Assistant Purchasing Director

The Assistant Purchasing Director supports the management of the City’s competitive procurement of supplies, services, materials and equipment for all city departments by soliciting bids, proposals and quotations in compliance with the Massachusetts General Laws and City Ordinances. Employee is required to perform all similar or related duties.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.  Essential Functions of the Assistant Purchasing Director fall under two main categories: Operations and Policy.

Operations

• Manages daily operations in the Purchasing Department in coordination with Purchasing Director.
• Manages and maintains data systems for incoming procurement requests, contracts (including contract expiration tracking) and purchase orders (departmental spend analysis, etc.).
• Manages Excel-based tracking systems, prepares reports and presents data related to procurement activities to Purchasing staff and city departments to inform decision-making.
• Administers daily operation of MUNIS contract database and purchasing requisition module.
• Reviews and verifies compliance of requisitions prior to generating purchase orders.
• Manages the fiscal-year-end process for the Purchasing Department, including working with relevant staff in Purchasing and other departments to ensure all requisitions, purchase orders and contracts in MUNIS are ready for year-end close.
• Communicates routinely with Auditing Department staff and departmental finance managers to improve operational efficiency and to identify and troubleshoot potential compliance issues.
• Identifies opportunities for operational improvements as part of continuous improvement goals of the Purchasing Department.
• Solicits bids, proposals and quotations for various departments to procure supplies and services, including design and construction services.
• Obtains, reviews and evaluates competitive prices and quotations.
• Assists in the negotiation, awarding and drafting of contracts, renewals and amendments, working with lawyers, internal customers and vendors.
• Prepares and coordinates bid documents, including public notices to bidders, instructions to bidders, price proposal forms, and criteria for evaluation of proposals.
• Works with departments to develop specifications for bids and contracts.
• Interacts with vendors in pre- and post-award phases, and to facilitate compliant procurement practices.
• Develops and maintains procurement-related records, such as bid solicitation documents, prospective bidders’ lists, documentation of proposal evaluations, notices of award, and contracts.
• Participates in other high-priority City-wide efforts and projects as needed.

Policy

• Assists in routinely updating purchasing policies and procedures.
• Leads in the development and implementation of policies and procedures in close coordination with Purchasing Director in the priority areas of supplier diversity and sustainable purchasing. 
• Prepares informational and training materials for key procurement and contracting policies and procedures.
• Provides support with City-wide training efforts, including the development and roll-out of procurement resources and materials.

Recommended Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience: Bachelor’s Degree and five (5) years of experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Master’s Degree strongly preferred.

Special Requirements

MCPPO (Massachusetts Certified Public Purchasing Official) certification within six (6) months of appointment.  Must maintain MCPPO certification throughout tenure in this role.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Knowledge and experience with public purchasing, procurement and contracting; knowledge of MS Office and Google suite, including advanced knowledge of Excel (pivot tables, Vlookup and other programming); knowledge and experience with MUNIS or similar financial databases. SmartSheet experience a plus.

Abilities: Problem solving ability; excellent writing ability including the ability to develop performance standards and measures.  Demonstrated ability to train colleagues in various procurement and contracting functions.

Skill: Administrative skills including ability to organize large amounts of paperwork and data. Outstanding interpersonal skills.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements.  Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.  Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.  During the COVID-19 related shutdown of City buildings, employees may be expected to work remotely or in the office. Must comply with applicable state and local safety precautions while performing work duties, including wearing personal protective equipment and practicing appropriate social distancing.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills

Few physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing.  May also be some occasional lifting of objects such as office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills

Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone, personal computer and/or most other office equipment including word processing, filing and sorting of papers.

Visual Skills

Visual demands require constantly reading documents for general understanding and analytical purposes.

Send your resume and cover letter by September 4, 2020 to:

City Hall Personnel Office
93 Highland Avenue
Somerville MA 02143
Fax: 617-666-4426
TTY: 1-866-808-4851
Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Individuals with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication, written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures, in order to access the programs and activities of the City of Somerville or to attend meetings, should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Nency Salamoun, at 617-625-6600 x2323 or NSalamoun@somervillema.gov.