General Description of Class
The BUYER 3, located in the centralized purchasing department of a college or university, procures scientific, medical, dental, and highly technical equipment for a college or university and procures items involving large amounts of money, in addition to routine purchases of services and supplies.
Distinguishing Features
This is the third of a three-level series and is distinguished from the lower levels by the purchasing of highly technical and sophisticated equipment and supplies with rapidly changing technological advances requiring vendor and product research and the writing and review of detailed bid specifications and the absence of close supervision.
Duties and Responsibilities
1. Problem Solving. Typical tasks: analyzes potential problems and or conflicts with users and vendors and develops resolutions to problems or conflicts; assists lower level buyers with problems; resolves shipping, receiving and billing discrepancies with users/vendors; negotiates returns and allowances; expedites orders, reschedules deliveries, cancels, and renegotiates orders.
2. Bid Specification and Contract Writing. Typical tasks: assists departments in determining specifications; writes specifications for complex medical, scientific and highly technical products; reviews department purchase requests to determine if dollar amount of items to be purchased falls within delegated authority given by General Services; if within delegated authority obtains competitive bids by telephone or mail, evaluates bid responses for compliance to administrative requirements; refers summary of response to department for approval of product specifications, awards bid in accordance with Attorney General's Model Rules, resolves vendor complaints that may arise about the bid and award process; if dollar amount of items exceeds delegated authority the Buyer 3 negotiates and writes bid specifications and contracts and submits both to General Services for bidding, coordinates review of bid responses and approval of bid awards.
3. Purchasing. Typical tasks: consults with agency product users to determine specifications, order quantities, alternative materials, samples, lead times, and cost trends of desired equipment; conducts analysis on lease options versus purchase options; locates, evaluates, and selects sources of supply; analyzes purchase requisitions submitted by the departments for accuracy and processes these requisitions according to agency and Department of General Services rules and regulations; maintains catalog and price lists and price agreements ; maintains purchasing policy and procedures manuals.
4. Training. Typical tasks: assist with training of Buyer l's and 2's; assist with training department personnel in proper purchasing methods.
The Buyer 3 makes decisions concerning legal aspects of purchasing as well as the cost, quality and availability of goods and services. This can substantially impact the agency's budget and ability to fulfill it's mission.
Relationships with Others
Employees in this class are in regular telephone and in person contact with customer representatives to obtain technical information and assistance regarding equipment, with vendors to place purchase orders, receive competitive bids, and resolve billing problems, with departmental employees to determine purchasing and equipment needs/requirements, and with the Department of General Services to establish price agreements and to exchange information about bids and purchasing procedures.
Supervision Received
Employees in this class receive general supervision from an administrative superior through a random audit of purchase orders, bids and contracts for completeness, accuracy, and compliance with purchasing rules and regulations. Work performed by employees in this class must also comply with state and federal purchasing regulations, agency buyers handbook, General Services regulations and policies, and agency purchasing procedures.
Minimum Qualifications
- Three years of purchasing experience which must include using purchasing practices, procedures, and techniques such as determining specifications, placing purchase orders, and processing requisitions; AND
- A Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a closely-related field or three more years of relevant experience.