Senior Buyer

Salary

$42.40 - $49.09 Hourly

Location

Tacoma, WA

Job Type

Classified

Job Number

0307-24

Department

Finance

Division

Finance

Opening Date

04/15/2024

Closing Date

5/6/2024 5:00 PM Pacific

• Description

• Benefits

• Questions

Position Description

The City of Tacoma's Finance Department is recruiting for the position of Senior Buyer. A Senior Buyer performs professional-level purchasing functions for the City of Tacoma. Senior Buyers ensure the timely and cost-effective procurement of materials, supplies, equipment and services (public works, professional and personal) for the City of Tacoma within the requirements of applicable state law, City of Tacoma ordinances and department guidelines. Responsibilities include:

• Serving as expert consultant to assigned departments

• Recommending effective procurement methods

• Performing market analysis

• Conducting competitive solicitation processes

• Composing and issuing specifications

• Tabulating and facilitating the evaluation of competitive solicitation submittals to determine recommended awardee

• Participating in contract negotiations and facilitating resolution of problems as needed

The ideal candidate:

The City of Tacoma is seeking self-driven candidates who can demonstrate knowledge of: procurement concepts; public contract acquisition laws and regulations; Uniform Commercial Code; public works construction, procedures and specifications; business systems, contracting, and insurance and bonding requirements. The successful candidate will bring a collaborative and team-oriented approach to managing people and processes working in cross-departmental teams.

The City of Tacoma is committed to fostering a workplace that is innovative and flexible, and which attracts, supports, and retains a diverse and talented workforce. Telework arrangements may be available, depending on the position and needs of the City.

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in business, purchasing or related field and three years' increasingly responsible purchasing experience, preferably for a government or public entity. Additional experience may be substituted for up to two (2) years of education.

NOTE: Additional years of experience may be substituted for up to two years of college.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience using ERP/MRP or other procurement software

• Experience conducting solicitations (bids, requests for proposals)

• Procurement related professional certifications

LICENSES, CERTIFICATES AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid Washington State driver’s license at time of appointment with maintenance thereafter "or evidence of alternative mobility"

Knowledge & Skills

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Applicable local, state and federal laws regarding public procurement

• Solicitations including Requests for Proposals, Requests for Bids, Request for Qualifications, and Requests for Information

• Procurement best practices, negotiations and techniques as related to municipal purchasing

• Advanced cost and price analysis

• Contract development for a diverse range of materials, equipment, supplies and services

• Sustainability Initiatives

• Equity in Contract Program

• Vendor sourcing, market conditions and price trends

• Leadership, business partnering and teamwork

• Purchasing software programs and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems (preferably with SAP/Ariba)

SKILLS:

• Conducting of competitive solicitations to establish best pricing or best fit suppliers

• Advanced negotiations

• Advanced cost and price analysis

• Advanced communication skills including public speaking and written presentations

• Customer focused interpersonal communication.

• Advanced public contracting

• Intermediate-level Microsoft Windows programs – Word, Excel, and Power Point

• College-level business math

• Problem-solving and conflict resolution

Selection Process & Supplemental Information

To be considered for this career opportunity:

Interested individuals should apply online and attach a detailed resume and cover letter describing your experience, training, and expertise as it relates to the responsibilities of this position. Please answer all supplemental questions fully. Applications received without all the requested materials may not progress in the selection process.

Examination Process:

Applicants who meet the minimum qualifications will have their responses to supplemental questions 8, 9 and 10 reviewed and scored by a committee of subject matter experts, as the Experience and Training Test. It is the responsibility of the applicants to adequately describe all pertinent experience and training. Please make sure you read the questions and provide complete informative answers, including your roles in the position and key activities. Applicants must attain a passing score in order to be placed on the eligible list for interview and hiring consideration.

Appointment is subject to passing a background check. This position is covered by a Labor Agreement between the City of Tacoma and Local 120. New employees must successfully complete a nine-month probationary period prior to obtaining permanent status in this classification.

Candidates who are eligible for Veteran's Preference scoring criteria must attach a copy of their DD-214 member copy 4, (proof of military discharge form) at time of application, to be eligible for review for Veteran's Preference points, with redacted birth date and social security numbers.

WHY WORK FOR THE CITY?

The City of Tacoma is nestled along the shores of Commencement Bay in Washington State and offers many community parks, miles of beautiful waterfront, hiking & biking trails, golf courses, museums, and a world-class zoo with an aquarium. Tacoma also serves as a gateway to some of the most magnificent natural wonders in the world, such as Puget Sound, Mount Rainier National Park and the Olympic Peninsula.

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision benefits for the whole family; paid holidays and personal time off; participation in Tacoma's Public Employees' Retirement System and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities.

For more information on the City of Tacoma's benefit package feel free to explore City of Tacoma Benefits.

City of Tacoma Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Tacoma's diversity is its greatest asset. Tacoma embraces its multi-cultural and multi-ethnic character. Communities of color and immigrant communities are fundamental to Tacoma's entrepreneurial spirit, workforce, and long-term success. In Tacoma, equity and empowerment are top priorities, meaning that all Tacoma residents must have equitable opportunities to reach their full potential and share in the benefits of community progress. One of our goals is for the City of Tacoma workforce to reflect the community it serves. We actively work to eliminate racial and other disparities and welcome candidates with diverse backgrounds and/or multicultural skill sets and experiences. Our goal is for Tacoma to be an inclusive and equitable place to live, work, and play.

The City of Tacoma is an Equal Opportunity Employer and values diversity in its workplace. Applicants are considered for positions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital or veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by federal, state, and local laws.

