Purchasing Agent

Western Farmers Electric Cooperative • Moore, OK

1d • Onsite

About The Position

Under the general supervision of the Manager, Procurement Services, the Purchasing Agent procures materials, equipment, parts, supplies, and services necessary for the construction of generation, transmission, distribution and telecommunication projects, as well as maintenance and operations of assigned segments of Western Farmers Electric Cooperative (WFEC) and its facilities. The Incumbent collaboratively assesses requester needs and specifications for the assigned areas of responsibility, developing strategic sourcing strategies to optimize inventory levels, minimize carrying costs, and meet the requester's unique set of needs, specifications, and schedules. The Incumbent complies with procurement procedures contained in WFEC's Administrative Procedures and lending agency regulations, including Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and, when necessary, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Incumbent also conducts supplier performance evaluations following product delivery, measuring adherence to contract terms and conditions; adherence to product specifications, quality and quantity; as well as on-time delivery and responsiveness. The Incumbent utilizes PeopleSoft purchasing and inventory modules throughout the entire procurement process to track, document, and drive all planning, sourcing, buying, contract management, document control, and inventory management activities.

Requirements

• A Bachelor's degree in a Business-related discipline, and three (3) years of professional purchasing experience in commercial terms, and experience in the use of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system (for querying/reporting), is required.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, catalogs, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to write routine reports and correspondence.
• Ability to speak effectively to peers and management.
• Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.
• Ability to compute rate, ratio, and percent.
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out instructions furnished in written, oral, or diagram form.
• Ability to deal with problems involving several concrete variables in standardized situation.
• Ability to use Microsoft Office software, including Word, Excel, and Outlook, is required.
• Ability to use enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, such as PeopleSoft financials and procurement, is required.
• Requires a current driver's license.

Nice To Haves

• A valid Supply Chain Management Certification from an accredited Institution is preferred.
• A Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP), Certified Production and Inventory Management (CPIM), or similar accreditation is desired.

Responsibilities

• Acts as the purchasing liaison for assigned segments/spend categories of WFEC's business units to ensure purchases are awarded in an ethical and economical manner, and in compliance with WFEC and lending agency requirements, including RUS and FEMA.
• Works collaboratively with assigned requester to analyze, monitor, and plan for internal demand for related goods and services, assisting in the development and execution of category management strategies, to include risk assessments, overall market, industry and supply base analysis, and category and vendor segmentation, while optimizing inventory and carrying costs.
• Prepares Request for Proposal (RFP)/Request for Quotation (RFQ) and Contract document package concentrating on accuracy, WFEC risk/legal protections of the Terms and Conditions, and coordination of the Pre-Bid Meeting, Bid Opening, and Pre-Construction Meeting to support the construction schedule and necessary approvals.
• Receives and reviews Purchase Requisitions for the Specifications and Scope of Work, assimilating project information into a detailed Needs Statement.
• Opens, tabulates, and analyzes RFP/RFQ responses according to WFEC and RUS construction policies and procedures, working with requesters to determine the lowest evaluated bid, factoring in quality, quantity, and other business factors including vendor evaluations.
• Determines the type of procurement method that is in the best interest of strategic projects and WFEC, adhering to WFEC Administrative Procedures, regulation 7 CFR 1726 for construction projects financed by RUS, and 2 CFR Part 200.317-326 when emergency repair and construction may be considered for Federal disaster assistance by FEMA.
• Works with requesters to prequalify prospective bidders according to WFEC and regulatory agency guidelines.
• Awards contracts after bids have been approved by the appropriate authority level; notifies all bidders that a decision was made; and maintains Purchase Order, Contract documents, and correspondence in PeopleSoft.
• Documents contracts by forwarding Purchase Orders to supplier, and documents supplier order acknowledgement.
• Monitors construction and delivery schedules, expediting orders when necessary.
• Develops vendor contract negotiation strategies and serves as the lead in driving contract negotiations to achieve stated goals and objectives, securing commitments on delivery dates, pricing, quantity, as well as other purchase specifications and order acknowledgments from the vendor.
• Prepares all purchasing documents, including Bid Invitations, Purchase Orders, and Contracts, utilizing rate control and risk-reducing terms and conditions to maintain market pricing throughout the contract life cycle.
• Assists Financial Services with invoicing discrepancies by investigating supporting documentation, including RFPs, bids, correspondence, and Bills of Lading.
• Collaborates with requesters to develop assigned spending category analyses.
• Establishes and maintains good vendor relations with suppliers, while reviewing catalogs, industry periodicals, directories, trade journals, internet sites, and consulting with other WFEC engineering, construction, maintenance and corporate department personnel to identify new suppliers of necessary goods and services within Incumbent's assigned spend category.
• Evaluates potential suppliers for their ability to meet WFEC's purchasing needs, quality standards and processes for conformity standards.
• Schedules and coordinates supplier visits as appropriate.
• Monitors and evaluates vendor contract performance to ensure compliance with contractual obligations, referring major problems to appropriate WFEC departments and personnel.
• Fully-utilizes the PeopleSoft purchasing module to input purchasing data, monitor scheduled delivery, as well as document terms and conditions throughout the process.
• Performs Master File maintenance in PeopleSoft, reviews material stock requests to identify and close-out completed requisitions.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level