PURCHASING DEPARTMENT - ASSISTANT COUNTY PURCHASING AGENT

Salary: $107,191.42 - $112,618.00 Annually
Location : (Could be any assigned County location) - 800 E. Overland, El Paso, TX 79901, TX
Job Type: Full Time Regular
Job Number: 2026-00083
Department: Purchasing Department
Opening Date: 03/05/2026
Closing Date: 5/31/2026 11:59 PM Mountain


Minimum Qualifications
*Salary dependent on qualifications and experience*
Acceptable Experience and Education

Bachelors degree in Business Administration, Public Administration form an accredited college or university or a closely related field, and four (4) years centralized purchasing activity in a large organization, including inventory management and control and land management experience to include one (1) year actual buying in an established government procurement operation, with three (3) years supervisory experience.
Or, any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Preferred:

Master's degree
Certificates, Licenses, and other Requirements

Professional Public Buyer certification (CPPB) preferred.
Must have or obtain by date of hire a valid diver's license applicable to job responsibilities, with a driving record acceptable to the County of El Paso.
In order to access the County's network and systems, a personal mobile smart device is required by the hire start date.

Typical Duties
Essential Duties

Serves as assistant to the County Purchasing Agent; May act in the absence of the County Purchasing Agent;
Establishes credibility throughout the organization with management and the employees in order to be an effective listener and problem solver of issues related to procurement and Logistics;
Provides comprehensive advice and support to the County Purchasing Agent, County management team, elected officials, County Commissioners, boards and commissions, employees, and vendors;
Advises Commissioners Court, County executive staff, County departmental staff, and others on purchasing issues;
Assists in planning, developing, organizing, implementing, directing, and evaluating logistics and procurement function and performance to serve County departments and employees;
Engages in, supports, and provides leadership and direction in the development of progressive short- and long-range plans and goal-setting for the Purchasing department that is responsive to the needs of the County;
Communicates information to County Purchasing Agent, Purchasing management team, subordinates, and others;
Gathers, interprets, and prepares data for studies, reports and recommendations; coordinates with other departments and agencies as needed;
Assists the Purchasing Agent in monitoring and overseeing department operations to assure that services delivered are in compliance with statutory applicable laws, rules, regulations, and applicable standards established by federal, state, and local laws, including the County Code of Ethics , and with policies established by the Purchasing Board and Commissioners Court;
Assists the Purchasing Agent in preparing and disseminating information concerning bid procedures and methods of purchasing to maximize participation of the local business community within the legal requirements;
Participates in the development of the County's plans and programs as a strategic partner but particularly from the perspective of the impact on County purchases;
Translates the strategic and tactical business plans into purchasing strategic and operational plans;
Assists Purchasing Agent in identifying operational problems and formulates appropriate solutions;
Analyzes costs and value and recommends new programs and monitors effectiveness of existing programs and recommends changes as needed to the County Purchasing Agent;
Ensures the fair and equitable treatment of all vendors and shall ensure the compliance by vendors with the County Ethics Code in all procurement matters, and shall have the duty to report all violations to the County Purchasing Agent and/or Ethics Commission;
Oversees and ensures accurate maintenance of a variety of records including contracts, vendor lists, standardized bids, specifications for recurring purchases, and purchase order requests;
Assists in developing the department's annual budget and monitors revenue and expenditure transactions;
Conducts fiscal analysis and prepares cost projections; works with County Auditor's office and reviews for accuracy, tracks, and monitors personnel budgets and expenditures throughout the year;
Initiates and assists with the development of internal operating procedures, policies, and controls;
Prepares specifications, technical reports, correspondence, and contracts for services;
Makes presentations to the Commissioners' Court, boards, and vendors;
Acts as liaison with County boards; various County officials, involved staff, and vendors;
Performs special studies or projects as assigned by the County Purchasing Agent; prepares a variety of studies, reports and related information for recommendation and decision-making purposes;
Oversees and ensures the procurement of materials and services in compliance with duly authorized purchase requisitions at optimum cost and to documented specifications;
As directed plans, coordinates, negotiates, and supervises the acquisition and disposition of certain County owned land, buildings, and leased properties;
Oversees and ensures that purchasing documents are properly completed and the terms and conditions are appropriate;
Reviews buyer recommendations on vendor selecting negotiations, bids, and purchase contracts and makes appropriate recommendations to the Purchasing Agent;
Oversees and certifies adherence to proper purchasing procedure;
Ensures correct coding of invoice information for computer input to include appropriate budget accounts;
Establishes and maintains effective public relations in a complex environment involving technical and non-technical personnel and respond to inquiries from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the professional community;
Attends training and maintains current knowledge of Procurement policies, programs, laws and issues;
Serves as a member of the Purchasing Department management team and attends team meetings and training;
Reviews bids awards and purchase order purchases to identify potential purchasing efficiencies, time savings measures and possible advantages of economies of scale through cooperative purchasing strategies and long term contract purchases;
Compiles data and updates the Purchasing Board Monthly Report for review by the Purchasing Agent and submittal to the Purchasing Board;
Acts as liaison with MUNIS Enterprise system software committee developing strategic plans, correcting software deficiencies, and planning of future service developments;
Reviews, tests, and implements upgrades and changes made in MUNIS Enterprise System software; and develops purchasing procedures and policy to coordinate system functionality to purchasing processes;
Reviews monthly reports to assure County monies are not lost due to gaps in user knowledge and system functionality;
Participates and Chairs Procurement Review Committee to review all purchasing solicitations, awards, and cooperative purchases are accurate, fair, and follows the State of Texas Purchasing Code, prior to the items being submitted to Commissioners Court for ratification;
Monitors the completion of the annual County fixed asset report by July 1st as required by State law;
Monitors reporting, reviews, and corrects County department fixed asset reports annually, submits corrections to Commissioners Court, and reports corrections to County Auditor's office;
Supervises County surplus and vehicle auctions, and recommend corrections and process changes to staff as needed;
Is the Program Administrator for County travel credit card, add, delete, edit, correct travel card information, resolve credit card issues, credit limit issues, and deactivate cards;
Monitors and processes County vehicle rentals through contract and reviews billing in coordination with the Auditor's office;
Monitors purchases utilizing County's Purchasing Department credit cards for all purchases where purchase orders may not be utilized and review billing in coordination with the Auditor's office;
Conducts weekly bid administration and managers meeting to receive updates on formal solicitations and projects, and disseminates any information from the Purchasing Agent as needed;
Issues written and oral instructions; assigns duties and examines work for exactness, neatness, and conformance to policies and procedures; evaluates assigned staff; reviews progress and directs changes as needed;
Demonstrates emotional intelligence in day-to-day work, decision making, problem solving and in the supervision of employees;
Other Important Duties*

