Purchasing Agent

The Personnel Board of Jefferson County Alabama; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 81,000 - 126,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Birmingham is seeking a well-qualified Purchasing Agent to oversee procurement operations and ensure departments have timely access to products and services. This role supervises procurement staff, develops specifications and bid proposals, and negotiates vendor bids and contracts to secure best value for the city.

Responsibilities include issuing purchase orders, maintaining vendor relationships, assisting with budget development, and monitoring expenditures.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, or Purchasing/Procurement.
• Experience in purchasing, procurement, and/or acquisition, including sourcing of materials and supplies, contract administration, negotiation, vendor management, inventory management, and implementation of cost‑saving strategies.
• Experience supervising professional and clerical personnel (e.g., approving leave, counseling employees and taking disciplinary action, and conducting performance appraisals).
• Experience in creating specifications and bid proposals, awarding bids, and creating purchase orders.
• Experience in data analysis (e.g., forecasting, market trends, strategic vendor engagement).

Responsibilities

• Direct daily operations of the organization’s procurement activities and maximize value through strategic sourcing and supplier management.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders and vendors to align procurement with business objectives.
• Establish and maintain policies and guidelines for procurement, ensuring compliance with laws and internal procedures.
• Procure and manage inventory to meet departmental needs.
• Develop and implement procurement strategies by analyzing market trends and identifying cost-saving opportunities.
• Supervise staff and provide training and guidance.

Skills

Procurement

Vendor management

Negotiation

Budget monitoring

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, Purchasing/Procurement

Job description

LOCATIONS:

Birmingham

TARGET CLOSE DATE:

09/25/2026

PAY GRADE:

Grade 32

TYPE:

Full time

JOB SUMMARY:

The City of Birmingham is seeking a well-qualified Purchasing Agent to oversee procurement operations and ensure departments have timely access to necessary products and services. Responsibilities include supervising procurement staff; developing specifications and bid proposals; soliciting, evaluating, and negotiating vendor bids and contracts; issuing purchase orders; and maintaining vendor relationships. The Purchasing Agent works with department heads to assess procurement needs, improve purchasing processes, and resolve supply issues. The position also assists with budget development and expenditure monitoring, identifies cost‑saving opportunities, and ensures procurement activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and ethical standards.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

The City of Birmingham provides competitive pay and comprehensive benefits packages to include medical and dental insurance, employer-sponsored retirement plan (pension), generous paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, and more.

The pay range for this job is presented below:
$81,057 - $125,736

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Accounting, Finance, Purchasing/Procurement, or a closely related field of study.

• Experience in purchasing, procurement, and/or acquisition to include sourcing of materials and supplies, contract administration, negotiation, vendor management, inventory management, and implementation of cost‑saving strategies.

• Experience supervising professional and clerical personnel (e.g., approving leave, counseling employees and taking disciplinary action, and conducting performance appraisals).

• Experience in creating specifications and bid proposals, awarding bids, and creating purchase orders.

• Experience in data analysis (e.g., forecasting, market trends, strategic vendor engagement).

TYPICAL JOB DUTIES:

• Assists in directing the daily operations of the organization’s procurement activities by ensuring goods and services are procured and maximizing value from procurement activities through strategic sourcing and supplier management following established agreements, state and federal laws, and policies and procedures to support business success.

• Acts as a liaison by collaborating with other internal and external stakeholders and vendors, such as finance, legal, operations, and inventory management, to ensure alignment of procurement activities with overall business objectives and operational requirements.

• Establishes and maintains departmental policies, procedures and guidelines related to procurement activity (e.g., vendor selection, contract negotiation, purchasing processes) by reviewing and researching state and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines to ensure compliance when creating and updating new policies and guidelines, evaluating services, and establishing procedures.

• Establishes and maintains departmental policies, procedures and guidelines related to procurement activity (e.g., vendor selection, contract negotiation, purchasing processes) by reviewing and researching state and federal legislation, regulations, and guidelines to ensure compliance when creating and updating new policies and guidelines, evaluating services, and establishing procedures.

• Procures and/or manages inventory (i.e., supplies and equipment) to ensure the products and services are available to meet the operational needs of each department.

• Assists in the development and implementation of the organization’s procurement strategies by analyzing market trends, assessing supply chain risks, and identifying opportunities for cost savings, efficiency improvements, and innovation to maintain alignment with the organization’s overall objectives

• Supervises staff by assigning and distributing work, directing staff in their job duties, monitoring progress of work, providing feedback and/or training.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Job is primarily sedentary involving sitting for long periods of time, but may involve occasional walking or standing for brief periods.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Work is conducted almost exclusively indoors in an office setting. Work involves use of standard office equipment, such as computer, phone, copier, etc.

EEO STATEMENT:

The Personnel Board of Jefferson Countyprovides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment with the Personnel Board of Jefferson County, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training. Each Merit System member city/agencyoperates its own equal employment opportunity policies available on the individual city/agency website.

ACCOMMODATION:

To request an accommodation in the application or hiring process due to your own ongoing medical condition or disability, please contact our Accommodations Coordinator at [e-mail] or phone at 205-279-3500 (select option 1) Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time. The accommodation process is reserved solely for job seekers with disabilities requesting accessibility assistance or accommodation in the job application process.

NOTE:

This job posting may close before, or be extended beyond, the listed Target Close Date based on the employment needs of the Merit System.

DISCLAIMER:

This job posting is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of the job duties, responsibilities, or skills and abilities required for this position and may be changed at the discretion of the Personnel Board at any time.