Buyer Assistant

San Diego Unified School District; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 4,800 - 5,800; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

Bilingual differential (5%)

Job summary

San Diego Unified School District is seeking a Buyer Assistant in San Diego, CA. The role supports the Strategic Sourcing & Contracts Department with contract and PO processing, data gathering, and vendor communications.

The position offers a 40-hour workweek, year-round schedule, and eligibility for district health benefits. Promotional/open posting with internal precedence; bilingual skills may be required and can qualify for a 5% differential.

Qualifications

• Three years of progressively responsible purchasing-clerical experience or other related office-clerical experience.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and process contracts and purchase orders.
• Provide technical support in gathering information and expediting purchase order deliveries.
• Contact district staff and vendors to follow up on contracting issues, overdue, lost, and damaged materials.
• Provide customer service information to internal and external customers.

Job description

Buyer Assistant

San Diego Unified School District Strategic Sourcing and Contracts Department - San Diego, California Open in Google Maps

This job is also posted in San Diego Unified School District Job Opportunities

Job Details

Job ID: 5909136
Application Deadline: Sep 14, 2026 11:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time)
Posted: Aug 31, 2026 7:00 AM (UTC)

Starting Date: To Be Determined

Job Description

The San Diego Unified School District is currently accepting applications for the position of Buyer Assistant. This promotional / open opportunity is open to all interested candidates.

OVERVIEW:

San Diego Unified School District, the second largest district in California and one of the top largest urban school districts in the United States, is looking for professionals who care deeply for students and are committed to the communities in which they serve.

DIVERSITY STATEMENT:

Because each person is born with inherent worth and dignity, and because equitable access and opportunity are essential to a just, educated society, San Diego Unified employee commitments include being respectful of differences and diverse perspectives, and being accountable for one’s actions and the resulting impact.

BASIC FUNCTION:

The Buyer Assistant will perform a variety of specialized clerical duties related to the preparation and processing of contracts and purchase orders, and provide technical support in gathering information and assisting in the expediting of purchase order deliveries; contact district staff and vendors to follow-up on contracting issues, overdue, lost, and damaged materials; and provide customer service information to internal and external customers.

VACANCY / POSITION SPECIFICS:

• Working Location: Strategic Sourcing & Contracts. 2351 Cardinal Lane, Building M
  San Diego, CA, 92123
• The District covers a large portion of San Diego County. Refer to the District Area Map at this Link and make sure to identify any and all specific area(s) you are interested in working in. The area(s) you identify in your application will be used for any future vacancies filled using the eligibility list from this recruitment.
• Work Schedule: 12 months per year /40 hours per week.
• Salary: This position is paid on the OTB Salary Schedule. Grade 036.
• Positions 20 hours per week or greater qualify for District-paid health and wellness benefits for the employee and their eligible dependents.
• Vacancies that require the incumbent to be Bilingual in English/Spanish will be noted. Candidates considered for positions that require bilingual skills will be invited to a Performance Test (Qualifying Only) for oral and written fluency. Bilingual positions qualify for a 5% bilingual differential.

This is a PROMOTIONAL/OPEN opportunity, which means that current monthly salaried employees receive precedence over other candidates on the eligible list. For a promotional/open posting, the top ten internal candidates will be provided unless there is an insufficient number of internal candidates and then the list will be supplemented with the top external candidates to make up the list of ten (Employment Regulations for the Classified Service of the San Diego Unified School District: Article IV, Section 9).

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

Any combination of training, experience, and/or education equivalent to three years of progressively responsible purchasing-clerical experience or other related office-clerical experience.

NOTE: Your related education and experience must be clearly represented in the work history and education section of your application.

Licenses and Other Requirements:

N/A

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Application Process

To be eligible for consideration, interested candidates must submit the following items. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all required information, including completion of the Work Experience and Education Sections of the online application, required attachments, and responses to all application questions.

