BUYER/STORES SUPERVISOR

Class specifications are intended to present a descriptive list of the range of duties performed by employees in the class. Specifications are not intended to reflect all duties performed within the job.

SUMMARY DESCRIPTION

Under general supervision of the Buyer/Stores Supervisor, performs a variety of professional and technical purchasing duties such as purchasing a variety of items for equipment, materials, and supplies used in a governmental agency; participates in and supervises the operation of city stores and warehouse facility; performs technical and manual storekeeping functions; maintains computerized inventory and related records, and other related work as required.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

• Schedules, prioritizes, assigns, supervises, and reviews staff’s responsibility for maintaining inventory, warehousing, and material handling duties.
• Participates in the development of goals and objectives as well as policies and procedures to ensure the cost effective operation of city stores and warehouse facilities; makes recommendations for changes and improvements to existing inventory procedures.
• Works well under extreme pressure with frequent interruptions and critical time deadlines; attends and participates in professional group meetings.
• Purchases a variety of items and commodities for city departments in accordance with the standard procurement policies and procedures.
• Interviews vendors, reviews catalogs, and other procurement resources to secure competitive quotes; establishes and maintains effective working relationship with vendors, city personnel, and the public; solicits requests for quotes from vendors, ensures quotes are responsive, prepares analysis, negotiates and issues purchase order to award the quotes; ensure vendors are in compliance with delivery dates and other terms of their contracts and purchase orders.
• Reviews requests for proposals for annual contracts, ensures proposals are responsive, prepares analysis, negotiates and issues purchase orders to award proposals.
• Utilizes various computer software to create spreadsheets reports; creates documents using word processing software.
• Utilizes online PeopleSoft Procurement System to enter data and general online purchase requisitions into purchase orders for completeness; consolidates purchases when possible to increase the possibilities of quantity discount purchases; fill supply orders of stocked items to counter customers; processes reports for weekly delivery orders to off-site locations such as city hall and other city locations as required.
• Monitors staff’s work activities to ensure compliance with city’s policies and procedures.
• Receives, inspects, and monitors the accumulation of surplus property to be disposed or auctioned.
• Researches, identifies, and resolves inventory discrepancies between physical count and inventory control data.
• Participates in the preparation of inventory’s budget; monitors expenditures; submits annual budget recommendations to the Purchasing Supervisor.
• Prepares city stores and warehouse for annual inventory audit; prepares and maintains a variety of inventory records and reports.
• Receives and accepts delivery of equipment, materials, and supplies; inspects items received for damages; verifies quantities of items received against purchase orders or packing slips; notifies departments when their items arrive.
• Operates gas and electric forklift, pallet jack, and other light motor equipment in order to pick up, delivery, or move warehouse stock.
• Operates standard office equipment including a personal computer, fax machine, copier, printer, and adding machine.
• Prepares written performance evaluation for assigned staff.
• Assists the Purchasing Supervisor in daily responsibilities; acts as the Purchasing Supervisor in their absence.
• Performs related duties as required.

QUALIFICATIONS

The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• Principles and common purchasing practices and legal terminology.
• Vendor practices of pricing, shipping, and invoicing.
• Principles of storekeeping and inventory methods and procedures.
• Warehousing and distribution of equipment, materials, and supplies.
• Shipping and receiving practices, procedures, and terminology.
• Technical purchasing, mathematical and accounting principles and practices used in complex financial record keeping and reporting.
• Operations, services, and activities related to purchasing and warehouse operations.
• Pertinent federal, state, and local codes, laws, and regulations.
• Principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation.
• Basic principles and practices of municipal budget preparation and administration.
• Principles of business letter writing.
• Computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and statistical databases.
• Principles and practices of customer service.
• Usage of the English language for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
• Occupational hazards and standard safety practices.

Ability to:

• Perform a full range of difficult and complex technical purchasing and warehousing duties involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative.
• Understand the procurement operations and services of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Understand, interpret, apply, and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Understand, interpret, apply, and ensure compliance with administrative and departmental policies and procedures.
• Plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines.
• Supervise, organize, and review the work of staff.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationship with vendors, city personnel, and the public.
• Work under extreme pressure with frequent interruptions and critical time deadlines.
• Participate in the preparation of inventory’s budget; monitor expenditures; submit annual budget recommendations to the Purchasing Supervisor.
• Prepare city stores and warehouse for annual inventory audit; prepare and maintain a variety of inventory records and reports.
• Research, identify, and resolve inventory discrepancies between physical count and inventory control data.
• Perform basic mathematical calculations with speed and accuracy.
• Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and other applications.
• Effectively represent the City to outside individuals and agencies to accomplish the goals and objectives of the department.
• Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the cultural diversity of the community.
• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training: Equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by college level course work in purchasing and inventory related fields.

Experience: Four years of experience in purchasing a wide variety of supplies, materials, and equipment, and include inventory responsibilIties.  One year of supervisory experience required.

License or Certificate - Possession of a valid Class “C” California driver’s license.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT

The conditions herein 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 essential job functions.

Environment: Exposure to humidity, extreme heat and cold of open warehouse; CONSTANT exposure tofumes and odors of gasoline, solvents and cleaning compounds; dust; toxic substances of solvents and chemicals; temperature swings from office to warehouse and outdoors; mechanical hazards of forklift and other equipment; FREQUENT chemical hazards of batteries, cleaning compounds, flares andsolvents.  Work hours are 80-hour pay periods with scheduled breaks and lunch period.   Overtime may be required infrequently due to workload.  Work setting is informal, both team and autonomy oriented, having both routine and variable tasks in a sometimes fast-paced and pressured environment. 
Work is performed indoors and outdoors, on the ground and in high, exposed areas. .

Physical: CONTINUOUS lift, carrying, pushing and pulling of objects weighing up to 10 lbs.; sitting; walking; standing; bending and stooping; squatting; climbing; kneeling; balancing; crouching; reaching at and above shoulder height; pushing/pulling; twisting at waist; upward and downward flexion of neck; side-to-side turning of neck.  FREQUENT lifting/handling, carrying, pushing and pulling of objects weighing up to 25 lbs.; OCCASIONAL lifting/handling of objects weighing up to 100 lbs.; fine finger dexterity and light to moderate finger pressure to manipulate a computer keyboard and adding machine; grasp to hold/carry boxes and operate forklift; pinch/grasp to file and manipulate writing materials.

Vision:  See in the normal visual range with or without correction to perform visual inspections; clerical duties; and receiving, inspecting and storing of items. Vision sufficient to operate equipment, read computer screens, order, inventory records, receipts, reports and other printed material. 

Hearing:  Hear in the normal audio range with or without accommodation. 

Revised: December 2012
JP/Department