Senior Buyer

Peoria Unified School District; Glendale (AZ); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

The Peoria Unified School District is seeking a Senior Buyer to manage advanced purchasing for district-wide supplies, equipment, and services in compliance with state and district rules. You will develop solicitations, analyze bids, negotiate terms, and administer contracts while guiding district departments and staff on procurement best practices.

The position emphasizes transparency, cost-effectiveness, and vendor performance.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree and 3 years of relevant purchasing or procurement experience, including one year in a senior or lead role.
• Experience with competitive bidding, contract development, and vendor negotiations.
• Ability to collaborate with district departments and maintain procurement records.
• Knowledge of state and federal procurement regulations.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and conduct complex purchases for district schools and departments.
• Prepare and administer formal and informal solicitations (IFBs, RFPs, RFQs, and quotes).
• Develop specifications and evaluation criteria with requesting departments.
• Review requisitions and ensure funding information and compliance with procurement requirements.
• Conduct market research and identify sources of supply.
• Facilitate pre-bid conferences, bid openings, evaluations, and contract awards.
• Analyze bids and prepare recommendations for award.
• Negotiate pricing, delivery terms, renewals, and other contractual provisions.
• Process purchase orders, contracts, amendments, renewals, and change orders.
• Administer contracts and monitor vendor performance and compliance.
• Assist schools with procurement issues and ensure timely deliveries.
• Maintain procurement files and records documenting competition and approvals.
• Provide guidance and training to staff on procurement procedures.
• May supervise or coordinate work of buyers and staff.
• Identify opportunities for cooperative purchasing and cost savings.
• Develop relationships with vendors and district personnel.
• Assist with audits, protests, and public-record inquiries.
• Use district systems to process transactions and generate reports.

Skills

Procurement knowledge

Purchasing processes

Negotiation

Vendor management

Compliance knowledge

Communication skills

Education

Associate's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Purchasing or related field

Job description

Location:

District Administration Center - Glendale, AZ

Position Title:

Senior Buyer

Department:

Business Services/Purchasing

Supervisor:

Director of Procurement and Distribution

Term of Employment:

12 months

Salary Classification:

Classified Exempt Grade 3

Job Summary

The Senior Buyer performs advanced professional purchasing and procurement activities for the school district. The position is responsible for acquiring supplies, equipment, materials, and services in accordance with district policies and applicable State and Arizona procurement requirements.
The Senior Buyer develops and administers solicitations, evaluates purchasing options, assists district departments and schools with procurement requirements and requisitions, negotiates with vendors, maintains procurement documentation, and supports the district's commitment to fair, competitive, transparent, and cost-effective purchasing practices.
The Senior Buyer may provide technical guidance and training to buyers, purchasing staff, school personnel, and district departments and may serve as a lead resource on complex procurements.

Essential Functions

as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include, but are not limited to, the following tasks, duties, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by incumbents in this class.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Plans, coordinate, and conduct complex purchases of supplies, equipment, services, and other goods required by district schools and departments.
• Prepare and administer formal and informal solicitations, including Invitations for Bids (IFBs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Qualifications (RFQs), and requests for quotations.
• Develop specifications, scopes of work, evaluation criteria, pricing schedules, and other solicitation documents in collaboration with requesting departments.
• Review requisitions, purchase requests, specifications, and supporting documentation for completeness, accuracy, appropriate funding information, and compliance with procurement requirements.
• Conduct market research and identify appropriate procurement methods and potential sources of supply.
• Facilitate pre-bid or pre-proposal conferences, solicitation openings, evaluation processes, vendor communications, negotiations, and contract-award activities.
• Analyzes bids, proposals, quotations, pricing, terms, and vendor qualifications and prepares recommendations for award.
• Negotiate pricing, delivery schedules, terms, renewals, and other contractual provisions within delegated authority.
• Prepare and process purchase order requisitions, contracts, amendments, renewals, change orders, and related procurement documents.
• Administer assigned contracts and monitors vendor performance, pricing, expiration dates, renewals, and compliance with contractual requirements.
• Assist schools and departments in resolving purchasing, receiving, invoicing, delivery, and vendor-performance issues.
• Ensure procurement activities are conducted in accordance with applicable Arizona laws and regulations, district policies and procedures, governing-board requirements, and applicable grant or funding requirements.
• Maintain complete and accurate procurement files and records sufficient to document competition, evaluations, approvals, awards, and purchasing decisions.
• Provide procurement guidance and customer service to administrators, school personnel, and district departments.
• Provide technical guidance and training to purchasing staff and district employees regarding procurement procedures and purchasing systems.
• May assign, review, or coordinate the work of buyers, purchasing assistants, or other procurement staff without exercising full supervisory authority.
• Identify opportunities for cooperative purchasing, strategic sourcing, standardization, and cost savings.
• Develop and maintain effective professional relationships with vendors, contractors, governmental entities, cooperative purchasing organizations, and district personnel.
• Assist with vendor protests, contract disputes, public-record requests, audits, and procurement-related inquiries as assigned.
• Use the district's financial and purchasing systems to process transactions, research purchasing information, and prepare reports.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of applicable Federal, state, county and city statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances and codes and Peoria Unified School District policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of the principles of procurement and purchasing.
• Knowledge of the principles of management, supervision, and leadership.
• Knowledge of the principles of bookkeeping and/or accounting.
• Knowledge of the principles of bidding, Request for Proposal development, advertisement, and selection procedures.
• Skills in reading, interpreting, understanding and applying relevant Federal, state, county and city statutes, rules, regulations, ordinances and codes and PUSD policies and procedures.
• Skills in drafting, circulating, evaluating, procuring, and preparing a variety of purchasing-related processes and documents.
• Skills in conducting public bid openings, analysis, and selections.
• Skills in establishing and maintaining effective working relations with co-workers, vendors, the general public and others having business with the school district.
• Skills in operating a personal computer utilizing a variety of software applications.

Working Conditions:

Work is primarily performed in a standard office environment with extensive use of computers and electronic procurement systems. The position requires regular communication with district employees, vendors, contractors, and members of the public and may occasionally require travel to district sites, vendor locations, conferences, or meetings.

Physical Requirements:

The employee must be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation. Duties generally require prolonged sitting, computer use, verbal and written communication, and occasional lifting or movement of files, supplies, or materials consistent with an office environment.

Minimum Qualifications:

Associate's Degree in Business Administration, Accounting, Finance, Purchasing or close related field; AND three (3) years of relevant, progressively responsible purchasing, procurement, or closely related experience that includes one (1) year in a senior or lead role; OR any equivalent combination of experience and/or education from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved.

Other Requirements:

• Must be able to pass a background check.
• Must hold or obtain an IVP fingerprint clearance card.
• May be required to possess and maintain a valid Arizona driver's license.
• May be required to travel to perform work functions.
• May be required to work outside normal working hours.