BUYER

Summary:
The Buyer position, under the direction of the Purchasing Manager, is located within the City of Lawrence Finance Department. This role performs and coordinates administrative, technical, and professional procurement work to ensure the City is supplied with the materials, equipment, and services necessary for effective and efficient operations. The Buyer is responsible for maintaining compliance with all applicable policies, guidelines, and internal controls. The position supports the full procurement lifecycle to promote efficiency, transparency, and responsible stewardship of City resources. Primary duties include managing formal, fair, and competitive solicitations; ensuring purchase order compliance; administering and monitoring contracts; conducting sourcing activities; and collaborating with City departments to identify, understand, and meet their procurement needs.

Responsibilities:
Important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Reviews requisitions for purchase orders and contract entries as well as change orders to ensure compliance with applicable codes and policies. Involves the routine use of a financial ERP system, various eProcurement platforms, eBidding, project management systems and other computer-based systems and applications such as word processing, spreadsheets or databases.
• Develops, edits, and issues competitive bids and solicitations while collaborating with departments, requestors, and subject matter experts. Participates in pre‑bid and pre‑proposal meetings, short‑list interviews, and site visits; attends public bid openings; and prepares comprehensive bid tabulations and evaluation matrices. Supports the evaluation of vendor responses and prepares award recommendations and related procurement documentation to ensure timely, compliant, and value‑driven purchasing outcomes.

• Monitors and manages City's eBidding portal, purchasing email, eProcurement sites, and vendor marketplace registrations.

• Researches and analyzes market data, sources, and trends available. Researches a variety of sources, documents, etc. to ensure adequacy of specification in terms of clarity, precision, and related criteria. Identifies and maintains lists of vendors and develops new sources of supply for goods and services.

• Researches and provides guidance on the use or “piggybacking” of available local, state, and regional cooperative contracts.

• Review and research of sole source procurement submittals from departments.

Qualifications:

A Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Business Management, Public Administration, or Supply Chain. Five (5) years of increasingly responsible procurement experience in a centralized purchasing system, preferably in municipal government.

Possession of a Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) at the time of hire or obtained within twenty-four (24) months from the date of hire.

Note: Please provide three references with the application.

The successful candidate must possess, or be able to obtain, a valid driver’s license and pass City background, physical, and drug screens.

Benefits:
Health/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance: Various dependent on coverage levels available, and other ancillary benefit options.
Paid Time Off: 12 Vacation days, 12 Sick days accrued per year; 2 days Personal Leave, 10 Paid Holidays

Retirement: Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS)