Procurement Specialist

Procurement Specialist

The Procurement Specialist is responsible for conducting intermediate-level procurement and contract administration assignments for a wide variety of goods and services in support of the operation of the District. The Procurement Specialist is responsible for sourcing select suppliers, negotiating contracts, monitoring assigned inventory levels, and ensuring compliance with government regulations and organizational policies. The Procurement Specialist in this role will exercise attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and an ability to work collaboratively with internal stakeholders and external vendors.

The Procurement Specialist is a single-position administrative/at-will/non-represented classification. This classification promotes the most effective use of the District's funds in the procurement of materials, supplies, services, and equipment for the District and performs a broad range of administrative support functions related to procurement and inventory management objectives, including oversight of procurement bids and associated contract construction and administration. Moderate level of supervision is required. This classification reports to the Chief Financial Officer. This position supervises the BUYER classification and may function as lead regarding assigned projects.

Core competencies include:

• Vendor Management: Sourcing and evaluating suppliers/vendors, negotiating contracts, and managing vendor relationships to ensure compliance, quality, and cost-effectiveness.
• Budgeting and Cost Control: Developing and managing budgets for procurement and grant activities, conducting cost analyses, and implementing cost-saving strategies while maintaining quality standards.
• Contract Management: Drafting, reviewing, preparing and administering procurement contracts, including terms, conditions, and performance metrics. Ensuring contracts comply with legal and regulatory requirements and updated to maintain compliance.
• Market Research and Analysis: Conducting required market research, analyzing industry trends, and identifying potential suppliers to support informed decision-making and strategic sourcing initiatives.
• Negotiation Skills: Negotiating pricing, terms, and conditions with vendors to secure favorable procurement contracts for the District.
• Data Analysis and Reporting: Analyzing procurement data, generating reports, and presenting findings to stakeholders to support decision-making, monitor performance, and ensure transparency.
• Ethics and Compliance: Upholding ethical standards, promoting transparency, and ensuring adherence to procurement ethics, conflict of interest policies, and federal, state and transit-sector regulatory compliance requirements.
• Communication Skills: Effectively communicating with stakeholders, vendors, and regulatory agencies orally and in writing. This includes writing clear and concise procurement documents, contracts, and reports.
• Relationship Building: Establishing rapport and maintaining mutually productive relationships.

Essential functions include:

• Performs procurement planning, oversees solicitation processes, and evaluates bids, quotes, and proposals, utilizing automated procurement systems where applicable.
• Prepares formal procurement documents for solicitation.
• Obtains bids, proposals, or quotations from vendors, conducts cost comparisons against specifications or scope of work, and makes recommendations for orders or agreements.
• Prepares technical reports, correspondences, and other written materials, including charts, graphs, or spreadsheets and makes recommendations for purchasing opportunities.
• Attend pre-bid meetings and interacts directly with prospective vendors or contractors to address inquiries, taking meeting minutes to accurately record discussions and agreements reached.
• Prepares addenda and issues to all prospective bidders to communicate changes, updates, or clarifications to the solicitation documents following pre-bid meetings.
• Generates purchase order documents electronically and maintains formal contract agreement files.
• Maintains ongoing communication with vendors and monitors contract compliance and progress, ensuring adherence to quality, delivery, price, and/or service terms of agreement.
• Prepare independent cost estimates for formal procurements, ensuring procurement activities are conducted with accuracy, equity, and adherence to established guidelines.
• Reviews change order requests and conducts cost/price analysis of bids and proposals, making recommendations accordingly.
• Maintains contract files in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations, including conformance with District policies.
• Performs Buyer duties as needed.
• Authorizes purchase orders within established purchasing thresholds.
• Produces memos, correspondence, and reports related to contract processing and execution, responding to inquiries from vendors and District staff.
• Negotiates and establishes annual blanket purchase orders, master purchasing agreements, and service agreements, ensuring the best value and alignment with the District's business interests.
• Conducts research, evaluates findings independently, and makes informed decisions on procurement matters.
• Resolves discrepancies in invoices, deliveries, and shipments, ensuring accuracy and consistency.
• Prepares agenda items for presentation to the Board, ensuring clarity and accuracy in the delivery of essential procurement information and makes recommendations for bid awards.
• Reports to work as scheduled; may be required to work occasional evenings/weekends/nights/holidays, as needed.
• Performs other related work duties as required.

Typical qualifications include:

• High School Diploma or GED is required. Associates degree or 60 semester units (or 90 quarter units) of college coursework from an accredited college or university in business, public administration, or related field is preferred. Bachelors degree may substitute for one-year of required work experience.
• Three (3) years of progressively responsible purchasing and contracting experience, required. Transit/public agency experience is highly desirable.
• Certified Public Purchasing Buyer (CPPB) or Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO) highly desirable.
• A current, valid California Driver's License with a driving record acceptable to the District.

Requisite knowledge and skill levels include:

• Knowledge of contract negotiation strategies, contract drafting techniques and requirements, and effectively managing supplier/vendor performance.
• Knowledge of effective research methods to assess trends in the procurement industry.
• Knowledge in developing and overseeing processes for requests for proposals (RFP), requests for quotes (RFQ), request for information (RFI), formal and informal bids, and quotes.
• Knowledge of public transit or heavy-duty fleet maintenance operations and equipment, parts, and tools used in heavy-duty vehicle fleet maintenance.
• Moderate to advanced level proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal contracting laws and regulations pertaining to the solicitation and evaluation of bids/proposals, negotiation, and contracts.
• Knowledge of effective data management and record keeping techniques.
• Requisite reading, mathematical, written, and verbal skills in order to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Knowledge of proper English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.

Requisite abilities include:

• Ability to develop technical specifications and draft contracts outlining order requirements and terms of engagement with vendors, ensuring clarity and adherence to organizational standards.
• Ability to identify and engage with potential suppliers and vendors to fulfill procurement requirements, assessing their capabilities, reliability, and suitability to meet the District's needs.
• Ability to analyze cost/value aspects in potential orders, evaluating pricing structures, assessing potential risks, quality, long-term product/service value, warranties, and other relevant contract considerations.
• Ability to accurately perform mathematical calculations.
• Ability to oversee and manage contracts throughout their lifecycle, ensuring compliance with terms, monitoring performance, and addressing issues promptly.
• Ability to efficiently manage multiple projects concurrently, coordinating timelines, resources, and tasks to meet organizational objectives.
• Ability to effectively purchase parts and materials and maintain cost controls as required. Ability to research vehicle/equipment parts and interpret price books.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including the ability to prepare and deliver clear, concise, and grammatically correct documents and reports.
• Ability to create and maintain good working relationships through excellent communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to engage successfully with both internal and external contacts and the public.
• Ability to exercise continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively to provide seamless customer service.
• Ability to be available and work during non-traditional hours such as early mornings, late evenings, holidays, and/or weekends as business needs require; Ability to travel to various locations for off-site meetings and events when necessary.

Essential physical tasks and environmental conditions include:

Exposure to cold temperatures ranging from 20°F to 50°F for a duration of 30 minutes walking between buildings. The District mandates strict adherence to safety protocols, requiring employees to wear adequately warm clothing, personal safety equipment, and comply with Hazardous Waste/MSDS requirements. Exposure to high temperatures ranging from 80°F to 120°F for one hour to inspect equipment, buildings, and grounds. The District requires employees to wear suitable lightweight clothing and stay hydrated to prevent dehydration. Exposure to loud noises for one hour while communicating with mechanics or assessing building and