Purchasing Associate

Position Type:
Secretarial/Clerical/Purchasing
Date Posted:
1/22/2024
Location:
Central Office- 191 South East St.
Date Available:
ASAP
Closing Date:
01/30/2024Work Year Calendar and Hours

• 12-month position (260 days / year), 7 hours per day
• Daily work hours: TBD

For more information about employee benefits please go to: www.fcps.org/benefits
Salary

• Support Salary Grade S10: $25.26 per hour; starting

Under the Fair Labor and Standards Act this position is non-exempt from overtime. Actual salary placement will be in accordance with the salary procedures of the Frederick County Public School System.
Role
The Purchasing Associate position renders administrative assistance to all members of the Purchasing staff for a variety of functions as they are relevant to the assignment. This position requires a high level of analytical and communication skills and experience.
Essential Functions
Reporting directly to the Assistant Purchasing Manager, the Purchasing Associate performs the following duties:

• Uses experience and judgment to resolve problems and prioritize work on behalf of the office.
• Maintains proficiency in the use of technology to meet administrative needs.
• Composes, proofreads, and edits diversified correspondence and communications both internally and externally.
• Maintains all financial, MBE, construction, and expense records required to support document retention.
• Prepares materials for meetings, conferences, and workshops.
• Maintains and updated the online bid calendar.
• Assists in the preparation of bid/RFP documentation.
• Posts notices of bid/RFP solicitations and awards to the State of Maryland procurement website.
• Posts bid/RFP solicitations to the Purchasing department online solicitation website.
• Prepares and processes bid/RFP tabulations.
• Completes reference checks for bids/RFPs.
• Maintains a high level of confidentiality.
• Performs the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.
• Regular and predictable attendance.
• Additional Essential Functions may include, but not limited to, the following:
  • Provides backup support to the departmental Executive Secretary.
  • Maintains all construction and MBE data reporting to the State GOMA and PSC.
  • Maintains and updates the Furniture and Equipment lists for new and refurbished schools.
  • Manages the distribution of purchase orders in the financial ERP.
    • Sources requisitions into purchase orders;
    • Verifies all purchase orders have been created;
    • Corresponds with internal and external customers in regards to PO status, resending Pos if necessary;
    • Cancels purchase orders when necessary.
  • Processes change orders to purchase orders in the financial ERP.
  • Maintains supplier database in the financial ERP.
    • Adds/removes suppliers;
    • Tracks supplier W9 forms to insure validity
    • Corresponds with internal and external customers to keep business/payment addresses current
    • Maintains records of 1099 suppliers for year-end tax reporting.
  • Researches suppliers to ensure compliance with State debarment policies.
  • Maintains Microsoft Licensing Agreements
  • Maintains Interprets database.
  • Enter and process vouchers and expenses in the financial ERP.
  • Enter and process utility invoices with in the financial ERP.
  • Track cost avoidances on utility invoices.
  • Run reports to monitor expense vouchers.
  • Inputs and approves expense requests.
  • Acts as the final approver for all FCPS expense reimbursements
  • Monitors OPIS pricing to correctly identify pricing on heating oil and propane invoices.
  • Review utility invoices for correctness and corresponds with vendors for corrections, if needed.
  • Enters expense reimbursements for department staff.
  • Maintains and updates the Furniture and Equipment lists for new and refurbished schools.

Required Qualifications
Education/Training/Experience

• High school diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.)
• Five (5) years of secretarial/administrative experience.

Certification/License:
None.
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Ability to interact with the public and Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) staff professionally, with a positive attitude and in a spirit of cooperation and collaboration.
• Demonstrated technological expertise, including proficiency in Microsoft Office applications.
• Knowledge and use of culturally responsive practices.
• Must be capable of cross training
• Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely in oral and written form.
• Demonstrated evidence of continuous professional growth.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and maintain flexibility.
• Demonstrated strong human relations skills.
• Demonstrated proficiency in business math.
• Demonstrated proofreading proficiency.

Physical Requirements (required for all tiers)

• Irregular hours during designated times.
• Ability to speak in an understandable voice with sufficient volume to be heard in normal conversation and on the telephone and in addressing groups.
• Ability to travel to school and other local locations, as well as state meetings, sometimes with little notice.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress.
• Ability to spend long hours sitting.
• Ability to reach with hands and arms.
• Sufficient manual dexterity to grasp, handle, manipulate, and/or feel objects and use office technology.
• Sufficient mobility to move about the work area.
• Sufficient vision to read and comprehend printed materials, see distant objects with clarity, and identify and distinguish objects.
• Sufficient hearing to hear and comprehend conversations in person and on the telephone, as well as distinguish sounds up to twenty (20) feet.
• Occasionally climb or balance.
• Occasionally stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally lift fifteen (15) pounds.

Work Environment
Moderate noise (examples: office environment with computers, printers, and telephones; regular conversations within offices, cubicles, hallways, and conference rooms; meetings one-on-one, in small groups, and large settings, etc.).
Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience working in a Purchasing environment.
• Working knowledge of the general organization and functions of the major units of FCPS.
• Familiarity with the FCPS policies, goals and programs.

FREDERICK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER
THIS JOB DESCRIPTION HAS BEEN WRITTEN TO INDICATE THE GENERAL NATURE AND LEVEL OF WORK PERFORMED BY AN EMPLOYEE HOLDING THIS POSITION. IT IS NOT WRITTEN TO INCLUDE OR BE INTERPRETED TO INCLUDE A COMPREHENSIVE INVENTORY OF ALL DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, AND QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED OF THE EMPLOYEE. NOTHING IN THIS DESCRIPTION RESTRICTS MANAGEMENT'S RIGHT TO ASSIGN OR REASSIGN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OR ADD REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AT ANY TIME.