Purchasing Assistant

Purchasing Assistant

***Granbury ISD requires three references from former employers, college professors, supervisors, etc. with at least a minimum of two references being from previous supervisors. Granbury ISD will not accept references from friends or family members.***

Contract days: 226

Primary Purpose

The Purchasing Assistant supports the district's procurement operations by preparing, processing, and maintaining requisitions, purchase orders, competitive solicitations, and vendor records in accordance with Texas Education Code §44.031, board policy CH(LEGAL) and CH(LOCAL), and — for federally funded purchases — the procurement standards of 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance/EDGAR). Working under the direction of the Assistant Director of Finance, the position serves as a primary point of contact for campuses, departments, and vendors on purchasing matters and supports competitive procurement, cooperative purchasing, vendor compliance, and audit-ready recordkeeping. The position prepares and processes purchasing transactions but does not hold approval authority, preserving separation of duties within the business office.

Qualifications

Education: High school diploma or equivalent required; associate's or bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Accounting, Supply Chain Management, or a related field preferred. Certified Texas Contract Manager (CTCM), TASBO certification, or an equivalent procurement credential preferred, or willingness to obtain within two years of employment.

Experience: Minimum of two years of experience in purchasing, procurement, accounts payable, or supply chain operations. Experience in a Texas public school district, governmental entity, or other public sector purchasing office strongly preferred. Experience administering competitive solicitations and purchasing cooperative contracts preferred.

Knowledge and Skills

• Working knowledge of Texas public school purchasing requirements, including the procurement methods authorized under Texas Education Code §44.031, aggregate purchasing thresholds, and board policy CH(LEGAL) and CH(LOCAL).
• Familiarity with federal procurement standards under 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance/EDGAR) as applied to federally funded purchases.
• Understanding of competitive procurement methods, including competitive bidding, competitive sealed proposals, requests for proposals, requests for qualifications, and interlocal agreements.
• Familiarity with purchasing cooperatives such as BuyBoard, TIPS, Choice Partners, and Omnia Partners, including verification that cooperative contracts are properly awarded and current.
• Experience with a financial ERP system; Skyward Business Suite preferred.
• Experience with an electronic solicitation platform; IonWave preferred.
• Working knowledge of vendor compliance documentation, including conflict of interest questionnaires under Local Government Code Chapter 176, Form 1295 certificates of interested parties, felony conviction and criminal history certifications, and W-9 and taxpayer identification verification.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including intermediate Excel skills such as sorting, filtering, lookups, and pivot tables.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing deadlines during peak purchasing periods.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of solicitation information prior to award and to conduct vendor communications with impartiality.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with a strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to work independently and as a contributing member of a team.

Major Responsibilities and Duties

Requisition and Purchase Order Processing

• Review requisitions for completeness, accurate account coding, budget availability, funding source, and required supporting documentation prior to routing for approval.
• Prepare and issue purchase orders; process change orders, cancellations, and encumbrance adjustments.
• Verify that the procurement method applied to each purchase is appropriate to the aggregate dollar amount and the funding source, and escalate questionable purchases to the Assistant Director of Finance.
• Communicate with campuses and departments to correct deficient requisitions and to explain purchasing requirements and timelines.
• Prepare and process purchasing transactions only; approval authority for requisitions and purchase orders is retained by the Assistant Director of Finance and other designated approvers.

Competitive Solicitations and Cooperative Purchasing

• Assist in developing, publishing, and administering competitive solicitations, including line-item structure, specifications, addenda, and vendor communications.
• Coordinate legal advertising, pre-bid conferences, solicitation deadlines, and public bid openings.
• Prepare bid tabulations, evaluation summaries, and supporting documentation for award recommendations and board agenda items.
• Verify that cooperative contracts used for district purchases are currently awarded, that the district holds active membership, and that pricing conforms to the cooperative contract.
• Maintain the district's awarded vendor listings, contract files, and solicitation calendar.

Vendor Management and Compliance

• Process new vendor requests, including W-9 collection, taxpayer identification verification, and vendor setup and maintenance in the district's financial system.
• Collect and maintain required vendor compliance documentation, including conflict of interest questionnaires, Form 1295 certificates, and criminal history and felony conviction certifications.
• Verify that vendors receiving federally funded awards are not suspended or debarred, and document that verification.
• Serve as a point of contact for vendor inquiries regarding registration, solicitations, purchase orders, and payment status.
• Track delivery discrepancies and vendor performance concerns and report them to the Assistant Director of Finance.

Contract Administration Support

• Maintain the contract file and renewal calendar, and provide advance notice of expiration and renewal deadlines.
• Assist in tracking cumulative spend against awarded contract amounts and flag categories approaching thresholds that would require a new solicitation.
• Assist in preparing purchasing and contract items for board agenda submission.

Records, Reporting, and Audit Support

• Maintain complete and audit-ready procurement records consistent with the district's records retention schedule and applicable state local government retention schedules.
• Respond to internal and external audit requests by compiling requisitions, purchase orders, quotes, solicitations, and award documentation.
• Assist with public information requests involving purchasing records, in coordination with the district's public information officer.
• Generate periodic reports on purchasing activity, aggregate spend by commodity and vendor, and cooperative contract utilization.

Financial and Departmental Support

• Assist with matching invoices to purchase orders and receiving documentation and resolve discrepancies with accounts payable and requesting departments.
• Assist with budget tracking and reconciliation of purchasing transactions.
• Support district events, including graduation and convocation, on the purchasing side.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None

Equipment Used

Personal computer, multi-function printer/copier/scanner, telephone, and calculator.

Working Conditions

Maintain emotional control under stress; repetitive hand motions; prolonged use of computer; frequent districtwide contact with campuses, departments, and vendors. Occasional prolonged or irregular hours during peak purchasing periods, including start of school, fiscal year end, and budget adoption. Occasional light lifting and carrying (less than 15 pounds).

District Benefits

Medical Insurance: TRS ActiveCare/AETNA

Supplemental Voluntary Health and Life Insurance Products

District Paid $25,000 Life Insurance

State Personal Leave Days

Local Sick Leave Days

Texas Teachers Retirement System