Purchasing Agent

The North Central Texas Council of Governments is searching for a Purchasing Agent to join the Agency Administration department.

Agency Administration is responsible for fiscal management, grants administration and budgeting; administration of purchasing, human resources, insurance, the retirement system, records management, and office space.

Summary of the Role:

The Purchasing Agent will be responsible for facilitating the planning, organizing, managing, and overseeing the purchasing and procurement activities in the administration of the Agency’s cooperative purchasing program, TXShare. This is accomplished through effective understanding of public solicitation methods, developing specifications for solicitation and procurement activities, preparing procurement documents, executing specifications for purchasing goods and services; and conducting formal solicitations. The Purchasing Agent will be responsible for the operation and support of processes that provide timely, cost-effective, high-quality contracts through the TXShare cooperative purchasing program.

Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Provides customer service and coordinates the procurement and solicitation for the TXShare program using established guidelines, rules and regulations, policies, and laws.
• Prepares, organizes, and reviews bid specifications; reviews the preparation and distribution of bid invitations to vendors, ensures requests for bids, quotes, or proposals meet the minimum federal and state law requirements; analyzes responses from bidders; provides recommendations on award of contracts; maintain procurement files. Resolves dispute resolutions and protests.
• Maintains vendor lists; monitors and tracks vendor performance and performs contracts management; discuss defective or unacceptable new goods or services for users, vendors, and others to determine cause of problems, take corrective action; develops and maintains relationships with vendors; functions as the contract manager for TXShare contracts for member and vendor coordination and facilitation.
• Develop, implement, and maintain purchasing policies and procedures in conjunction with regulatory guidelines and state and federal laws in order to support business needed; coordinate the development and training of staff regarding purchasing and procurement practices and policies.
• Serves as a TXShare representative by attending meetings and/or events; serving on committees and setting up display booths and/or materials at meetings and events; attending seminars, workshops, and conferences to obtain relevant information regarding policies, rules and regulations, and fiscal processes; responding to inquiries from members, vendors, and decision-making forums regarding various topics; and coordinating activities with other program areas, departments, and local, state, and federal governments.
• Develop, implement, and manage cooperative procurement initiatives related to the TXShare program. Work with internal program staff and regional stakeholders to develop and procure solutions that meet regional needs and solve for challenges identified by agency staff and TXShare members.

Skills:

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Software
• Extremely organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple projects and quickly react to changing business needs while meeting firm deadlines
• Ability to be a good team player with a collaborative approach
• Ability to work independently and with minimal direction
• Strong communication skills to articulate persuasively and clearly about the organization's mission, value and initiatives

Required Education & Experience:

• A Bachelor’s degree or 9 years equivalent experience in lieu of a degree
  • Master’s degree in Public Administration, Financial Management or related field is preferred
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in direct field of procurement

Compensation:

• FLSA: Exempt
• Starting Salary: $73,435.00- $99,137.00 depending on skills, qualifications and experience.

Officing:

• This position offers a hybrid work option.

Benefits:

• We offer a highly competitive package of many desirable benefits to our full-time employees including:

Health/Dental/Vision/Life Insurance

• We provide an outstanding package of health, dental, vision and life benefits for employees, with the monthly premium paid by NCTCOG 100%. Coverage available for their families and those monthly premiums are shared with NCTCOG. We provide employees with life insurance coverage that is employer paid with a benefit of 2 times the employee’s annual salary.

Paid Leave

• Paid vacation, sick leave, and personal days are provided as part of the benefit plan, as well as specified holidays. This position also includes a phone allowance.

Retirement

• NCTCOG participates in a defined contribution plan as an alternative to Social Security. The defined contribution retirement plan provides retirement benefits for all eligible employees. NCTCOG contributes twelve percent (12%) of permanent full-time employees' gross salaries. Participating employees contribute six percent (6%) of gross salary. An employee becomes forty percent (40%) vested in NCTCOG's contributions after three full years of employment. An additional fifteen percent {15%) is vested for each additional year of employment. An employee becomes fully vested after seven years of employment.

Work/Life Balance Programs

• To help employees and their families meet personal and professional challenges, NCTCOG provides an employee assistance program, prepaid legal services, lunch and learn seminars, alternate work schedules, alternate commute programs, and an on-site gym.

Professional Development

• NCTCOG is committed to professional development and provides a wide range of training opportunities-both online and traditional classroom sessions. It covers applicable professional development expenses, professional memberships, and licenses, as well as tuition reimbursement

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer:

NCTCOG is an equal opportunity employer/program. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other classifications covered under federal, state, or local laws. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

Background Check & Drug Testing:

All selected candidates must undergo a pre-employment background check and drug screening. Background checks include national criminal background check, employment history, motor vehicle record check, social security verification, education verification, and other elements as needed. NCTCOG is committed to a safe and drug free workplace and performs pre-employment substance abuse testing. All new hires are required to undergo a drug test which detects the presence of illegal drugs for months prior to testing. We appreciate your cooperation in keeping NCTCOG safe and drug free. In order to receive an offer of employment from NCTCOG, selected candidates must successfully pass the pre-employment background check and drug screening.

E-Verify:

The North Central Texas Council of Governments participates in the federal E-Verify program in order to verify a new employee's authorization to work in the United States. Applicants must be lawfully authorized to work in the U.S.