PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST

CITY OF FAIRBURN•Fairburn, GA

21h•Onsite

About The Position

The City of Fairburn is seeking to fill an experienced and professional Procurement Specialist. Under general supervision, this position performs professional and technical procurement and purchasing functions and is responsible for evaluating, analyzing, and optimizing the City’s purchasing activities while leveraging data to drive strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and process improvements. This role involves managing the full procurement cycle, from solicitation (bids/RFPs) to contract award and administration while ensuring compliance with city, state, and federal laws. Reports to the Procurement Manager. JOB SUMMARY Under general supervision, this position performs professional and technical procurement and purchasing functions and is responsible for evaluating, analyzing, and optimizing the City’s purchasing activities while leveraging data to drive strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and process improvements. This role involves managing the full procurement cycle, from solicitation (bids/RFPs) to contract award and administration while ensuring compliance with city, state, and federal laws. Reports to the Procurement Manager.

Requirements

Requires an Bachelors’ Degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Purchasing, Marketing, Finance, Supply Chain Management, or closely related field; supplemented by 2–4 years of related procurement purchasing, contract administration, or supply chain management; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job.
Valid State of Georgia driver’s license.
Requires an acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and an acceptable driving record.
Requires satisfactory results from a pre-employment alcohol and controlled substance testing.
Knowledge of public procurement methods and competitive solicitation processes in a procurement environment.
Knowledge of general procurement procedures and guidelines, financial computations, statistical analysis and forecasting techniques.
Knowledge of public purchasing principles and practices, including competitive bidding procedures.
Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local purchasing laws and regulations.
Knowledge of the methods and techniques used in the grading and analysis of the quality of supplies, materials, and equipment.
Knowledge of basic arithmetic operations.
Skill in oral and written communication.
Skill in developing specifications for purchases.
Skill in developing and maintaining cooperative and professional relationships with employees and all levels of management to include representatives from other departments and organizations.
Skill in planning and organizing daily work routine; estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establishes a personal schedule accordingly.
Ability to analyze data, perform complex cost-benefit analyses, evaluate bids, and identify trends to make informed decisions.
Ability to communicate ideas effectively, to include the preparation of detailed reports and logs.
Ability to handle a variety of customer service issues with tact and diplomacy and in a confidential manner.
Ability to calculate decimals and percentages; may include ability to perform mathematical operations involving basic algebraic principles and formulas, and basic geometric principles and calculations.
Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
Ability to interpret and apply related federal, state and local laws.

Nice To Haves

Municipal or other governmental experience preferred.
Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB) or Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO) issued through the Universal Public Purchasing Certification Council (UPPCC) preferred.

Responsibilities

Develops, posts, and evaluates competitive bids, including Requests for Proposals (RFPs) Invitations to Bid (ITB), Requests for Quotes (RFQ) for services and commodities.
Drafts specifications for commodities and prepares and revises bid solicitation documents for competitive sealed bids and negotiations.
Schedules, advertises, facilitates, and records required pre-bid/pre-proposal meetings and organizes evaluation committees and committee presentations; presents findings to the Procurement Manager.
Contacts, interviews, and evaluates vendors regarding specific department procurement needs, specifications, bids, and prices, and arranges for demonstration of products if required and makes recommendations for awards.
Assists City staff and vendors with questions relating to procurement processes; responds to inquiries from the public and vendors by providing standard information and assistance.
Posts and records procurement transactions; completes documents and completes procurement files using electronic systems.
Responds to requests for tax exempt forms.
Provides oversight of p-card reconciliations; analyzes the City’s purchasing needs, and provides cost-effective solutions for city departments.
Responsible for research and analysis of products and services, product substitutions, price and quality differences, and shipping options.
Analyzes internal purchasing patterns throughout all City departments to determine the potential for large-scale purchases to reduce costs.
Monitors grant-funded projects for consistency with grant scope; prepares and submits grant reports and contract amendments on schedule.
Maintains lists of active vendors; provides information on vendors to City personnel engaged in departmental purchasing processes; and maintains vendor files for vendors that solicitations have been sent to.
Prepares and generates purchase orders and/or service contracts utilizing automated financial systems and ensures that specifications and commodity codes are current.
Creates purchase orders for goods and services from new and existing contractors and equipment through competitive bidding and finalizes purchase documentation.
Reviews and improves procurement policies and procedures and utilizes Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to streamline procurement operations.
Acts expeditiously, in emergencies, to secure required goods or services, soliciting competitive quotations, when practical; requires and reviews emergency documentation to submit for the Purchasing Manager review and for the Mayor and City Council approval.
Prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, and other documentation, including notification letters, payment vouchers, production/status reports, addendums, purchase orders, recommendation letters, and termination letters; compiles data for further processing or for use in preparation of department reports; and updates/maintains a wide variety of computerized and/or hardcopy procurement and product documents/records.
Maintains knowledge of practices and trends in procurement and other assigned areas.
Maintains confidentiality of work-related issues and City information.
Ensure all purchasing activities align with the City’s purchasing ordinance, policies, procedures, and procurement thresholds.
Performs other related duties as assigned.