Buyer

The Agency Administration department of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) is seeking a Buyer I . The Buyer I will assist NCTCOG Purchasing in the planning, organizing, and performance of purchasing and procurement activities, as well as projects designated for the Agency's cooperative purchasing program SHARE. This is accomplished through effective understanding of public solicitation methods, developing specifications for purchasing goods and services, conducting formal solicitations; and maintaining detailed project records. This includes acquiring resources within time constraints, financial budgeting constraints, and facilitating communication between the Agency and its providers in order to deliver products and services according to the strategic business plan. This position will be responsible for the operation and support of processes that provide timely, cost-effective, high quality contracts through cooperative and proactive procurement practices. Works under supervision, with latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment. Other responsibilities include: Provides customer service and coordinates the purchase of merchandise, supplies, and equipment and services using established guidelines, rules and regulations, policies and laws; prepares, reviews, tracks and expedites purchase orders; review purchase order claims and contracts for conformance to agency policy, regulations and laws. Maintain records of goods ordered and received. Prepares, organizes and reviews bid specifications; reviews the preparation and distribution of bid invitations to vendors; ensures requests for bids, quotes or proposals meet the minimum federal and state law requirements; coordinates the distribution of bid invitations to vendors; analyzes responses from bidders; maintain procurement files. Oversees or recommends purchase of items and awards annual contracts. Resolves dispute resolutions and protests. Maintains the procurement database and coordinates with departments and vendors to make purchases; monitors and tracks vendor performance and performs contracts management; discuss defective or unacceptable new goods or services with users, vendors and others to determine cause of problem and take corrective action; develop and maintain relationships with key vendors Use of the agency’s E-sourcing and Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) to facilitate procurement activities. Responsibilities include assisting with workflow processes and offering basic user support. The position works closely with various agency departments to address procurement software issues in a timely manner. Administer purchasing policies and procedures in conjunction with department-specific requirements, regulatory guidelines and state and federal laws in order to support business needs; assist with training of staff regarding purchasing and procurement practices and policies. Identifies compliant alternative purchasing options to include cooperative purchasing programs, intergovernmental contracts, and procurements exempted from competition. Preferred Skillsets: Conflict Resolution - skilled in addressing vendor disputes constructively. Cross-Department Collaboration - strong ability to work with department leaders (accounting, department operations) to align purchasing with agency goals. Customer Service & Interpersonal Skills – ability to work effectively with diverse personalities, communication styles, and departmental priorities Vendor Relationship Management - building and maintaining positive relationships with suppliers for long‑term partnerships. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Software Extremely organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects and quickly react to changing business needs while meeting firm deadlines Ability to work independently and with minimal direction Strong communication skills to articulate persuasively and clearly about procurement initiatives. Required Education & Experience: A Bachelor’s degree required Minimum of 1 year of experience required. Preference for an individual with experience in purchasing and procurement for a public agency or related sector Preferred Certifications: Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) NIGP – Certified Procurement Professional Compensation: FLSA: Exempt Starting Salary: $59,493.45 - $68,000.00 depending on skills, qualifications and experience. Officing: This position is in‑office 4 days per week. Benefits: We offer a highly competitive package of many desirable benefits to our full‑time employees including: Health/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance We provide an outstanding package of health, dental, vision and life benefits for employees, with the monthly premium paid by NCTCOG 100%. Coverage available for their families and those monthly premiums are shared with NCTCOG. We provide employees with life insurance coverage that is employer paid with a benefit of 2 times the employee’s annual salary. Paid Leave Paid vacation, sick leave, and personal days are provided as part of the benefit plan, as well as specified holidays. This position also includes a phone allowance. Retirement NCTCOG participates in a defined contribution plan as an alternative to Social Security. The defined contribution retirement plan provides retirement benefits for all eligible employees. NCTCOG contributes twelve percent (12%) of permanent full‑time employees’ gross salaries. Participating employees contribute six percent (6%) of gross salary. An employee becomes forty percent (40%) vested in NCTCOG’s contributions after three full years of employment. An additional fifteen percent (15%) is vested for each additional year of employment. An employee becomes fully vested after seven years of employment. Work/Life Balance Programs To help employees and their families meet personal and professional challenges, NCTCOG provides an employee assistance program, prepaid legal services, lunch and learn seminars, alternate work schedules, alternate commute programs, and an on‑site gym. Professional Development NCTCOG is committed to professional development and provides a wide range of training opportunities‑both online and traditional classroom sessions. It covers applicable professional development expenses, professional memberships, and licenses, as well as tuition reimbursement Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: NCTCOG is an equal opportunity employer/program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other classifications covered under federal, state, or local laws. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Background Check & Drug Testing: All selected candidates must undergo a pre‑employment background check and drug screening. Background checks include national criminal background check, employment history, motor vehicle record check, social security verification, education verification, and other elements as needed. NCTCOG is committed to a safe and drug‑free workplace and performs pre‑employment substance abuse testing. All new hires are required to undergo a drug test which detects the presence of illegal drugs for months prior to testing. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping NCTCOG safe and drug‑free. In order to receive an offer of employment from NCTCOG, selected candidates must successfully pass the pre‑employment background check and drug screening. E-Verify: The North Central Texas Council of Governments participates in the federal E-Verify program in order to verify a new employee’s authorization to work in the United States. Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work in the U.S. Statement Concerning Employment in a Job Not Covered by Social Security: NCTCOG participates in a defined contribution plan as an alternative to Social Security. NCTCOG offers mandatory and elective retirement plans that have been developed specifically for public‑sector retirement plan participants. Be advised if you are hired by NCTCOG, your earnings from this job are not covered under Social Security (i.e., you will not pay Social Security taxes). This means that you will not earn credits for Social Security retirement or disability benefits in this job. If you retire or become disabled, and you are eligible for a Social Security benefit based on other work, your earnings from this job will not be used to compute your Social Security benefit. Your earnings from this job are subject to Medicare taxes and will count for purposes of the Medicare program. For more information on how you may qualify for Social Security benefits, visit #J-18808-Ljbffr