Assistant District Director, Purchasing

Assistant District Director, Purchasing North Orange County Community College District Position Number: 2015199P Location: District Services Department: District Purchasing Percentage of Employment: 100% Months of Employment: 12 Months Per Year Work Schedule: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm (However, some flexibility such as evenings and weekends will be required to meet the needs of the department.) Job Description Strategically plan, organize, coordinate, implement, oversee, manage, and evaluate District-wide purchasing and contracting programs, services, operations, and activities. Develop and implement efficient procedures to enhance service delivery, recommend departmental goals, objectives, and policies, and update purchasing and contracting strategies in alignment with District policy, needs, and legal requirements. Stay current on relevant regulations affecting purchasing and contracting. Regularly engage with the District Director to address purchasing and contracting matters, receive administrative guidance, and provide leadership to assigned personnel. Foster a culture of continuous improvement, prioritize tasks, delegate work assignments and projects, monitor progress, assess outcomes, participate in employee recruitment and hiring processes, evaluations and resolve team conflicts. Contribute to departmental meetings, agendas, content, and training initiatives. Assist in the preparation and administration of the annual program budget. Make recommendations, justify budget requests, and estimate costs. Monitor and control expenditures in accordance with District policies and relevant regulations. Review and assign purchase requisitions to purchasing staff. Ensure the timely procurement of services, materials, supplies, books, equipment, tools, and miscellaneous items as requested by college and District staff. Gather pricing, delivery information, and terms; negotiate with vendors; maintain vendor and contractor relationships; address inquiries regarding quotes and bids; expedite back orders as necessary; analyze market prices and trends to determine optimal sources for supply, considering factors like availability, pricing, quality, and technical specifications. Obtain and assess verbal and written quotes and bids, and place orders following established procedures. Validate purchase requisitions for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with bid requirements, funding, and District policies. Develop, review, and draft bid specifications and packages for various goods and services, including public works projects. Examine final contract documents, terms, and conditions for both formal and informal bids. Prepare and distribute bid documents, determine bid selection processes, conduct pre-bid conferences, respond to bidder inquiries, and evaluate bid alternates. Administer the competitive bidding process, ensuring legal compliance, and secure the best products and services at the most favorable prices. Document bids received, evaluate bid results, prepare bid recommendations, and forward them to the District Director, Purchasing for subsequent submission to the Board of Trustees for approval. Provide guidance to District administrators in preparing bid specifications and packages for the acquisition of technical or specialized items and equipment. Oversee bid openings. Contribute to the training, supervision, evaluation, and mentorship of departmental staff. Facilitate ongoing staff development and training initiatives. Supervise personnel involved in purchasing and contract services, including task assignment, performance review, and professional development and training. Support the interpretation and explanation of complex purchasing and contract services policies and procedures. Keep abreast of applicable laws and multifaceted regulations and provide technical guidance on intricate specifications and evaluations. Collaborate with District and campus staff, vendors, sales representatives, government agencies, and external organizations to maintain open communication and coordinate complex programs and operations. Generate, prepare, and maintain detailed reports, records, and files related to assigned programs, operations, and activities, including those relevant to contract services. Supervise inventory-related activities including the processing of obsolete and surplus items. Organize, attend, and potentially chair various meetings as needed. Serve on committees and special projects, facilitating coordination between complex programs and services involving other District and campus personnel. Collaborate in the exploration and implementation of emerging technologies and advancements, specifically those relevant to online bidding and complex contract management. Effectively utilize computer systems to input, update, and maintain budget, vendor, inventory, and related information. Ensure the efficient utilization of these systems for bidding processes, contract management, and reporting requirements. Assume full signature authority for purchasing and contracting in the absence of the District Director. Demonstrate sensitivity to and understanding of the disabilities and diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds of staff and students. Provide leadership in District/College efforts to increase the diversity of faculty and staff, to address student achievement gaps, and in the creation of a welcoming and inclusive work and educational environment. Assist and promote the growth and success of a diverse population of students and employees through the development of interculturally competent and equity minded management and leadership abilities. The ideal candidate should have experience in this area with African Americans, Latinx, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders and other disproportionately impacted students and employees. Perform related duties as assigned. Primary Purpose As a direct report to the District Director, Purchasing, the Assistant District Director, Purchasing assumes a key role in supporting the planning, coordination, and oversight of centralized purchasing functions, contract services, and associated operations throughout the District. This position places a strong emphasis on ensuring compliance with District policies, legal requirements, and operational effectiveness. Working in close partnership with the District Director, the Assistant District Director, Purchasing assists in the management of intricate procurement processes and diverse contract services, making a valuable contribution to the District’s strategic goals and objectives. Working Relationships The Assistant District Director, Purchasing, maintains frequent contact with District and campus personnel, vendors, sales representatives, contractors, governmental agencies and various outside organizations. Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Knowledge of District organization, operations, policies, and objectives Knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations related to purchasing and contract services Knowledge of competitive bidding processes and contract administration practices Knowledge of correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary Knowledge of record-keeping procedures Knowledge of appropriate software and databases for procurement and contract management Knowledge of a shared governance model Ability to assist in directing and coordinating centralized purchasing and contract operations Ability to prepare complex bid documents and assist in conducting pre-bid conferences and public bid openings Ability to exercise good judgment and initiative in resolving problems and making recommendations Ability to maintain professionalism under stressful situations Ability to deliver clear and effective presentations Ability to analyze situations accurately and take appropriate action Ability to work independently with moderate direction Ability to meet schedules and timelines Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work Ability to interpret, apply, and explain laws, regulations, policies, and procedures Ability to supervise, train, and provide work direction to others Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others Special Requirements This position requires a valid driver’s license. Incumbent may be required to travel off site for business reasons. All employees driving personal, leased, or district-owned vehicles for District related activities must certify possession of a valid Driver’s License. Employees must certify that personal vehicles are covered by automobile insurance as required by California law. (Administrative Procedure 7400, Section 4.0) If selected as a finalist and/or given an offer of employment for this position, you will be required to provide your valid Driver’s License information. Human Resources will contact the finalist to obtain this required documentation at that phase of the recruitment. The award of all degrees must be verifiable on a legible transcript. If degree award date is not posted on transcript your application will be deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. All degrees and course work used to satisfy the required minimum qualifications must be from accredited post-secondary institutions. If selected as a finalist and/or given an offer of employment for this position, you will be required to provide a transcript (may be unofficial). Human Resources will contact the finalist to obtain this required documentation at that phase of the recruitment. Minimum Qualifications Any combination equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public education, or a related field and a minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in purchasing, contract or business administrative services. Commitment to diversity. All applicants must have demonstrated sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, faculty and staff. The applicant must be able to demonstrate how their experience with these factors relates to successfully achieving the goals of the position. Desirable Qualifications Possession of an advanced degree in business administration, public education, or a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Administrative or supervisory experience in an educational setting. Experience with procurement and contract management software. Familiarity with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Banner or equivalent. Experience in shared governance in an educational setting. High level of critical thinking, problem solving and analytical skills. High professional standards and strong interpersonal skills. Effective oral and written communication skills. Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. Demonstrated experience ensuring equity in the duties and areas of responsibility for this position and the ability to address the needs of diverse student and/or employee populations. Prior experience in approaching work and interactions with colleagues and/or students in an equity minded manner. Ability to provide an inclusive and welcoming work/educational environment. Working Conditions Office environment with constant interruptions and frequent interaction with others; extended periods of sitting (up to 2-3 hours); may require off-site duties and activities, including travel to other offices or locations for meetings. Salary Range $122,152 - $153,988 Annually Posting Information Posting Number: 2015199P Open Date: 02/01/2024 Close Date: 02/23/2024 Special Instructions Summary Work Schedule: District employees can apply for the Flexible/Hybrid Work Program, working a hybrid schedule of remote work and in-person each week. Approval and number of in-person days may vary by position/department. Questions regarding the work schedule may be discussed with Hiring Manager if selected as an interview candidate. This is a designated classified management position subject to a six month probationary period. Initial salary placement will be determined by the Office of Human Resources in accordance with Board Policy and is not negotiable. The candidate selected for employment may need to submit official transcripts, as applicable, prior to the first duty day, and will be required to provide identification and employment eligibility as outlined in the Immigration Reform and Control Act. NOCCCD will not sponsor any visa applications. The District may choose to fill one or more positions from this recruitment within six (6) months. #J-18808-Ljbffr North Orange County Community College District