Purchasing Manager at Oakland Community College Office Of Human Resources – Auburn Hills, Michigan

Responsible for college Purchasing Services including but not limited to RFP/RFQ development, bid solicitation and award, and some aspects of the contract process which may include development, negotiating, and awards. Ensures adherence to and consistency with Administrative Services policies and procedures. This position is expected to work in a multicultural diverse working environment.
This description is intended to indicate the types of duties and responsibilities requested of the employee assigned this title. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all the duties and responsibilities that may be required:

1. Prepares, issues, and review bids, Requests for Proposals (RFP), and Requests for Quotations (RFQ).
2. Conducts pre-bid and pre-proposal conferences.
3. Negotiates with vendors regarding specifications, scope of work, prices, terms, and conditions.
4. Performs initial contract administration to include contract development and negotiation; acts as liaison between suppliers and departments; maintains rules and regulations compliance with contract terms and conditions including amendments, extensions, and change orders; analyzes cost and price data from vendors; performs contract audits, when required.
5. Analyzes and recommends purchasing strategy for large projects.
6. Prepares for and leads supplier negotiations.
7. Prepares and maintains accurate records and documentation on all solicitations, responses, purchases, contracts, correspondence, and related follow-up.
8. Researches market sources and suppliers to determine cost effectiveness and competitive pricing for purchases of supplies and services; identifies and coordinates use of cooperative purchasing agreements.
9. Proactively seeks ways to save costs and evaluate trends, volumes, and patterns to identify ways to leverage future purchasing methods and pricing to fiscally benefit the College.
10. Engages in procurement planning with departments across the College; routinely meets and communicates with various departments to identify purchasing needs (e.g., upcoming RFP’s, contracts nearing expiration); provides timely and high-quality service to meet these needs; provides accurate, complete, and up-to-date information on all aspects of purchasing processes.
11. Maintains open channels of communication with college customers, departments, and other stakeholders to understand future purchasing needs and ensure issues are quickly resolved and opportunities are acted upon.
12. Manages all aspects of the college’s Purchasing card program, including monitoring activity for program compliance.
13. Provides guidance and training to end-users; ensures all procurement documentation is accurate and up to date.
14. Ensures outcomes of selection processes follow best practices; College procurement policies; and local, state, and federal requirements.
15. Reviews or obtains legal opinions throughout procurement processes.
16. Prepares and presents procurement and department reports.
17. Assists in establishing, maintaining, and administering policies and procedures, as well as the supervising of purchasing systems to include contract management systems and bid solicitation programs.
18. Responsible for day-to-day operations of the Purchasing department
19. Supervises Purchasing & Auxiliary Services Assistants which includes but is not limited to the assignment and distribution of duties and projects, training, evaluations, and scheduling.
20. Performs other related duties, as assigned.
21. Ability to work additional hours, as needed.
•Knowledge of public sector purchasing policies and procedures
•Knowledge of computers, word processing, and spreadsheet applications
•Skilled in both verbal and written communications
•Ability to work as a team player in a multi-cultural diverse working environment
•Highly self-motivated with ability to balance multiple projects simultaneously
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related field.

EXPERIENCE: Four (4) or more years of buying experience, preferably in an educational or public setting. Experience with multi-cultural students and staff preferred.