a leader in district and department initiatives and strategies; attending trainings and serving on task forces and committees.
• Developing and communicating shared vision for areas of responsibility.
• Planning and executing continuous improvement processes for areas of responsibility.
• Developing plans related to district wide purchasing efficiencies with a lens on equitable contract procurement, compliance, and customer service.

Provide Performance Leadership by:

• Developing staff and/or individual capacity to apply technical/functional expertise for maximum impact.
• Recommending for employment and coordinating hiring for direct reports.
• Providing supervision to direct reports, including formative feedback and timely performance evaluations and/or demonstrating attention to quality enhancement by improving efficiencies and effectiveness in document management, workflow, and compliance.
• Leading the work of others; delegating tasks and authority appropriately and/or establishing procedures to guide system and departmental work; monitoring and demonstrating effective decision-making strategies in order to meet project deadlines.
• Supervising purchasing Administrative Assistants (Buyers).
• Holding team members accountable for timely, accurate, and compliant processing of all purchasing transactions.
• Managing and prioritizing all purchase transactions.
• Ensuring that transactions processed secure the right product, with the right price, at the right time, in the right way. (product, price, availability, and compliance)
• Determining any skill gaps that may exist between the current staff and what will be needed in the future. Developing and implementing strategies to close those gaps.
• Managing and facilitating requests for proposals and other solicitation processes. 

Demonstrate Management Skills by:

• Managing department resources effectively and efficiently.
• Ensuring compliance with applicable policies, rules, and regulations.
• Applying effective decision-making processes to problems or situations.
• Identifying and recommending efficiencies and new opportunities within eFinancePLUS.
• Planning and coordinating sourcing projects to result in pricing contracts for cost containment.
• Managing workload by reviewing purchasing data, collaborating with buyers and other business services staff, analyzing purchasing processes, and making appropriate workload adjustments among direct reports.
• Reviewing and approving p-card reconciliation.
• Ensuring timely, accurate, and compliant purchasing transactions.
• Determining purchasing deadlines and due dates each fiscal year for cost containment, timely receipt, and fiscal requirements.
• Planning purchasing timelines and task assignments to align with district milestones, staffing, product availability, etc.
• Ensuring compliant solicitation methods at all thresholds are met.
• Determining purchasing methods and specific product types best for volume discounts, just-in-time, warehouse stock, or other.
• Meeting with vendors, suppliers, contractors, etc. for negotiation, relationship building, understanding products and/or services.
• Approving new vendors and vendors that need to be discontinued.
• Determining, in collaboration with departments and colleagues, which products and/or services are approved, which vendor to use, and what pricing mechanism will be used.
• Managing district-wide pricing contracts.
• Assisting in the development of a reference tool (e.g. Master Catalog) to assist end-users in purchasing decisions and requisition tasks.
• Sourcing vendors that align with procurement strategies of equitable contract procurement, cooperative purchasing, approved instructional products and equipment, and ability to align with Board Policy and District Administrative Procedures.
• Recommending operational and budgetary adjustments.
• Adjusting department work when justified by data analysis.
• Collaborating with other departments to streamline processes of mutual interest

Demonstrate Interpersonal Skills by:

• Expressing ideas clearly in speaking and writing and communicating effectively in public.
• Encouraging frequent, open communication; maintain accessibility and visibility in the organization; invite suggestions and feedback.
• Perceiving the needs and concerns of others and providing appropriate support; resolving conflicts; demonstrating cultural responsiveness.
• Developing relationships with sites and purchasing department contacts.
• Providing explanation of purchasing procedures, processes, and requirements in a professional and articulate manner.
• Providing assistance to sites, departments, direct reports, and other department colleagues.
• Collaborating with all purchasing department staff in a constructive manner that promotes a positive experience.
• Recommend adjustments to the Administrative Procedure Manual’s purchasing related procedures.
• Assisting supervisor in resolving complex problems.
• Requesting feedback, monitoring, and adjusting processes.
• Keeping supervisor informed at all times.
• Liaising between vendors and sites.
• Ensuring optimal communication and interface strategies with multiple stakeholders.

Demonstrate Professionalism by:

• Demonstrating professional demeanor; maintaining confidentiality; representing the district in a positive manner; establishing and maintaining a positive image with sites and community.
• Demonstrating commitment to own professional growth. 
• Inspiring trust by demonstrating competence, reliability, sincerity, and caring; demonstrating adaptability and flexibility.

Education Requirement: 

• Bachelor Degree

Degree / Major Field of Study:

• Business Administration, Business Management, Operations Managements, Procurement or related field

Qualifications:

• Knowledge of sourcing practices, inventory systems, purchasing laws and practices, and administering purchasing.
• Knowledge of solicitation requirements related to bids, quotes, and proposals.
• Knowledge of change management best practices.
• Knowledge and experience in supervising, evaluating, coaching, and developing staff.
• Knowledge of and skilled in applying supervisory best practices.
• Advanced knowledge using Excel, and Google Docs/Sheets.
• Ability to supervise staff by directing work, evaluating performance, coaching for improved outcome, and developing knowledge and skill.
• Ability to analyze issues, assess concerns, and collaboratively problem solve.
• Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
• Ability to organize and manage time effectively.
• Ability to organize and retrieve data and information efficiently.
• Ability to deduce information from data and apply rationale to decision making.
• Ability to gain knowledge of school district organization, functions, and operations; understand the mission statement, goals, and philosophy as they impact the support functions and responsibilities of purchasing services

Work Experience:

• Minimum five years of purchasing experience required, two years public procurement (preferred).
• Two years supervisory experience required.

Salary range: Per contract – L1a;  $85,743 – $99,088 annually

Link to contracts: https://staff.district279.org/human-resources/contracts