Description

JOB TITLE: Purchasing Assistant

DEPARTMENT: Finance

REPORTS TO: Controller

STATUS: Exempt

Purchasing Assistant Summary

The Purchasing Assistant is a valuable member of the Finance team and is responsible for identifying purchasing needs and overseeing the procurement process. Duties include selecting the appropriate procurement method, creating bid documents, soliciting and evaluating proposals and documentation of the award process. The Purchasing Assistant will adhere to all company procurement policies and procedures, as well as federal grant regulations. This role will also perform accounts payable functions, such as coding invoices, entering invoices into the accounting system and processing invoices for payment. 

A Day in the Life

This job description reflects management's assignment of essential functions. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

· Assists managers, directors, and other staff with purchasing goods and services.

· Identifies purchasing needs and develops specifications of the needed goods and/or services.

· Oversees all phases of the procurement process including selecting the procurement method, preparing bid documents, solicitation of bids/proposals, evaluation, and selection, contracting, purchase order creation, delivery of goods/services, invoice receipt and payment.

· Ensures all procurement documents, including contracts, orders, and payment records, are properly documented for audit trails and compliance.

· Assists Controller with federal reporting requirements. 

· Administers company on-line ordering accounts, such as Amazon and Staples

· Maintains good working relationships with vendors.

· Creates and tracks purchase orders, overseeing that items are received and invoiced accurately.

· Performs vendor research and analyses to enhance profitability, reducing operating costs and boosting efficiencies.

· Assists Account Payable team with coding and entering vendor invoices into the accounting system.

· Allocates capital items and expenses to sites and services based on appropriate allocation method.

· Maintains confidentiality of all financial information. 

· Performs all other duties and tasks as assigned.

Core Competencies

· Customer Service: Committed to increasing customer satisfaction, sets proper customer expectations, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems, ensures commitments to customers are met.

· Communication: Understand and communicate effectively with others using a variety of contexts and formats, which include writing, speaking, reading, listening and interpersonal skills.

· Dependability: Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, meets attendance/punctuality requirements.

· Quality: Is attentive to detail and accuracy, is committed to excellence, looks for improvements continuously, monitors quality levels, finds root cause of quality problems, owns/acts on quality problems.

· Productivity: Manages a fair workload, volunteers for additional work, prioritizes tasks, develops good work procedures, manages time well, and handles information flow.

Requirements

Success Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education/Experience

Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field is required or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

Language Skills

Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively before groups of customers or employees of organization.

Reasoning Ability

Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

Computer Skills

To perform this job successfully, an individual should have the ability to gain knowledge of Microsoft Office and accounting software such as Sage Intacct

Other Applicable Requirements 

Knowledge of basic accounting fundamentals.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms and talk or hear. The employee is occasionally required to sit and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and /or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this Job, the employee are occasionally exposed to fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals and risk of radiation. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.