Communication from the City of Tacoma:

We primarily communicate via e-mail during the application process. E-mails from Cityoftacoma.org and/or neogov.com must be placed on your safe domain list to ensure that you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders.

The online application system requires you to enter a substantial amount of information. Be prepared to spend an hour or more entering the required information. In order for your application materials to be considered, all information must be submitted by the closing date and time listed on this job announcement.

For assistance with the application process or questions regarding this job announcement please contact Human Resources at (253) 591-5400 by 4:00 pm on the closing date. This will allow us to assist you before the job announcement closes.

The City of Tacoma provides excellent medical, dental and vision plans for the whole family; paid holidays and paid leave; participation in the Tacoma Public Employees' Retirement System (alternate plan for Police/Fire); continuing education and advancement opportunities and a growing variety of City-sponsored health and wellness opportunities and incentives.

Medical Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Dental Coverage: For eligible employees and their families, including domestic partners and dependent children age 26 or younger.

Vision Coverage: For eligible employees and their eligible dependents.

Paid Leave: City employees are entitled to received paid holidays, sick/vacation leave or personal time off (PTO), depending upon union affiliation and appointment type.

Insurance Plans: Employees are covered by a long-term disability plan. Short-term and expanded long-term disability insurance plans are also available to employees. The State Industrial Insurance Act also covers employees.

Deferred Compensation: Income can be set aside on a pretax basis and invested for supplementation of normal retirement income.

Retirement: All employees of the City, except members of the Police and Fire services, Tacoma Rail and certain project employees, are included in the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System. Information on the Tacoma Employees' Retirement System can be found at www.cityoftacoma.org or by calling (253) 502-8200.

Other Employment Information

Direct Deposit: Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule by direct deposit.

Salary Increases: Based on satisfactory job performance, the City provides for a regular progression of salary increases for most classifications according to the salary schedule.

Union Affiliation: Many job classifications are covered by union security provisions which require union membership, dues, or payment of equivalent service fees.

Note: The provisions of this job announcement do not constitute an expressed or implied contract. Any provision contained herein may be modified and/or revoked without notice.

01

Responses to supplemental questions must be original content created by the applicant using their own words. The use of online tools or resources to create responses, such as Artificial Intelligence (ChatGPT, etc.), Google, Bing, etc., or plagiarism in any form, is considered cheating and falsification of the application. I understand that any form of cheating or falsification will disqualify my application for further consideration.

• Yes

• No

  02

  Which best describes your level of education and experience:

• I have an Associate's Degree or two or more years of college, and five or more years of professional procurement experience

• I have a Bachelor's Degree or higher and three or more years of professional procurement experience

• None of the above

  03

  I have the following certifications (check all that apply):

• Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)

• Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)

• Certified Purchasing Manager (CPM)

• Certified Professional in Supply Management

• Other purchasing-related certification

• None of the above

  04

  If you checked "other" in question 3, please specify the certifications you hold. If you checked "None of the above", please indicate "N/A" in the space below.

  05

  I have experience with the following (check all that apply):

• Request for Bids or Quotes (RFB, RFQ) for supplies/materials

• Request for Proposals for professional/personal services

• Request for Bids for public works and improvements

• Alternative public works (GCCM, JOC, Design-Build, etc.)

• Request for Qualifications (RFQ)

• Other (describe below)

• None of the above

  06

  Please describe your experience for each box checked in question #5. If you checked "None of the above", please indicate "N/A" in the space below.

  07

  Instructions for the Experience and Training: Questions 8, 9 and 10 are the experience and training test that will be used to establish the eligibility list. These questions will be scored by subject matter experts (SMEs) who will not have access to any of your application materials, and will provide scores based solely upon your answers to this question. DO NOT refer to your resume in lieu of answering these questions; this will result in a score of 0 points. Your answers must stand on their own merit.

  Please indicate "Yes" that you have read and understand the instructions for questions 8, 9 and 10.

• Yes

• No

  08

  Describe in detail your experience with: ·Any ERP/MRP or other procurement software ·Contract negotiations ·Contract administration ·Conducting solicitations and obtaining bids

  09

  Describe your procurement roles and responsibilities in any/all of the areas below. . If you do not have experience in any of the areas below, please indicate "N/A" in the space below. · Government/Military · Public Utility District/Port District · Private Sector Business Procurement · Supply Chain Management · Procurement/Supply Chain Management Education

  10

  Describe the communication and work management strategies you have found most effective throughout your career.

  11

  The City of Tacoma has a technical requirement that employees filling classified roles be residents of the City at the time of their original appointment to a classified job. However, there is a process to request a waiver of this requirement from the Civil Service Board if we identify an outstanding candidate who is a nonresident. Not residing within the City of Tacoma is not an automatic disqualifier and everyone is encouraged to apply.

• I understand that the City will request a waiver for me if necessary

• Not applicable, I'm a City of Tacoma resident

  12

  Please tell us how you learned about this job opening.

• Job Interest Card notification

• Professional organization

• Military organization

• City of Tacoma employee

• Online job board posting

• Word of mouth

• LinkedIn

• Tacoma Training & Education Program (TTEP)

• Indeed

• Facebook

• Instagram

• Careers in Government

• Government Jobs

• Outreach Event

• National Diversity Network

• African American Job Network

• Disability Job Network

• Asian Job Network

• Latino Job Network

• Retirement Job Network

• LGBT Job Network

• Veteran Job Network

• Other

  13

  Please provide specific information regarding how you learned about this job opening. Thank you, your feedback will be used to evaluate our success reaching the public and refine our methods for future job postings.

  Required Question

Agency

City of Tacoma

Address

Human Resources Department 747 Market Street Tacoma, Washington, 98402-3764

Phone

253-591-5400

Website

http://www.cityoftacoma.org

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