Lead Buyer Specialist

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Virginia (MN); On-site; USD 55,000 - 62,000; Full time

Job summary

The Virginia Community Colleges System (VCCS) Shared Services Center in Botetourt, VA, seeks a Lead Buyer Specialist to guide a regional team of about 10 Buyers and manage transactional purchases for 23 colleges, the System Office, and the SSC.

Under the Purchasing Supervisor, you will ensure purchases comply with state laws and policies, optimize procurement processes, and provide leadership across the region.

Qualifications

• Execute simple to moderately complex purchases of supplies, equipment, and services.
• Proficiently use automated procurement systems (e-procurement) to review requisitions through to a PO.
• Analyze quotes, bids and make purchasing decisions.
• Fully manage procurement from need to PO, including invoicing discrepancies.
• Exercise sound judgment, solve problems in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Provide exceptional customer service to internal and external customers.
• Complete assignments following procedures & policies within laws and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Guide a team of about 10 Buyers serving an assigned grouping of colleges.
• Perform transactional purchases up to the small purchase threshold.
• Ensure all purchases comply with state laws, policies and VCCS policies.
• Lead region workload and act as an escalation point.

Skills

Purchasing

Customer service

Team leadership

Vendor outreach

Attention to detail

Communication skills

Education

Virginia Contracting Associate (VCA) certification

Tools

MS Office

Adobe Acrobat Pro

Job description

Title: Lead Buyer Specialist

Agency: VCCS-Shared Services Center

Location: Botetourt - 023

FLSA: Exempt

Hiring Range: $55,000-$62,000

Full Time or Part Time: Full Time

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

Required KSAs:

• 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:

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