• Online employment application - A completed online employment application must be submitted/received electronically by the closing date. This application MUST include all required attachments, current and previous employment history and education to evaluate your qualifications, and all other requirements identified in the recruitment and application questions. It is important to note that a resume does not substitute for completing the Work Experience and Education sections. Your application will be considered incomplete if you do not include all relevant details and attachments.
• Paper applications are not accepted.

• Answer all application questions - The application questions should be answered thoroughly, clearly, and concisely as the responses provided (along with the entire application package) will be carefully reviewed to determine which candidates will move forward in the recruitment process.

• Contact information for all previous places of employment where you served in a classified (non-certificated) position must be listed under the 'Employment History' section of the application (Senate Bill 848). As of January 1, 2026, in accordance with SB 848 Education Code section 44051 applicants for classified positions are required by law to provide a complete list of every school district, county office of education, charter school and/or state special school (also known as a Local Education Agency (LEA)) with which you have previously been employed, regardless of the length of service. The District may contact current and former LEAs at any time during the application screening process.
• Contact information for three references must be listed in the 'Reference' section of the application. References should be from a current or previous supervisor. Reference email requests may be sent at any time during the application screening process of this recruitment. These reference requests are not an indication of progression in the recruitment process or an interview opportunity. Written reference letters dated within the last year are also accepted and may be attached to your online application in the Reference Section.

• Attach required documents (PDF format recommended)
  • Attach Verification of Education. Education, training, or certifications will only be considered if acceptable documentation is attached. Accepted documents include: Copy of a degree or official transcript; Copy of Licenses and/or Certifications; Note on Foreign Equivalency Certification. Individuals who have completed high school or college-level coursework at an institution in a country other than the United States must provide a Foreign Equivalency Certification to satisfy the education requirement. A Foreign Equivalency Certification can be obtained for a fee from a professional organization. For more information, including acceptable providers, please see Foreign Transcript Evaluation.
  • Additional Documents (Optional)
    • Cover Letter / Letter of Intent
    • A resume may be attached, but not substituted for completing the work history, education sections, or the additional application questions of the employment application. Providing incomplete responses or answering "See Resume" or "See Application" may automatically disqualify your application from further consideration.
    • Letters of Recommendation
    • Additional documents, if any, may be attached to the online employment application.

Examination Process

The examination process includes an application screening and evaluation based on the applicant's education, work history, and responses to the application questions. Only applicants whose application packet demonstrates a combined education and experience which meets the minimum requirements for the position will be considered qualified and advance in the process. Some positions require applicants to pass additional components which may include one or more of the following: a multiple-choice, oral, written, or performance exam specific to the position. NOTE: Most exams are conducted remotely utilizing an online testing platform. For these exams, access to the internet and the use of a camera-ready desktop/laptop with a microphone is required to participate in these processes.

If you have questions about your application, please email [e-mail].

The San Diego Unified School District communicates information regarding the hiring process via email. Please be aware that the District is not responsible for messages blocked by your email service. In an effort to allow our emails through your personal spam filter, you can try to add the [e-mail] and [e-mail] to your safe senders list.

San Diego Unified School District is committed to equal opportunity for all individuals in education. District programs and activities shall be free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying by reason of the following actual or perceived characteristics: age, ancestry, color, mental or physical disability, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, immigration status, marital or parental status, medical condition, nationality, national origin, actual or perceived sex, sexual orientation, race, religion, or on the basis of a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

For more information about equity in employment, contact: Title II Coordinator & Uniform Complaint Compliance Officer Eric Rico: [phone], [e-mail] / Title IX Coordinator Anna Ward: [phone], [e-mail] / 504 Coordinator Eri Nall: [phone], [e-mail]

Position Type: Full-Time
Salary: $4,757.62 to $5,782.75 Per Month

Contact Information

• San Diego Unified School District Human Resources
• 4100 Normal Street
• San Diego, California 92103
• Phone: [phone]
• Email: jobs@sandi