Procurement Assistant III (OCFO - Procurement Division)

City of Detroit•Michigan, MI

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of the Chief Financial Officer - Procurement division is accepting applications for a Procurement Assistant III position. The Procurement Assistant III is an experienced level paraprofessional within the City of Detroit Office of the Chief Financial Officer that requires limited direction and supervision. The Procurement Assistant conducts complex duties and responsibilities to support the Office of Contracting and Procurement. The key services provided include but are not limited to: verifying the accuracy and completeness of the purchasing contract; providing support to Contracting and Procurement Specialists during bid solicitation; ensuring delivery schedules are met; maintaining records and files; understanding market conditions that impact purchase decisions; and processing payments and automatic requisitions. Procurement Assistants may use ERP Cloud applications to assist Contracting and Procurement Specialists with various purchasing functions.

Requirements

Associate’s degree in Public Administration, Public Policy, Political Science, Accounting, Business Administration, Pre Law or related field of study.
At least two (2) years of experience as a Procurement Assistant
Broad knowledge of procurement regulations, procedures, and policies related to one or more procurement phases or functions to do experienced level work
Various steps and procedures required to provide a full range of procurement support related to recurring or standardized buys for commonly used supplies or services
Various procurement processing procedures to support purchase transactions that involve the use of different forms and the application of different procedures
Functional areas, such as supply or finance, to investigate and resolve errors of shipment overage or shortage, delays, incompatible information, or other similar discrepancies using well-established approaches
One or more automated databases associated with a specific procurement function sufficient to input a range of standard information or adjustments, understand recurring error reports and take corrective action, and generate a variety of standard reports
Frequently used and clearly stated procedures and regulations to respond to recurring questions from vendors, agency or activity personnel, customers, and others
Administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology
Principles and processes for providing customer service
Enterprise resource planning systems for finance, budget, general ledger, human resources, and other management systems and software programs
Use of personal computers to perform a wide range of activities including but not limited to Internet searches, basic research, and other functions in support of budget and accounting operations
Use of Microsoft Office (e.g. Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint) and other office suite software packages
Use of Excel (e.g. Formulas, Pivot Tables, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, other functions, charts, tables) and other financial management software packages functionality
Use of large, complex, multi-departmental financial systems, and demonstrate the knowledge required to interpret resulting financial and accounting reports, summaries, and budgets
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents
Talking to others to convey information effectively
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience
Considering and identifying the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one
Using mathematics to solve problems
Listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences
Communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand
Read and understand information and ideas presented in writing
Tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong
Apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense
Arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules including patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, and mathematical operations
Speak clearly so others can understand you
See details at close range
Add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly
Interact effectively with senior leadership, subordinates, department personnel, and others with tact and diplomacy
Work as part of a team

Nice To Haves

Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Responsibilities

Plans, assigns, and coordinates the work of Procurement Assistants I, II and other clerical and administrative staff
Performs ERP Cloud applications that impact assigned operations including other technology applications that are introduced over time
Prepares purchase orders and send copies to suppliers and to departments originating requests
Determines if inventory quantities are sufficient for needs, ordering more material when necessary
Responds to customer and supplier inquiries about the order status, changes, or cancellations
Contacts suppliers to schedule or expedite deliveries and to resolve shortages, missed to late deliveries, and other problems
Reviews requisition orders to verify accuracy, terminology, and specifications
Prepares, maintains, and reviews purchasing files, reports, and price lists
Compares prices, specifications, and delivery dates to determine the best bid among potential suppliers
Tracks the status of requisitions, contracts, and orders
Calculates costs of orders, and charge or forward invoices to appropriate accounts
Checks shipments when they arrive to ensure that orders have been filled correctly and that goods meet specifications
Compares supplier bids with bids and purchase orders to verify accuracy
Approves bills for payment
Maintains bidder mailing lists by adding or deleting vendor information in the system
Assembles contract file information and enters purchase order or contract data into a management information system
Contacts personnel to obtain written verifications relating to shipment, delivery, receipt, and/or payment of item
Supports Contracting and Procurement Specialists by monitoring the work progress and the delivery status of contracts for made-to-order items, items with a shelf life, or buys of similar difficulty
Locates suppliers using sources such as catalogs and the internet and interviews them to gather information about products to be ordered
Sorts, compiles, types, and distributes requisitions, contracts, orders, modifications, and other documents
Performs special projects and other duties as assigned