Head Start - Purchasing Specialist

Crystal Stairs, Inc.

Improving the Lives of Families through

Child Care Services, Research, and Advocacy

Crystal Stairs is committed to building and sustaining a diverse, fully vaccinated workforce and culture. As part of this commitment, Crystal Stairs does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of activities or operations.

Head Start - Purchasing Specialist

Location: Los Angeles, 90056

Job Overview

Under the direction of the Operations Coordinator, the Head StartPurchasing Specialist will be responsible for all purchasing activities, including processing supply requests, sourcing vendors, making purchases, assisting in the preparation, review, and analysis of RFP and RFQs including making awards recommendations. Assist in maintenance and management of agency asset collection reports.

Responsibilities

1. Procure goods and services within an office environment in accordance with the quality, quantity, and delivery requirements of the requisitioning department
2. Understand and follow agency policies and procedures, and governmental procurement guidelines
3. Works diligently to secure competitive bids as required to support agency quote requirements
4. Reviews market data to analyze and negotiate prices, evaluate vendors, identify methods of reducing costs, supervision of supply sources, and recommend, when appropriate, changes in products or vendors
5. Ensure compliance with bid and contract specifications
6. Liaise with the Fiscal department to provide required supporting documentation for all procurement transactions to ensure payments are timely and 100% audit-ready
7. Assist Operations Coordinator in maintaining a qualified and preferred vendor list
8. Collect information on and produce tracking reports of supply orders and vendor spending as needed
9. Assist Operations Coordinator by developing Scope of Work for RFP and RFQs, preparing, distributing, collecting, and analyzing responses from vendors, and making recommendations to stakeholders
10. Assist Operations Coordinator in drafting and assessing service agreements with vendors, perform numerical analyses to compare vendors, and check references as needed
11. Assist in reconciling FAS (Fiscal Asset Schedule) and PAT (Purchasing Asset Tracking) reports, correctly assigning service and merchandise costs to program funds, and ensuring asset data is collected and recorded in a timely manner
12. Assist Purchasing Supervisor in providing procurement training to agency staff as needed
13. Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications for Head StartPurchasing Specialist

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university is preferred; related work experience in purchasing may be substituted for college-level education
• Minimum of 3 - 5 years of experience in a purchasing environment as a buyer or specialist.
• Intermediate computer skills with proficiency in MS Word and Excel
• Knowledge of purchasing methods, principles, and practices.
• Knowledge of government regulations preferred
• Knowledge of purchasing and inventory control processes preferred
• Requires strong problem-solving and follow-up skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and juggle priorities to meet tight deadlines.
• Must have strong written communication skills
• Must have strong multi-tasking and organization skills
• Requires excellent customer relations skills and is able to communicate effectively with diverse individuals and groups

Total Package of Benefits

• Medical/ Dental/ Vision - 95% covered by employer
• 401k Matching Options
• Flex Spending
• Pre-paid Legal Services
• Sick and Vacation Time
• Paid Holidays and Winter Break
• Opportunity for Growth and Development
• Robust Learning Management System offering the following continuing education units: PDC, HRCI, CEU, CPE, PDU, SHRM

Crystal Stairs, Inc. is committed to building and sustaining a fully vaccinated, diverse workforce and culture. As part of this commitment, Crystal Stairs, Inc. provides equal opportunity in all of our employment practices, including selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation, to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, color, medical condition as defined by state law, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic group identification, mental or physical disability, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other legally protected status.

Additional Requirements: Must be fully vaccinated and remain fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Per the CDC, fully vaccinated means at least 2 weeks after (1) a second dose in a 2-dose series, or (2) a single-dose vaccine, and this status and definition applies to COVID-19 vaccines currently authorized for emergency use or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

For more information about Crystal Stairs, please visit our website at: www.crystalstairs.org