Buyer I/II

County of Santa Barbar; Santa Barbara (CA); On-site; USD 68,000 - 81,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement reciprocity

Advanced vacation accrual credit

Job summary

County of Santa Barbara seeks a Buyer I/II in Santa Barbara to solicit bids, negotiate for goods and services, and manage contracts for county departments and other public agencies.

The role requires proficiency in purchasing policies, bid evaluations, and strong communication, analytical, and project management skills. Excellent teamwork and customer service abilities are essential.

Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college with major coursework in purchasing, materials management, supply chain management, business administration, public administration or another closely-related field.
• Two or more years of professional experience in quantity buying for a public agency and/or large private organization.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to convey information clearly and concisely to help others understand objectives and priorities.
• Analytical skills and the ability to assess problems, secure relevant policy information, develop options and make recommendations.
• Strong project management skills.
• Ability to work well in a team environment and contribute positively.
• Ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with diverse people.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and professionalism with managers, executives, staff, vendors and regulators.
• Strong customer service skills and experience working with the public.
• Knowledge of basic supply chain, procurement principles, and government contracting concepts.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize work, and meet deadlines.
• Experience with Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access.

Responsibilities

• Solicits bids and negotiates for the purchase of supplies, equipment, and services for County departments and other public agencies.
• Keeps records, maintains data and prepares reports using office automation software.
• Groups purchases to secure price advantages and drafts specifications; solicits bids and evaluates quotations.
• Assesses product quality, selects vendors, renews contracts, and handles adjustments and follow-ups on deliveries.
• Converse with departmental representatives to determine needs and arrange demonstrations.

Skills

Verbal communication

Written communication

Analytical thinking

Project management

Teamwork

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

PowerPoint

Access

Education

Bachelor's degree in purchasing or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

PowerPoint

Access

Job description

Buyer I Salary

$32.77- $39.12 Hourly

Buyer II Salary

$38.08 - $45.60 Hourly

We are accepting applications to fill one (1) full-time Buyer I/II position located in Santa Barbara for the General Services Department.

We are also accepting applications to establish one employment list to fill current and future Buyer I/II vacancies. Please be sure to select all of the locations you are willing to accept employment for current and future vacancies.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Buyer I/II is a flexibly staffed series. Buyer I is distinguished from Buyer II in that the latter prepares and analyzes more complex and higher profile contracts, and works with relative independence within established guidelines.

Candidate may be appointed at the I or II level, depending on the candidate’s qualifications and the needs of the department.

Benefits

The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits.

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

The Position

Under direction of the Chief Procurement Officer or designee, solicits bids and negotiates for the purchase of supplies, equipment, and services for County departments and other public agencies; and performs related duties as required.

Ideal Candidate

The IDEAL CANDIDATE will have:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college with major coursework in purchasing, materials management, supply chain management, business administration, public administration or another closely-related field;
• Two or more years of professional experience in quantity buying for a public agency and/or large private organization;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and the ability to convey information in a clear, concise, organized and relevant manner to help others understand objectives and priorities;
• Analytical skills and the ability to assess problems, secure relevant policy information, identify possible causes, develop options for solutions, and make logical recommendations;
• Strong project management skills;
• Ability to work well in a team environment, making positive contributions and assisting others as necessary;
• Ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with diverse people;
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work professionally with managers, executives, operations staff, other agencies, vendors, and regulators;
• Strong customer service skills and experience working with the public;
• Knowledge of the basic principles of supply chain, procurement materials, best value procurement, and/or environmental green building;
• Ability to work independently, prioritize work, keep records organized accordingly and meet critical deadlines;
• Professional experience using Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access;
• Experience using numerous computerized data software management systems.

• Analyzes market conditions; keeps abreast of trends; explores sources of supply; studies new products; and researches departments’ requests for all products and commodities.
• Confers with departmental representatives to determine specific needs, arranges for demonstrations, and distributes literature and samples.
• Processes requisitions; groups purchases to secure price advantages of quantity buying; composes and edits specifications; solicits formal bids in accordance with standard procedures and solicits informal bids by telephone, FAX, or personal contact; and compares and analyzes price quotations.
• Studies quality of products; determines vendor from whom purchases will be made; places orders; negotiates and renews contracts; investigates complaints and secures adjustments; follows up on deliveries.
• Maintains data and prepares reports using office automation software.

• One year of experience in the field of quantity buying, for a public agency or large private company, of end items such as services, supplies, and equipment; OR,
• One year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Buyer’s Assistant with Santa Barbara County; OR,
• A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

Knowledge of

standard business English; principles and practices of purchasing, including ethics, Internet research, standards, bid preparation and evaluation, competitive bidding procedures, quality control, inventory standards and control; data collection techniques for establishing sources of supply, product, and vendor information; market research techniques; general law of contracts; office procedures and office automation software (word processing, database management).

Ability to

conduct studies, analyze and evaluate data, and make recommendations and decisions; prepare and present written or oral reports; reproduce established bids; learn to prepare and evaluate new bids; learn practices and principles of government contracting; perform arithmetic calculations, such as calculating interest, discounts, and shipping charges; use common units of measure; maintain an effective liaison with vendors, management, staff, and co-workers; use personal computer.

Additional Requirements

Possession of a valid California Class C Driver’s License may be required.

Application & Selection Process

• Review application and supplemental questionnaires to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.
• Application Ranking:Applications that meet the employment standards will be evaluated and scored. Candidates’ final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by the information provided on their application. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than eleven (11) qualified candidates.

Applicants must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Application Ranking assessment to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s) and exact duration of the employment list.

Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e‑mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

Conditional Offer

Appointee will be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Reasonable Accommodations

The County of Santa Barbara is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants. Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter listed on the job posting. We require verification of needed accommodation from a professional source, such as a Medical Provider or a learning institution.

Disaster Service Worker

Pursuant to Governmental Code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities as may be assigned to them by their superiors or by law.

Live Scan

Electronic fingerprint scanning may be required for some positions.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The County of Santa Barbara provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination, harassment, and retaliation of any type with regard to any characteristic or status protected by any federal law, state law, or Santa Barbara County ordinance. The County continues to be committed to a merit-based selection process and to eliminating barriers to attracting and retaining top qualified candidates. The County has a long-standing practice of providing a work environment that respects the dignity of individual employees and values their contributions to our organization

Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Deadline

Friday, September 11, 2026 at 4:59 pm PST; Postmarks not accepted.

Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.