Purchasing Agent

Jobtailor; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor in Birmingham, AL seeks a procurement leader to oversee operations, supervise staff, and drive cost-saving initiatives. You will develop specifications, evaluate bids, manage vendor relationships, and ensure regulatory compliance across federal, state, and local levels.

You will collaborate with department heads and finance to optimize purchasing processes, monitor expenditures, and maintain efficient supply chains. Strong negotiation and data-analysis skills are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related field.
• Experience in purchasing, procurement, and/or acquisition, including sourcing materials and supplies, contract administration, negotiation, vendor management, inventory management, and implementation of cost-saving strategies.
• Experience supervising professional and clerical personnel, including approving leave, counseling employees, taking disciplinary action, and conducting performance appraisals.
• Experience creating specifications and bid proposals, awarding bids, and creating purchase orders.
• Experience in data analysis, including forecasting, market trends, and strategic vendor engagement.

Responsibilities

• Oversee procurement operations and ensure departments have timely access to necessary products and services.
• Supervise procurement staff and direct daily procurement activities.
• Develop specifications and bid proposals.
• Solicit, evaluate, and negotiate vendor bids and contracts.
• Issue purchase orders and maintain vendor relationships.
• Work with department heads to assess procurement needs, improve purchasing processes, and resolve supply issues.
• Assist with budget development and expenditure monitoring.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and improve procurement efficiency.
• Ensure procurement activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and ethical standards.
• Collaborate with finance, legal, operations, inventory management, external stakeholders, and vendors.
• Establish and maintain procurement policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Procure and manage inventory, supplies, and equipment.
• Analyze market trends and assess supply chain risks.
• Assign and distribute staff work, monitor progress, and provide feedback or training.

Skills

Purchasing

Sourcing

Contract Administration

Inventory Management

Cost-Saving Strategies

Bid Proposal Development

Market Trend Analysis

Expenditure Monitoring

Specification Creation

Supply Chain Risk Assessment

Education

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

Job description

• Oversee procurement operations and ensure departments have timely access to necessary products and services
• Supervise procurement staff and direct daily procurement activities
• Develop specifications and bid proposals
• Solicit, evaluate, and negotiate vendor bids and contracts
• Issue purchase orders and maintain vendor relationships
• Work with department heads to assess procurement needs, improve purchasing processes, and resolve supply issues
• Assist with budget development and expenditure monitoring
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and improve procurement efficiency
• Ensure procurement activities comply with federal, state, and local regulations, policies, and ethical standards
• Collaborate with finance, legal, operations, inventory management, external stakeholders, and vendors
• Establish and maintain procurement policies, procedures, and guidelines
• Procure and manage inventory, supplies, and equipment
• Analyze market trends and assess supply chain risks
• Assign and distribute staff work, monitor progress, and provide feedback or training

Requirements

• 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, including sourcing materials and supplies, contract administration, negotiation, vendor management, inventory management, and implementation of cost-saving strategies
• Experience supervising professional and clerical personnel, including approving leave, counseling employees, taking disciplinary action, and conducting performance appraisals
• Experience creating specifications and bid proposals, awarding bids, and creating purchase orders
• Experience in data analysis, including forecasting, market trends, and strategic vendor engagement

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in procurement operations, vendor management, and contract negotiation while ensuring compliance with regulations and policies. Proven ability to analyze market trends and implement cost-saving strategies to enhance procurement efficiency.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Procurement Operations Management
• Vendor Management
• Contract Negotiation
• Data Analysis
• Budget Development

Hard Skills

• Purchasing
• Sourcing
• Contract Administration
• Inventory Management
• Cost-Saving Strategies
• Bid Proposal Development
• Market Trend Analysis
• Expenditure Monitoring
• Specification Creation
• Supply Chain Risk Assessment

Soft Skills

• Supervision
• Team Leadership
• Communication
• Problem-Solving
• Collaboration

Industry Keywords

• Federal Regulations
• State Regulations
• Local Regulations
• Ethical Standards
• Procurement Policies
• Procurement Procedures
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Performance Appraisals
• Counseling Employees
• Disciplinary Action