Buyer II - Alameda Health System

SUMMARY: Under general supervision of a Senior Buyer, performs purchasing work. Buyers II establishes product standards and specifications within assigned commodity categories. Buyers II also have the responsibility for composing, issuing, and signing bids, contracts, awards, and purchase orders, irrespective of dollar amount expended. Performs related duties as required.

DUTIES & ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: NOTE: Following are the duties performed by employees in this classification. However, employees may perform other related duties at an equivalent level. Not all duties listed are necessarily performed by each individual in the classification.

1. Analyze bids for conformance to specifications and suitability for required use and may test samples submitted; select bid most economically fulfilling needs, and awards it to vendor; signs and issues purchase orders.

2. Analyze products, requisitions, past purchases, and uses; determines whether commodities could be purchased more economically on a term basis.

3. Assists in problem solving with commodity assignment.

4. Assists in the supervision, training and assignment of routine work assistant.

5. Attends staff conferences; prepares reports, recommendations, and correspondence.

6. Compiles lists of vendors according to the nature of the product, taking into consideration capabilities, limitations, facilities, past performance, and location of the vendor, and issue requests for bids.

7. Interviews salesmen and manufacturers’ representatives; attends demonstrations and trade exhibitions; visits factories, plants, and vendors; facilities; reads trade publications and consumer reports; keeps abreast of market conditions, product developments, and relative merits of individual vendors.

8. On assignment, studies items individually requested and determines whether storage facilities, delivery schedules, the susceptibility of items to obsolescence or deterioration, or other factors will permit them to be more economically purchases in large quantity or consolidated purchasing orders.

9. Prepares specifications, describing in detail the exact characteristics desired in the article to be purchases, and stating the quality, quantity, packaging, shipping, and handling of the items.

10. Receives comments and complaints from using departments items received and takes action to obtain compliance of vendor with the conditions of the purchase order, noting performance on vendor’s performance record.

11. Represents the Purchasing Department on commodity standardization subcommittees; acts as secretary of a committee; guides the committee toward developing standardized specifications; prepares meeting agenda, gathers information on products, arranges demonstrations of products, and records minutes.

12. Reviews and checks requisitions for accuracy; analyzes the request in terms of amount budgeted. Consults with department managers to analyze their needs; recommends suitable products or services in accordance with needs of department, market conditions and product availability.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Minimum Experience: One year of experience in the class of Buyer I with the Alameda Health System; OR the equivalent of five years full-time professional experience which included developing and preparing contracts, specifications, and cost analysis. (A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university may by substituted for four years of the required experience).