Performs such other related duties as may be assigned.
Substitutes, if assigned, during temporary absences by performing delegated duties sufficient to maintain continuity of normal operations;
Commits self to providing excellent customer service and demonstrate commitment through cooperative team and individual efforts; and
Creates a high-quality work culture through participation in and emphasis on training and mentoring to develop leadership, management, and technical skills in self and all employees, including safety related training and skills.
As members of the County of El Paso Emergency Response System, all El Paso County employees are designated as Disaster Service Workers during a proclaimed emergency and may be required to train on emergency response and/or perform certain emergency services at the direction of their supervisor.

Job Summary
S ummary of Position

The Assistant County Purchasing Agent performs highly responsible professional, administrative, and supervisory work in the management and coordination of the Purchasing Department. An employee in this classification is responsible to perform a wide variety of managerial and analytical tasks, including supervising and evaluating the work of professional, technical and clerical staff engaged in procurement work. The position requires considerable interaction with other County departments, vendors, management; and Commissioners Court. Work is performed with considerable independence and in accordance with Federal, State, and local laws, rules, policies, and regulations.

Additional Information
Organizational Relationships

Reports to: County Purchasing Agent
Directs: Supervision of department's division managers and support staff
Other: Has contact with Purchasing department staff, vendors, and suppliers, Commissioners Court, county offices and employees, regulatory and funding agencies, and the general public.
Minimum Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of: procurement management principles, practices, concepts, and strategies in a large public agency; Extensive knowledge of standard and automated purchasing techniques, practices, procedures and control; thorough knowledge of Federal, State and Local applicable laws, regulatory codes, ordinances, rules, permits, licenses, purposes, sources, standards, policies and procedures including, but not limited to, the Texas County Purchasing Act, Public Property Finance Act, Services and Products of Severely Disabled, Interlocal Cooperation Agreement, Prompt Payment Act, the Public Works Performance and Payment Bonds, and the County Ethics Code; thorough knowledge of contractual terms and conditions, insurance, bids, and bid performance bonds; thorough knowledge of property and Logistics management and control; land management principles; commercial real estate documents; proper methods and practices of selecting, leasing, and acquiring properties for County use; budget development and tracking, cost control procedures, financial forecasting and fiscal analysis; management and supervisory principles and techniques and pertinent federal, state and local rules and regulations; principles and theory of public administration including strategic planning, general administration, human resources management, technology, fiscal management, and accounting; budget preparation to project and budget for future needs and costs of services, equipment, supplies and staff; best practices in customer service. Skill/Ability to: understand business functions and metrics within the County, local government, and purchasing; interpret information to determine organizational impact in making decisions and/or recommendations; ensure that departmental activities conform to federal, state, and local laws and regulations; identify and resolve departmental operational problems; prepare executive-level correspondence and reports; analytic reasoning, problem solving to be a respected business partner; supervise, train, and evaluate the work of subordinate staff; prepare and give presentations on the department's activities, functions, and issues; establish and maintain effective working and diplomatic relations with County offices and departments, the public and representatives from governmental, industry, media, and other agencies; maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception necessary for making observations, communicating with others, and reading and writing; maintain mental capacity, which allows the capability of making sound decisions and demonstrating intellectual capacities; communicate effectively orally and in writing; establish effective working relationships with management, employees, employee representatives and the public representing diverse cultures and backgrounds; treat County employees, representatives of outside agencies and members of the public with courtesy and respect; communicate effectively with a variety of individuals representing diverse cultures and backgrounds and function calmly in situations which require a high degree of sensitivity, tact and diplomacy; exercise critical thinking; maintain personal and professional integrity and courage; maintaining confidentiality; and efficiently and effectively administering components of a human resource management system for a large employer.
Each and every county position requires the following professional skills and abilities as key and necessary elements of performance:

