Lead Buyer Specialist

Virginia Community Colleges; Virginia (MN); Remote; USD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

Virginia Community Colleges seeks a Lead Buyer Specialist to guide a regional procurement team and manage purchases for 23 colleges and the Shared Services Center. This role emphasizes compliance, efficiency, and customer service in a dynamic state system.

The position reports to the Purchasing Supervisor and focuses on workload assignments, process improvements, and escalation handling to maximize student-focused outcomes while ensuring adherence to policies.

Qualifications

• Ability to execute simple to moderately complex purchases of supplies, equipment, and services.
• Proficiently use automated procurement systems (e-procurement) to review and process requisitions through to a purchase order and acknowledgment.
• Analyze quotes, bids and make appropriate purchasing decisions.
• Fully manage procurement process from need through purchase order, including order status and invoicing discrepancies.
• Exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and attend to detail in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Provide exceptional customer service to internal and external customers in a professional manner.

Responsibilities

• Receives demand signals and purchases goods and services up to the small purchase threshold.
• Ensures all purchases are performed accurately, timely and per state laws, policies, and VCCS rules.
• Employs best practices to improve performance, compliance, efficiency and effectiveness.
• Acts as a lead for the respective region to assign workload and be an escalation point.

Skills

Purchasing

Vendor outreach

Procurement systems

MS Office

Customer service

Leadership

Education

Virginia Contracting Associate (VCA) certification

Tools

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth's Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly called a Certificate of Disability) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans may also apply via the AHP if they also provide an AHP Letter. To request an AHP Letter, use this link: https://www.dars.virginia.gov/drs/cpid/PWContact.aspx or call DARS at 800-552-5019, or DBVI at 800-622-2155

Posting Summary

Working Title

Working Title Lead Buyer Specialist

Role Title

Role Title Procurement Officer I

Role Code

Role Code 19151-SW

FLSA

FLSA Exempt

Pay Band

Pay Band 04

Position Number

Position Number 27000344

Agency

Agency VCCS-Shared Services Center

Division

Division Shared Services Center (Div)

Work Location

Work Location Botetourt - 023

Hiring Range

Hiring Range $55,000-$62,000

Emergency/Essential Personnel No

EEO Category

Full Time or Part Time

Full Time or Part Time Full Time

Does this position have telework options? -Telework options are subject to change based on business needs-

Does this position have telework options? -Telework options are subject to change based on business needs- Yes

Does this position have a bilingual or multilingual skill requirement or preference?

Does this position have a bilingual or multilingual skill requirement or preference? No

Work Schedule

Monday-Friday
8am-5pm

Sensitive Position

Sensitive Position No

Job Description

Innovation allows an organization to make the most of every dollar spent. At Virginia’s Community Colleges System ( VCCS ), our compelling mission, our ambitious strategic plan and our fiscal realities challenge us to ensure that community college resources are maximized for the priority of student success and credential completion.

Nestled between the Blue Ridge and Appalachian Mountains, the VCCS Shared Services Center is centrally located to all 23 colleges in the VCCS , 43 miles from Blacksburg, VA, and a four-hour drive from Washington, D.C. A vital part of the ever-growing Roanoke Valley, Daleville is a haven for tourists and residents alike. Within an hour’s drive are the breathtaking Smith Mountain Lake, world-famous Appalachian Trail, and many other outdoor activities, including golfing, biking, and hiking. The thriving Historic City Market in downtown Roanoke and the Daleville Town Center and Performance Pavilion also host farmers markets, community and cultural events, and festivals throughout the year.

The VCCS Shared Services Center is an innovation strategy to advance the priority of student success, reduce the administrative burden on individual colleges, consolidate transaction-based functions, create economies of scale, and improve backroom process efficiency. This work allows the VCCS to better focus resources on the students – helping them start their educational journeys, persist, and succeed.

Under the direction of the Purchasing Supervisor the Lead Buyer Specialist will guide a team of about 10 Buyer Specialists serving an assigned grouping of colleges arranged region while performing transactional purchases for a wide variety of goods and services for the 23 VCCS colleges, the System Office and the Shared Services Center.

The position:

• Receives demand signals and purchases goods and services up to the small purchase threshold
• Ensures that all purchases are performed accurately, timely and in accordance with applicable state laws & policies and VCCS policies
• Employs best business practices to continuously improve performance, compliance, efficiency and effectiveness
• Acts as a lead for respective region to assign workload and act as an elevation point

Special Assignments

May be required to perform other duties as assigned. May be required to assist the agency or state government generally in the event of an emergency declaration by the Governor.

KSA's/Required Qualifications

Required KSAs:

Ability to:

• execute simple to moderately complex purchases of supplies, equipment, and services
• proficiently use automated procurement systems (e-procurement) to review and process requisitions through to a purchase order and acknowledgment
• analyze quotes/, bids and make appropriate purchasing decisions
• fully manage procurement process for assignments from the need through the purchase order, including order status and invoicing discrepancies
• exercise sound judgment, solve problems, and attend to detail in a fast pace, team oriented and customer service-oriented environment
• provide exceptional customer service to internal and external customers in a professional manner
• complete assignments following procedures & processes within the policies & laws
• express thoughts clearly both verbally and in writing
• maintain confidentiality
• work effectively with a wide range of constituencies
• use the computer hardware and software required, including proficiency in MS Office
• to lead, assign and act as an elevation point of daily operational tasks to maximize efficiency on their respective teams
• to communicate effectively with leadership regarding progress and support in their respective areas

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimal purchasing experience such as reviewing requisitions, soliciting bids, and vendor outreach
• Multiple years of customer service or team-oriented work experience or a combination
• Current Virginia Contracting Associate ( VCA ) certification or ability to obtain within one year of hire; see https://vip.dgs.virginia.gov/ for more information on VCA certification

Additional Considerations

Additional Considerations:

• Experience guiding and directing small groups
• Purchasing experience (Private or Public Sector)
• Experience using MS Office products and/or Adobe Acrobat Pro

Operation of a State Vehicle

Operation of a State Vehicle No

Supervises Employees

Supervises Employees No

Required Travel

Less than 5%.

Posting Number

Posting Number CLS_4776P

Recruitment Type

Recruitment Type General Public - G

Number of Vacancies

Number of Vacancies 1

Position End Date (if temporary)

Job Open Date

Job Open Date 09/28/2026

Job Close Date

Job Close Date 10/11/2026

Agency Website

Agency Website www.ssc.vccs.edu

Contact Name

Contact Name

Email

Phone Number

Special Instructions to Applicants

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth’s Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly called a Certificate of Disability) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services ( DARS ), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired ( DBVI ). Service-Connected Veterans may also apply via the AHP if they also provide an AHP