Procurement Specialist II

City of Independence; Independence (MO); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Independence is seeking a Procurement Specialist II to oversee technical, budgetary, and procurement functions supporting electric, water, sewer, and infrastructure systems.

Under supervision of the Procurement Manager, you will develop procurement strategies, write competitive solicitations, and manage bids and contracts while ensuring compliance with laws and safety standards. Strong negotiation, analysis, and cross-functional collaboration are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field.
• Two (2) years of progressively responsible procurement experience.
• Equivalent combination of education and experience accepted.
• May be required to be Certified Professional Public Buyer; must complete NIMS level training within six months.

Responsibilities

• Develop procurement strategies for utility projects in coordination with engineering and field operations.
• Analyze requisitions to determine best procurement method for technical equipment and services.
• Prepare and review technical specifications with engineering staff.
• Prepare competitive solicitations and ensure compliance with industry standards and safety requirements.
• Coordinate pre-solicitation conferences and formal bid openings.
• Assess when long-term contracts are advantageous to ensure inventory stability and emergency readiness.
• Assist in issuing purchase orders and contracts for materials and services.
• Compile bid information and perform cost/price analysis to select lowest responsive bidder.
• Prepare documentation and recommendations for procurement to City Council.
• Serve as liaison with governmental agencies, suppliers, and departments to ensure compliance.
• Negotiate with vendors and resolve disputes; research for legal actions as needed.
• Respond to Freedom of Information requests related to bids and communications.
• Identify and report improper bidding practices and potential breaches of contract.
• Interpret and communicate purchasing policies and revisions to staff.
• Organize disposal or salvage of utility equipment.

Skills

Procurement strategy development

Bid evaluation and cost analysis

Vendor negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Contract administration

Budgetary planning

Policy interpretation

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in accounting

Bachelor's degree in Public Administration

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Related field

Job description

Under the general supervision of the Procurement Manager, the Procurement Specialist II performs a variety of technical, budgetary, and procurement functions in support of utility operations – including electric, water, sewer and infrastructure systems. This includes procurement of specialized equipment, materials and services and coordination of purchasing required to maintain reliable public utility operations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Coordinates and conducts meetings with utility contractors, engineering consultants, equipment manufacturers, field operations, and supervisors and project managers to develop procurement strategies for utility projects.
• Analyzes requisitions to determine the best procurement method for technical equipment (transformers, pumps, meters, switchgear, piping, SCADA-related components), construction services and maintenance contracts.
• Develops and reviews utility-specific technical specifications in partnership with engineering staff to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Prepares and writes competitive solicitations in partnership with engineering and field operations staff to ensure accuracy and compliance.
• Prepares and writes competitive solicitations for utility capital improvements, system upgrades, and regulatory compliance services, ensuring alignment with industry standards and safety requirements.
• Determines the necessity of a pre-solicitation conference; coordinates and conducts pre-solicitation conference; arranges and conducts formal public bid openings.
• Determines when utility price agreements or long‑term contracts are advantageous to support inventory stability, specialized vendor access, and emergency response readiness.
• Assists in issuance of purchase orders and contracts for materials and services used in daily utility operations, outage response, and capital infrastructure projects.
• Compiles information and creates tabulation reports on all bids and proposals received; applies evaluation criteria and cost/price analysis methods to determine the lowest responsive bidder; oversees issuing of purchase orders or price agreements to successful vendors.
• Prepares written documentation, justification, and recommendation for the procurement of services/commodities from selected vendors for presentation to City Council.
• Serves as liaison with governmental agencies, suppliers, and all departments; schedules and conducts meetings with contractors and department personnel; administers and assures compliance of all requirements as stated on purchase orders/price agreements including terms and conditions, performance, and delivery schedules.
• Composes correspondence, letters, and legal documents. Build relationships with vendors; negotiate and resolve claims, disputes, conflicts and protests from vendors and department users involving utility construction projects, technical failures, delivery delays, or performance issues; research and compiles documentation for legal suits or petitions filed against the City regarding procurement.
• Assists with researching and responding to Freedom of Information (aka Sunshine) Requests from the public for information related to prior bids and communications within the city and with suppliers and contractors with the city.
• Detects and reports evidence of improper or unethical bidding practices by vendors; identifies potential breach of contract by vendors. Assists in establishing purchasing goals; makes recommendations to improve purchasing operation and implement changes.
• Interprets purchasing policies and relays policy and procedure revision to City department personnel.
• Organizes and administers disposal or salvage of utility-related equipment, including transformers, meters, cabling, or other operational assets.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

• Graduation from college with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration, or related field;
• Experience in procurement within utilities, public works, engineering, or infrastructure environment preferred.

AND

• Two (2) year of progressively responsible experience performing above and related duties;

OR

• An equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Special Qualifications

May be required to be or become a Certified Professional Public Buyer. Must complete required NIMS level training within first six months of hire.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of

• Principles and practices of purchasing and the laws and regulations governing public procurement; principles and practices of governmental contracting.
• Economic trends and factors; commodities, services, and product lines.
• Specification writing and development.
• Business and contract law; basic accounting and budgetary principles and practices.
• Utility operational practices, including electric distribution, water treatment, wastewater systems, and infrastructure maintenance.
• Understanding of regulatory requirements applicable to utilities (EPA, state environmental rules, safety standards, engineering codes, etc.)

Skill in

• Organizing work, setting priorities, meeting critical deadlines, and following up assignments with a minimum of direction.
• Using a computer to accurately and rapidly enter and retrieve data and information.
• Researching, compiling, and summarizing a variety of informational and statistical data and materials.
• Evaluating proposals for technical equipment and identifying lifecycle cost savings relevant to utility operations.

Ability to

• Demonstrate using tact, discretion, initiative, and independent judgment within established guidelines to meet departmental and Citywide goals and objectives.
• Apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios and proportions to practical situations; solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.
• Write reports, correspondence, procedure manuals; speak effectively before public.
• Recognize and analyze cost reduction methods pertaining to procurement.
• Read, analyze and interpret professional periodicals and journals, technical procedures and government regulations.
• Interpret engineering plans, technical specifications, schematics, and utility industry manuals.
• Support emergency procurement during outages, system failures, weather events, or urgent repairs.

Work Environment:

While performing the essential functions of this job the employee is frequently required to sit, use hands to finger, handle, or feel, talk or hear, and lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. The incumbent's working conditions are typically moderately quiet.

May occasionally visit utility facilities, substations, water plants, or field sites to verify procurement needs and confirm specifications.

Drug testing

Background check

In addition to the application, testing and/or examinations may be required for further consideration.

Position is open until filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Independence is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and it is our policy to provide equal opportunity to all people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information, citizenship status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected category. The City of Independence is a background screening, drug‑free workplace.

The City of Independence provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation in order to apply for a job, please submit your request to humanresources‑[e-mail].

Disclaimer

The above statements describe the general nature, level, and type of work performed by the incumbent(s) assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, demands, and skills required of personnel so classified. Job descriptions are not intended to and do not imply or create any employment, compensation, or contract rights to any person or persons. Management reserves the right in coordination with the governing union (if applicable) to add, delete, or modify any and/or all provisions of this description at any time as needed without notice. This job description supersedes earlier versions.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER – BILINGUAL SKILLS PREFERRED