PURCHASING SPECIALIST - 64001673

State of Florida • Fort Walton Beach, FL

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position involves highly responsible purchasing and administrative work for the Finance & Accounting Section (F&A) in the Okaloosa County Health Department (OCHD). Position requires initiative and sound judgement and the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with Central Office and OCHD staff in the performance of duties.

Serves as Purchasing Champion for OCHD and liaison between the CHD and Central Purchasing Office. Provides and disseminates information provided by Central Purchasing to local purchasing staff and leadership. Maintains comprehensive knowledge of State and County purchasing requirements to ensure compliance. Participates in developing, reviewing and maintaining local purchasing procedures, ensuring alignment with current Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and Central Purchasing policies and procedures.

Serves as final local approver of all purchasing activities, including the acquisition of standard and specialized commodities, services and equipment. Performs high level purchasing activities including but not limited to contract exceptions, Sole Source designations and formal solicitations.

Assists local purchasing staff navigate through State Term Contracts and other purchasing sources, determine the appropriate method of procurement, obtain quotes, resolve issues with vendors and otherwise assist with purchasing activities as needed. Provides training and guidance to local purchasing staff and ensures staff involved in purchasing activities complete and maintain all state and locally required training. Maintains all purchasing-related files, guidance and training documents, and other resources utilized by F&A and local purchasing staff.

Coordinates local user access needs and serves as the local subject matter expert for state procurement systems. Tracks and maintains all local purchasing approval flows/thresholds.

Administrative and Clerical:

Extracts and compiles data from various sources, verifies amounts, and resolves discrepancies.
Participates in Quality Improvement initiatives, including development and implementation of data collection methods.
Process incoming mail and deliveries.

Serves as local Purchasing Card (P-Card) Champion and liaison between the CHD and Central Office Purchasing Card Administration. Maintains comprehensive knowledge of State P-Card requirements. Participates in developing, reviewing and maintaining local purchasing procedures, ensuring alignment with current FDOH and Central Office P-Card Administration policies and procedures.

Provides training and guidance to local P-Card holders and ensures staff involved in purchasing activities complete and maintain all state and locally required training. 

Processes requests to establish new P-Card holders and cardholder profile updates for commodity and limit changes as needed.  Maintains database of all active P-Cardholders including limits, commodity type and training completion dates. Monitors aging reports daily and follows up with local cardholders to assist with resolving vendor disputes and other issues that would detrimentally affect timely approval. Serves as local point of contact for filing charge disputes and intervenes with vendors on behalf of cardholders to ensure all options for resolution have been exhausted before disputes are filed. Notifies Central Office P-Card Administration and the local FLAIR custodian separating employees in a timely manner and follows established procedures to secure and destroy P-Cards.

Provides support and coverage for all other F&A functions as needed.
Performs all other duties as assigned in support of the Agency’s mission and vision.

Requirements

• Ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing
• Knowledge of best practices in working with confidential and/or sensitive information
• Ability to interpret and/or disseminate policies, procedures, or other official communication to a variety of audiences
• Work experience utilizing Microsoft Office applications required (i.e., Outlook, Excel, Word, Teams)
• Experience working in an administrative, clerical or fiscal role

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of purchasing practices, policies and systems preferred

Responsibilities

• Serves as Purchasing Champion for OCHD and liaison between the CHD and Central Purchasing Office.
• Provides and disseminates information provided by Central Purchasing to local purchasing staff and leadership.
• Maintains comprehensive knowledge of State and County purchasing requirements to ensure compliance.
• Participates in developing, reviewing and maintaining local purchasing procedures, ensuring alignment with current Florida Department of Health (FDOH) and Central Purchasing policies and procedures.
• Serves as final local approver of all purchasing activities, including the acquisition of standard and specialized commodities, services and equipment.
• Performs high level purchasing activities including but not limited to contract exceptions, Sole Source designations and formal solicitations.
• Assists local purchasing staff navigate through State Term Contracts and other purchasing sources, determine the appropriate method of procurement, obtain quotes, resolve issues with vendors and otherwise assist with purchasing activities as needed.
• Provides training and guidance to local purchasing staff and ensures staff involved in purchasing activities complete and maintain all state and locally required training.
• Maintains all purchasing-related files, guidance and training documents, and other resources utilized by F&A and local purchasing staff.
• Coordinates local user access needs and serves as the local subject matter expert for state procurement systems.
• Tracks and maintains all local purchasing approval flows/thresholds.
• Extracts and compiles data from various sources, verifies amounts, and resolves discrepancies.
• Participates in Quality Improvement initiatives, including development and implementation of data collection methods.
• Process incoming mail and deliveries.
• Serves as local Purchasing Card (P-Card) Champion and liaison between the CHD and Central Office Purchasing Card Administration.
• Maintains comprehensive knowledge of State P-Card requirements.
• Participates in developing, reviewing and maintaining local purchasing procedures, ensuring alignment with current FDOH and Central Office P-Card Administration policies and procedures.
• Provides training and guidance to local P-Card holders and ensures staff involved in purchasing activities complete and maintain all state and locally required training.
• Processes requests to establish new P-Card holders and cardholder profile updates for commodity and limit changes as needed.
• Maintains database of all active P-Cardholders including limits, commodity type and training completion dates.
• Monitors aging reports daily and follows up with local cardholders to assist with resolving vendor disputes and other issues that would detrimentally affect timely approval.
• Serves as local point of contact for filing charge disputes and intervenes with vendors on behalf of cardholders to ensure all options for resolution have been exhausted before disputes are filed.
• Notifies Central Office P-Card Administration and the local FLAIR custodian separating employees in a timely manner and follows established procedures to secure and destroy P-Cards.
• Provides support and coverage for all other F&A functions as needed.
• Performs all other duties as assigned in support of the Agency’s mission and vision.

Benefits

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed