Purchasing Agent

Purchasing Agent

Responsible for assisting and supporting college employees in the purchase of supplies, materials and equipment for the college. Ensures that the college complies with all state purchasing regulations and with proper purchasing procedures. The purchasing agent serves as the college's primary liaison with the Division of Purchase and Contract and other oversight or regulatory organizations.

Examples of Duties

Essential and other responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

Essential Functions:

• Ensure that college purchasing procedures are followed. This includes purchasing from state contracts when available, certifying that competitive practices are followed and verifying that purchases are approved before products are ordered.
• Purchase supplies, books and equipment for the college, assisting faculty and staff in ordering materials; administer use of E-procurement website; train E-procurement users; correct vendor ambiguities and work with vendors to resolve other issues; verify requisitions for completeness and accuracy; run computerized process to create purchase orders from requisitions; monitor status of purchase orders for vendors, faculty, and staff; route purchase order copies to vendors and in-house customers; prepare invoices for payment upon receipt of items ordered.
• Monitor and maintain vendor catalogs and materials; enter new vendors; process and file requests for travel; enter requisitions for travel advances as needed; verify and process travel reimbursement requests; complete title work for institutional vehicles; monitor and maintain maintenance contracts on institution-owned equipment.
• Enter bids on IPS website; send bids to Division of Purchase and Contract (P&C) and to the North Carolina Interactive Purchasing System; assist faculty and staff with access to P&C website; assist with opening and distributing incoming and outgoing correspondence.
• Prepare quarterly and semi-annual reports to send to North Carolina Community System and to the Office for Historically Underutilized Businesses; type, file, and distribute information documents to faculty and staff.
• Assist in problem resolution for fax machine, copier, and postage machine.
• Provide necessary copier counts to vendors in order to sustain maintenance agreements.
• Flag equipment purchases appropriately during purchase order creation.
• Address any outstanding invoice and/or credits on incoming statements.
• Verify proper purchasing flexibility is documented at the eProcurement level.

Marginal Functions:

• Assist with registration and graduation when necessary.
• Provide assistance to students, staff and the general public.
• Participate in professional development activities and required employee training.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Working Conditions

Knowledge of:

Operations, services and activities of a purchasing program within a college setting.

Complex principles and practices of purchasing.

Contract rules and regulations.

English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Modern office procedures, methods and computer equipment.

Principles and procedures of bookkeeping, financial recordkeeping, and reporting.

Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes and regulations.

Principles of accounting.

Ability to: Prepare clear and concise reports. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Operate a variety of office and computer equipment. Maintain accurate records and controls. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work including campus officials and the general public.

Environmental Conditions: The employee should have the ability to effectively handle a work environment and conditions which involve an office and classroom workspace, working closely with others. The employee must maintain the office environment by maintaining equipment and supplies, ensuring overall cleanliness, functionality and conformance to OSHA standards to provide a safe work environment.

Physical Conditions: Physical and marginal functions require the ability to maintain physical condition appropriate to the performance of assigned duties and responsibilities, which may include the following; standing, walking or sitting for extended periods, moderate lifting and carrying, general manual dexterity, operating assigned equipment, and extended exposure to computer screens.

The employee is required to maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, reading and writing, operating assigned equipment, communicating with others, and handling varied tasks simultaneously.

Additionally, the employee must maintain mental capacity, which permits making sound decisions and using good judgment, demonstrating intellectual capabilities, and evaluating the effectiveness of programs and personnel.

Scheduling Conditions: This is a full-time, 12-month position, which requires the employee to be on campus or at an approved alternate location for at least thirty-six hours per week, Monday through Thursday, 8:00am-5:00pm, and Friday, 8:00am-12:00pm. This position generally works daytime hours, but has the potential for occasional evening or weekend hours.

Traveling Conditions: Local travel between the Caldwell campus, Watauga campus, or any off-campus sites, may be needed. Out of state travel is limited, but may be required for training and conferences.

Experience and Training

Three years of increasingly responsible purchasing, record keeping/inventory experience required. Associate Degree in accounting, business administration or related field required.

Benefits

Use the links below for additional information about benefits available to our full-time employees.

• Health Insurance
• Retirement
• Supplemental

Additionally, full-time employees are eligible for the following:

• 12 paid holidays
• At least 3 weeks' vacation (earned over the course of the year)
• Transfer of up to 40 hours of vacation leave will be accepted
• 1 personal observance day
• 2.5 weeks' sick leave (earned over the course of the year)
• Tuition reimbursement of $500 a semester and/or one free class at CCC&TI
• Gym Membership Discounts at the Catawba Valley YMCA and Quest for Life
• 401K and 457b retirement savings plans through Empower
• Membership options with SEANC and SECU
• Local restaurant discounts