• Demonstrate regular and reliable attendance;
• Work well with others and participate fully in a team oriented environment;
• Interface with other employees and customers in a courteous and respectful manner;
• Project positive support of their department and all county organizations at all times; and,
• Maintain and enhance the County's commitment to customer service excellence

El Paso County offers a very comprehensive benefit package (some benefits may not apply to part time or temporary employees) consisting of the following:

HOLIDAYS
16 holidays per year as recognized.
VACATION
Accruals are credited on a biweekly basis and available for use as it is accrued after 6 months of continuous service. Year to year carry-over accruals are limited to twice the employee's annual rate. Part-time employees accrue vacation at half the rate of full-time employees.
10 days (1 through less than 5 years of service)
15 days (5 through less than 15 years of service)
20 days (15 years of service or over)
SICK LEAVE
Accruals are credited on a biweekly basis and available for use as it is accrued after 3 months of full time service. Employees accrue 15 days of sick leave per year.
MISCELLANEOUS PAID LEAVES
Military Leave - 15 days of paid leave per fiscal year for active military service
Bereavement Leave - 3 days of paid leave for the death of an immediate family members and 4 hours for other family members and friends.
MEDICAL HEALTH BENEFITS
Plan Costs - Biweekly Rates

Effective January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026

Medical
Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP)
No Discounts
EE Only $5.34
EE & Spouse $145.30
EE & Children $101.93
EE & Family $200.09

6% Wellness Discount
EE Only - $5.02
EE & Spouse - $136.58
EE & Children - $95.81
EE & Family - $188.09
Core Plan
No Discounts
EE Only - $35.70
EE & Spouse - $226.41
EE & Children - $174.96
EE & Family - $322.25

6% Wellness Discount
EE Only - $33.56
EE & Spouse - $212.83
EE & Children - $164.46
EE & Family - $302.92
RETIREMENT
Retirement benefits are provided by the Texas County and District Retirement Fund (TCDRS). Regular employees become a member of TCDRS upon hire. All regular employees are required to contribute 7% to the retirement fund and the County matches 250% upon eligible retirements.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION
Employees may defer earnings, on a pre-tax basis, into a 457 deferred compensation program. This is an optional program.

LIFE INSURANCE
Full-time County employees are provided a basic life insurance benefit of $10,000 life insurance at no cost. Supplemental coverage is available for additional fees.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY
The Long-Term disability program provides 60% of the employees' income when the employee becomes disabled because of an illness, injury or accident for a period above 90 days.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY
The Short-Term disability program provides 60% of the employees' income when the employee becomes disabled because of an illness, injury or accident for a period shorter than 90 days.

RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE
Employees who retire from the County are eligible to continue Health Insurance at the rate set by the El Paso County Risk Pool Board.

EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Employees are enrolled in an Employee Assistance Program that provides a variety of counseling services.

SECTION 125 MEDICAL & DEPENDENT CARE PROGRAM
The section 125 program is optional for employees and provides a method to pay medical and dependent care expenses on a pre-tax basis.

HEALTHY LIFESTYLE REIMBURSEMENT
Reimbursement of $15 per month for 6 months of continuous gym usage.
EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EdAP)
Reimbursement up to $2000 per calendar year for eligible education expenses.

EMPLOYEE FITNESS AND WELLNESS CENTER
The Employee Fitness and Wellness Center opened in October 2021 at the County Courthouse. The cost is $5 per employee per month.
01


Which of the following best describes your highest level of education in Business Administration, Public Administration or related field?

• High School Diploma or equivalent
• 30 to 60 college credit hours
• More than 60 college credit hours
• Associate's Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• Doctoral Degree

02


Which of the following best describes your experience in centralized purchasing activity in a large organization, including inventory management and control and land management?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year experience
• 2 to less than 4 years experience
• 4 to less than 6 years experience
• 6 to less than 7 years experience
• 7 to less than 8 years experience
• More than 8 years experience

03


Which of the following best describes your experience in buying an established government procurement operation?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year experience
• 1 to less than 2 years experience
• 2 to less than 3 years experience
• More than 3 years experience

04


Which of the following best describes your supervisory experience?

• No experience
• Less than 1 year experience
• 1 to less than 2 years experience
• 2 to less than 3 years experience
• More than 3 years experience

05


Do you currently possess a Professional Public Buyer certification (CPPB)?

• Yes
• No

06


Do you have or can obtain by date of hire a driver's license applicable to the job responsibilities, with a driving record acceptable to El Paso County.

• Yes
• No

07


I UNDERSTAND In order for my application to be considered complete, I must answer all the questions in this application. Incomplete or illegible applications will be rejected. A résumé and/or other documents WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of a completed application. Comments such as "See Résumé" are not acceptable and will result in the application being considered incomplete.

• Yes
• No

Required Question